Sports Awards Gone Wrong

Four high profile awards were given to professional athletes in the last week, three of them to athletes who displayed despicable behavior.

First came Tiger Woods, who was named Athlete of the Decade by members of the Associated Press, right in the middle of the biggest scandal of the year.  Then nice guy NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson was named AP’s Male Athlete of the Year, followed by Serena Williams as AP’s Female Athlete of the Year.  Finally, Michael Vick was awarded his team’s Ed Block Courage Award.

Are these the people who should be glamorized this year?  Wood’s “transgressions” are still being found out, his own statement was “I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person”.

Serena Williams certainly dominated her sport, but she is still paying the largest fine in her sports history and is on probation for her incredible tirade at the US Open.

Michael Vick is still on the comeback trail after serving a jail sentence after outrageous cruelty to animals. His response when accepting his award was a joke, “I’ve had to overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can bear”.  Oh really?  I can think of a lot of people who have overcome much more than a self-inflicted, 2-year sentence in a prison camp, with a million-dollar contract waiting on you when you get out. Here’s an idea, visit a military hospital and see what those individuals have to bear and overcome.

Of these award winners, only Jimmie Johnson has displayed public behavior this year which could be considered worthy of someone to look up to.  He dominated his sport, was humble, gracious, had his wife by his side, was good to his fans, and set a good example for all to follow.

Many would say these awards are given to these athletes for their performance in competition, not their personal lives.  I say “bull”. Tiger Woods did not receive the “Athlete of the Decade While On The Golf Course Award”.  Serena Williams’ antics took place on the biggest stage of her sport, in the midst of competition.  Michael Vick is not even a starter on his own team.

Perhaps the AP writers should step out of the box and think about who they really represent, the readers, rather than pander to the big names just for the sake of headlines. Maybe athletes would behave better if they were rewarded for good behavior as much as they are glamorized and publicized for their transgressions.

Thank you, Jimmie Johnson, for giving us at least one true winner in the bunch.

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