SAINTS, SAVIORS, AND SINNERS

As worldly as most people make the sporting industry to be, it is remarkable how much divinity we inject into it. Especially as it comes to deifying or villifying its major figures. AC Green hs been practically canonized as a saint for going public with his private conviction to not have sex before marriage; LeBron James has been deemed the savior of the stumbling Cavaliers franchise; and Kobe Bryant, former saint and savior, is now being smeared as a sinner for his dalliance in Colorado. ESPN even has a book called "The Gospel According to ESPN: Saints, Saviors, and Sinners."

I guess our desire to put famous people on pedestals (or want to knock them off pedestals) isn't relegated to the sporting world. We do the same with politicians (Bill Clinton, Martin Luther King), entertainers (Eminem, R. Kelly), and even entire organizations (the Catholic Church, Enron). Although our own lives and morals are an uncomfortable shade of grey, we desperately need to categorize our public figures as either all good or all bad.

What if we were to remember that these athletes, politicians, and entertainers were human beings just like you and me? Capable of inspiring acts of heroism as well as dastardly acts of depravity. Just because they are gifted in a way that we are not -- be it throwing a baseball really fast, crafting foreign policy, or singing a melodious tune -- does not embue them with superhuman intelligence, moral discipline, or decision-making ability.

It's comical how impossibly high our expectations are of 22-year-old athletes to speak on behalf of their entire ethnic group, stump for world issues, or make good decisions with their money, time, and discretion. Sure, with greater exposure and resources comes greater responsibility; but do you remember having a clear head and a set of values you were willing to risk unpopularity and condemnation for when you were in your early twenties? Let's hold our public figures to high standards, yes; but let's not make them be either saint, savior, or sinner.