Except for those folks closest to the players – family, friends, coaches – the majority of countless thousands of fans look at these young men/women who are college athletes as ball players only. I mean, how else can we know them? How else COULD we know them?
And being humans, these young athletes are going to reflect everything we see in all of society. All kinds of personalities from all kinds of places and backgrounds. Some great minds and thinkers. Some regular-type guys/girls just playing a game they love until they get out of school. And some troubled souls who are on a bad life path. And eveything in between. In short, Saints and Sinners and Stay-at-Home souls. A microcosm of all types of human beings.
I don’t think anyone honestly tries to fail in life or make terrible choices. Many of us do make bad decisions that we are indeed fully responsible for. But our background and upbringing does have something to do with the choices we make. And the people we hang around with. And the influence our parents and other family has on us. Yes, we are a complex mix. And some things that just uniquely our own.
As we all can agree... if the charges are legit this is sad on many levels. The consequences of this event will reach far and wide and for some time to come almost regardless of what happens next.
But when we do wrong... we do pay a price. Somehow, some way. In its own given timeframe.
Speaking in general and not specifically about this situation... the actions of any one person simply cannot be allowed to derail a sports team... an institution... the fan base... or the future of all of these together. You cannot allow a personal failure to fester and grow beyond its own tragic scope. Or poison others who had nothing to do with such a bad event.
All of us – women, men, young and old. At our base level we are the same. A creature mix of good things and not-so-good. Of potentials realized and potentials lost. Promises made and promises broken. A trail with many wins and many losses along the way.
When these kinds of sad events happen... feel bad for everyone involved. Feel compassion for victims (if there are any). And feel the tragic consequences that arise when we fail and fall short of our best. And the consquences that a doer of bad deeds will face, somehow.
And hope for redemption for everyone - and every thing – touched by such an event. Because Life -- and the games -- will still go on.
