Much is being said about the post game incident between an Oregon player punching a Boise State player after the game completed on Thursday night. “Another black Eye for College Athletics” in the New York Times address what took place at the game and its unfortunate aftermath.
We as sports fans love the big hit by a defensive player on the quarterback, or the running back runnning 60 yards for a touchdown. But are we putting too much emphasis on big time athletics and the pressure associated with it?
The Oregon player met with his coach after the game, both cried during their meeting while discussing what took place. Later the Oregon player apologized for his actions, but the damage was done. As a star tailback and the best player on the team, he failed in his responsibilities for a brief unfortunate event. Now he is suspended from the football team for the year.
The Boise State player was not suspended from his football team, even though he taunted the Oregon player. Why he wasn’t I do not know, but the administrators at Boise State will have to live with their decision.
Much is asked of our athletes, but our we properly grooming them to handle the pressure of big time athletics. What happens to these young men and women once they leave the playing field and pursue their lives? College athletics is big business and all the schools strive to make their programs succeed regardless of the cost of the effect on young people who may or may not have the maturity to act responsibly.
Parents need to be fully engaged with their children to teach them respect for themselves and other. Teachers need to be trained and compensated so they can prepare young people for the future ahead. Organized sports need to realize that sport is a game and nothing more. All of these areas must dovetail into making our young people responsible and caring adults.
The silver lining is the fact that the majority of our young people are being groomed properly, but the media in their zest to get the story (I exclude the New York Times because their article was written very objectively), concentrate more on the negative. Which is unfortunate for us, because we do not see the good that is being done. Hopefully, with what transpired between players at Oregon and Boise State, we as people can understand and prepare our children to handle life.
Bodacious BJ
