It was announced today in a White Plains, New York court room that Olympic gold medal sprinter Marion Jones has been sentenced for sixth months for lying under oath about her steroid use and for her involvement in a cheque-fraud scheme.
This, despite her pleading with the judge to not separate her from her children, even for a short period of time.
"I ask you to be as merciful as a human being can be,"
While I am truly sorry for Marion Jones' kids, who will be without the proper love and affection of their mother for the next half-year, I am also really tired of watching, listening, reading, and writing about the legal entanglements of professional athletes, particularly in relation to steroids.
Obviously, I love sports. That's why I follow them on TV and the Internet and why I write this blog. But I love them because I love fair competition, seeing underdogs triumph over adversity, and seeing intelligence, hard work, and guts pay off.
I'm tired of surfing to SportsIllustrated.com and seeing picture galleries of baseball's greatest cheaters of all time. Or seeing TSN bring in a legal analyst to discuss Michael Vick's options for parole. Reading about Reggie Bush's illicit sponsorship deals while still in college. I want my athlete's to play and excel at their sports, but not through cheating.
During sentencing today, District Judge Kenneth Karras said "Athletes in society have an elevated status, they entertain, they inspire, and perhaps, most important, they serve as role models."
I want athletes to be heroes again. Not just role models for people, but good role models for people. Great role models.
But that's where it gets tough. It's so easy to destroy something as fragile as faith and respect, but it takes years to rebuild. The Olympics, Major League Baseball, National Football League, and any other major sporting organization have to start building their audiences trust again, and they need to start right now.
Enough is enough, and it's time for a change.
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