Are these athletes really role models?

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Dan Rosen

Remember when Cubs rookie pitcher Kerry Wood struck out 20 Houston Astros?

Remember when Mark McGwire hit number 62?

How about when Sammy Sosa hit number 62?

Now remember when Latrell Sprewell grabbed his head coach P.J. Carlisimo by the throat and threatened his life?

We can all recall the tale of Dallas Cowboys Michael Irvin and Erik Williams and their infamous rape allegations and cocaine use.

Don't forget about everyone's favorite Rhodes Scholar, Allen Iverson, who in his first time facing Michael Jordan thought it was a good idea to trash talk right in his face.

What's the difference between most baseball players and other sports' athletes?

Baseball players are educated, sophisticated, humble and just down right good people.

Oh, sure, you have your Gary Sheffields and Albert "Joey" Belles, but they are few and far between.

And yes, not all NBA and NFL players are uneducated, unsophisticated and bad people.

But you can find a guy like Sheffield or Belle on just about every NBA and NFL team.

The first thing you found Mark McGwire doing when he broke the record was shaking the hand of every Cub in the infield and then picking up his son Matt and giving him a great big hug.

What a dad! What a man!

Sammy Sosa then came in from right field to give him a hug and do Big Mac's now famous high five and punch.

After both Ripken and Sosa set their records, they were reluctant to take a curtain call. They literally had to be thrown out on the field by teammates.

Why?

Good question.

Because there was a game to play and that is what they are paid for.

Ripken came to play baseball everyday because it was his job. He did not sit out because of a sprained thumb or a 101 degree fever. The Orioles pay him to play baseball and do it everyday.

These guys complimented each other and thanked the fans before thinking about themselves and the impressive records they just set.

They were humble and everyone ate it up.

So what is the point of all this?

Well, athletes are looked up to as role models. Parents take their children to games because the child wants to see his hero.

If you were a parent would you want your child's hero to be Sprewell, Irvin, Williams, Iverson or any other player who is in jail and court more than on the playing surface?

Yes, not all football and basketball players are a criminal lawyer's dream, but you can make an argument for some.

Basketball is a game that used to be dominated by guys like Magic, Bird, Chamberlain, Cousey, Erving, Walton and, of course, Jordan.

Now besides Jordan, who might be leaving his throne shortly, who leads this league?

Iverson, Sprewell, Barkley, Anthony Mason and everyone's favorite fab-fiver Chris Webber.

Uh-oh!

Yeah, former Michigan coach Steve Fisher did a great job molding Webber into the thug he is.

And in the NFL, a league that used to boast Joe Montana, "Mean" Joe Greene, Phil Simms and Walter Payton now has Bam "I'm going to jail again" Morris, Andre "Bad Moon" Rison, Keyshawn "Just give me the damn ball" Johnson, Andre "Show me the money" Wadsworth and the epitome of as$ho!! - Bryan Cox.

You figure it out.

These are definitely not the people we want the children of the 20th and 21st centuries telling their kids about.

My dad used to tell me about Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio and Willie Mays.

Now what do I tell my children when they ask me about these stand-up American citizens?

I just don't know.

So, after all this is said, I just have one piece of advice for the executives of the NBA and NFL.

Start weeding them out, or the respect for your league's athletes are going, going, gone.

Dan Rosen is a journalism junior and covers football for the Arizona Daily Wildcat. He does understand that the weeding out of these players will never happen, but still holds onto his dream that one day it will. He can be reached via e-mail at Dan.Rosen@wildcat.arizona.edu.