There's a little-known story I think about daily, featuring a very young boy who spent his Sundays watching the Dallas Cowboys and their legendary coach, Tom Landry. Landry not only preached football, but the importance of faith and family. Sportswriting is much more complicated than that. And to me, it's more than who won or lost.
Athletes do have problems, but that is also a byproduct of society.
Athletics used to be an escape, but now some players are trying to hide from their role model status. All of us are role models, and those who hide from the status lack character. Children are influenced by every action P positive or negative. Another misconception is that sports are all blood and sweat. The Women's Sports Foundation has also noted that female athletes have higher self-esteem and graduation rates than women not associated with sports.