The point is that the fan who places all of his or her affections on the shoulders of even the most upstanding athlete is bound to be disappointed. And no realm of sports is exempt. The event that should be the model of morals and good sportsmanship, the Olympic Games, has now been cheapened by a bribery scandal, the inclusion of professional athletes and incessant allegations of illegal drug use. Role models should be parents, teachers and mentors, not athletes who make millions of dollars and believe they are above the law. When a person like Robinson ends up cruising a section of town frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers, it makes you wonder if anyone out there is who they appear to be.
Reality provides another sobering lesson.