Their lives have nothing to do with mine. I do respect these individuals, do not begrudge their talents, but cannot envision them as people important enough to me to move my life. I think Charles Barkley hit the nail on the head when he claimed not to be a role model. To a certain extent, he can be, but only to the small percentage of the population who share his gifts. And even then, I'm not sure those who share his gifts want him as a role model.
Professional athletes play a game for a living.
Their lifestyle is enviable. They have a large media following. It's only a game. Ok, Reggie actually decided he'd like to play some more. Oh, my throbbing heart.