Hardly a day goes by when I don't read some bad news story in the newspaper about athletes in trouble.
Sports heroes turn into questionable characters on our sports pages.
However, the other side was easy to see when Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society held its annual Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Boston on November 8th. What struck me squarely in the eyes that night is that when athletes stand tall for principles they believe in, their place on the pedestals of history will be secure. It is something that corporations who seek out athletes as endorsers should consider. It has been considered taboo for athletes to speak out on social issues, especially racism. This year Celtic legend Bill Russell was inducted as the seventh member of the Center's Hall of Fame .