Why do some people seemed to be amazed when an athlete does something wrong? Not that this post implies that but really what makes a great football player is unbridaled aggression, fury, passion, and insanity. Especially on D, you sort of have to want to hurt folks. That which makes you grand can also lead to aggression off the field, you do not have to be smart to play sports. I hope the kid does not get into trouble outside of running till he vomits maybe. If he did not rape someone or attack the elderly--- play ball.

An athlete is a public figure. Public figures are held to higher standards than regular joes. Public figures like athletes are also often role models for younger people, and to do something like this (kicking a dent in a man's car during an argument) is "conduct unbecoming" of a public figure.

Public figure? He is a dumb kid. If he kicked a dent in a guys car he gets in trouble with the law and should pay to fix it but at least he did not kid a dent in the guys skull. Athletes are paid to play a sport not be role models. If it so happens they are upstanding members of society that is great but come on. He is 18 maybe 19 years old, he might be a legal adult but hes just a dumb kid cut him some slack. Did he hurt anyone?

What would you say if this item was not reported as news? Would you come back later and say it was just "swept under the rug" by GSU or ignored by the news media? Yeah, I know, most would probably say both were in cahoots to keep stuff like this away from you that you had a right to know.

OK, gwarfan, there was NOT a big news story on the front page about Rozier's minor scrape with the law. There wasn't even a story on the inside local page. His arrest will be in the paper Tuesday, just like anybody else's arrest, in police reports. He was not treated any different than a regular joe regarding his arrest.
So what is your big problem with Alex P.'s blogging about the arrest - some would be interested. Others, like you, are not - and they don't have to read the blog. She's a sports writer and sports people, especially those who follow GSU sports, would be interested.

Regardless of whether Rozier is " a dumb kid" or not,(I imagine he would not appreciate being called such and I am sure he must maintain a certain GPA to play GSU football) he is a public figure, in a sense. Maybe not as much as others. And many will disagree with you about PROFESSIONAL athletes being role models or not. I don't think GSU players get paid, do they?

Yes, Hungryman, if nothing had been reported, the paper would have been accused of "covering it up." News people are danged if they do and danged if they don't because there are always people who search for reasons to complain or suspect wrongdoing where there is none.

hey watchdog. Thanks for agreeing with me but did you talk to Alex about this offline? Do you have inside information from the press? Are you assuming that it will be reported in the police report like everyone else? I want to wait and see if it is. If not, the Alex blog is wrong or the police has covered it up. I've heard that happens too you know.

I do not have any problem with Alex. Hey I think Alex did a good write up here and does not blow it out of proportion at all. That is what a sports writer should do and I applaud that. It is news worth because people want to know, I do not discount that.
My point is that some folks out there in the old world we live in have this dream world where student atheles are all good little boys and girls. Think about an average 18-25 very old, they are insane and i use the word dumb not in a mentally defunct sort of way but in a they have not made the mistakes or lived enough to know about life, there are exceptions of course. Right out the gate though someone actually brought up "higher standards than regular joes". He is a regular joe with talent.
On the dumb kid remark,I will grant you I never meet the guy but actions speak louder than keeping a what 2.0 GPA for NCAA, 2.5 maybe. I do not know a school out there that does not pad some classes for players either. He could be a road scholar though.
I made the not getting paid on purpose, he is not even getting paid to be a role model. Most of these kids work their butts off though and are getting a degree and trying to do their best and laying their hearts, minds, and souls on the line. Even then they make mistakes.

Yes, even mayors and presidents and teachers and cops and business leaders and movie stars are really 'regular joes" underneath, but people expect them to be better than normal plain old people. It's sort of unfair.

Watchdog who were your role models growing up?

I'd have to say my parents were my main role models. I was never one to worship movie stars or anything like that.
Some of my teachers were role models as well. Those who encouraged me to follow my dreams, who accepted my thinking outside the box, who inspired me and made me want to be like them in various ways, were role models.
I was different than most kids. Many kids pick athletes as role models because they are interested in sports. Some kids choose movie stars or singers as role models because they admire them and want to be like them. I agree that Rozier is far from a big time sports star, but even so - being a GSU Eagle, he should realize he is in a slightly stronger and larger spotlight than most and should behave accordingly in public.
That being said, he is HUMAN before anything else, he is indeed young, and for whatever reason, did a stupid thing. since he is a bit of a public figure,in the local sports world, A.P. blogged about it. Since he isn't THAT big of a public figure, it apparently did not deserve more publicity (aka news coverage) than a blog comment.

Calamity...Well, actually I do expect a policeman to be "better than normal plain old people" because they are expected not only to know the law and abide by it but also to enforce it. Everyday people don't have that added responsibility which holds them to a higher standard.

Parents should be every kids rold model. I think that is a perfect answer. Personally I would say I chose firefighters, pastors, and my pops. All of them were rather generic outside my dad.

Saddly not all parents are worth of that. I understand that kids pick athletes as role models. The majority of them do show great values, hard work, determination, humiltiy at times. But the role model thing with atletes gets on my nerves personally at times. If you chose a role model and they turn out to be a scumbag it is not their fault you chose them, it is yours. A bad choice of models can lead to knowledge of what not to do as much as what to do.

True, gwarfan, but kids don't have the wisdom and experience you do, so their choices are based upon what they know and admire.
And yes, you're right about how many parents are not worthy of being role models. When a kid lives in squalor, drug dealing, violence, neglect, hunger, etc., of course the glamour of sports players and movie stars/music stars is even more enticing. Heartbreaking, isn't it?