With professional football players today, it is not uncommon to see social norms revolving around attitudes of entitlement, disrespect toward authority figures, and an overall ‘above the law’ mentality. During the game, there are rules in place to discourage fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct such as taunting. Unfortunately, some players do not mind these rules and are willing to hurt their team while breaking these rules. In tonight’s game featuring the Giants and Eagles, DeSean Jackson was willing to lose a 50-yard catch just for a few seconds of taunting. After his catch, he flipped the ball at the opposing team’s coach and yelled while celebrating. This behavior is not supported or encouraged but officials. As a result, the catch was wiped out. It is amazing that players are willing to do such actions even though they know the repercussions. Although the players and team are penalized, young kids, who are Jackson fans, focus more on the celebration and think it is ok to act like that. The values learned by taunting are that if you make a big play, it is allowable to taunt the other team. Below is a link that shows the footage of the play with commentary. One thing the article points out is that taunting is only a small part of Jackson’s bad behavior. Jackson also teaches fans that it is permissible to skip team meetings, through direct actions.
It is amazing that professional football players are willing to behave above the law, especially when they have many fans out there using them as role models. What is even worse is that these athletes are the ones in the spotlight. Young kids do not see the player who visits nursing homes, works with the American Red Cross, or lives life free of drugs and alcohol. Instead, the players featured on ESPN and the news are the ones with DUIs, rape charges, felonies in general, and personal fouls as seen above. When kids see these athletes on TV, these people with their character traits become role models because that is how they think a professional football player should and does act. In the long run this adversely affects the young and people in society because acts of violence and breaking rules are encouraged as long as you are a good athlete.
Jennifer Prohoroff/ KIN 577
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