Coat of Arms and how it relates...

The sports and gaming code of arms are: Dependability/Unity, Justice, Meekness/Humbleness, Drive/Motivation, Respect, and Equality. I think that there is a direct correlation in the sports world of athletes who display these qualities and those who exhibit the opposite. Never before have sports stars been in the position to affect not only the aspirations of young fans, but the actions as well. Now that the Internet has brought so much of the athlete's private life out into the spotlight, they have more influence than ever, for better or for worse.

Three of the most infamous examples of the negative influences athletes can have on fans come from football players Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger and Golfer Tiger Woods. Michael Vick was a QB for the Atlanta Falcons after winning the Heisman trophy in college. He was on top, on the mind of many young fans who looked up to him. And then his secret, illegal dog fighting ring was found. He was the target of the disappointment, disgust and even hatred of millions. After being jailed for a short time, he rejoined the NFL. Fellow NFL QB Ben Roethlisberger was in a similar light after being accused of sexually assaulting young women. Although she dropped the chargers, he was suspended by the league only to bounce back and play in the 2011 Superbowl where his influence could spread even further. Last but certainly not least is Tiger Woods. After several years of marriage and a beautiful baby together, Tiger and his wife separated after the media broke the story of his nine and counting affairs during their marriage. All three of these men were in a position on prestige, arguable one of power, and certainly one of influence and they abused this power by neglecting to cherish the above stated coat of arms.

On the other sign on the coin however, there have been exemplary athletes who have exhibited the above coat of arms qualities time and time again to influence others positively. NBA star Matthew Wade, for example not only has created camps and foundations himself to help young athletes succeed in a number of sports, but he also created Athlete Foundations which helps other athletes in their quest to make a difference in the community. Arguably the most famous charitable athlete is basketball legend Magic Johnson. Not only does he support causes such as AIDS and the Ludicrous Foundation, but he also created the Magic Johnson Foundation in 1991 which assists inner city/under-privileged youth in a variety ways. These two men make the ideal sports role model for fans of all ages because of the coat of arms attributes the exemplify.

I have given examples of professional athletes who reject the attributes in the sports and gaming code and of some who embrace it. Anyone such as an athlete or actor or anyone in the public spotlight for that matter, must realize that all that they do, for better or worse, is front and center for all of their fans to see. And many of those fans, especially the adolescent ones, will mimic this behaviour for better or for worse. This is why I believe that these people should live by the code as long as they are in a position of influence. This will better our youth for today and tomorrow.