Should football players be held to a higher standard?

[buckeyeboy]

Originally Posted by Steve19

If Alex does this again, that's a different case, but for now, let's just cut him some slack. BP is no place for bashing players.

Well said. One thing that hasn't been pointed out is that I'm sure Alex feels incredibly sorry for what he did. You hypocrites who are bashing him and judging him need to keep that in mind.

[BB73]

Anyone who is at least vaguely familiar with the posting rules on BP should be well aware that bashing players is not tolerated, plain and simple. There have been some comments in this thread about posters 'bashing' Alex Boone for this incident. I feel compelled to weigh in on that topic.

I've twice read every post that's been made since the news of the DUI was posted. I haven't seen what I would consider 'bashing', and only felt the need to edit one comment. In my opinion, calling a Buckeye who got a DUI 'stupid' is not bashing, it's a description of his mistake.

But let's also realize that there's a difference between stating that somebody made a foolish mistake and calling him stupid.

The topic of whether Buckeyes football players should be held to higher standards than other tOSU students is a good one. I am starting a separate thread for that discussion.

[BB73]

This thread is being started in order to address the topic outside of Alex Boone's thread.

The questions are specifically:

Should tOSU football players be held to a different standard than other tOSU students?

And if they are, is that fair to them?

[Oh8ch]

Yes.

No.

Nobody ever said life was fair.

[ScarletInMyVeins]

Originally Posted by Oh8ch

Yes.

No.

Nobody ever said life was fair.

Ding ding ding ding. We have a winner.

[ntd]

Yes and Yes. They know the expectations when they agree to come here to play football, its reasonable to expect them to live up to them...

[Buckin' A]

I'm 32 years old and I say yes, At the age of 18, I probably would have said no.

[StooGrimson]

Yes and yes.

However, in the majority of cases and any case where a student-athlete breaks a law, they're not being held to any higher standard than the rest of the student body. Frankly, the standards that most people have are pretty easy to live by...go to class, follow team/department/school rules, and obey the law. If you can't do those, you're a dunce.

[Steve19]

Yes. They should rise to a higher level. They are receiving a free education in exchange for their sports involvement. This requires them to serve as representatives of the school and makes them responsible for good behavior befitting that responsibility.

Yes. It is fair. Athletes are treated specially in life. All of us who have played, even at the secondary school level, know that to be true. Again, that brings with it certain responsibilities.

.

[Thump]

Originally Posted by Oh8ch

Yes.

No.

Nobody ever said life was fair.

Totally agree.

[Mr. Clutch]

Yes. Being an athlete you're going to have to set a standard, whether you like it or not. When you sign with the program, you realize that you are representing the university and their athletic program. Since you're an athlete you are going to gain more exposure than the "average" student at their respected university. So, they must represent their school in the best way possible. One player's attitude can make a difference to a university. We all know what Maurice Clarett did.

Yes. Although, athletes are given more responsibilties, they are also given more freedoms, as well. If you have a higher rank in a business firm, then you are given more tasks and responsibilites, rather than the next man/woman below you in your respected rank.

I agree with everyone else on here that says life is unfair, and with the more power you receive, you are required more responsibilty.

Unfortunately many student-athletes fail to meet these standards, and tarnish their respected careers, and put a shadow on their universities.

Therefore, every athlete who can deal with being a student-athlete, and meet all the requirements dealt by the NCAA and their school is not only a great athlete, but a wonderful represenative of their university, as well.

[stxbuck]

If a student is receiving a full tuition scholarship-football, academics, marching band-whatever-the university has the right to demand whatever behavior it deems appropriate for the continued renewal of that scholarship.
Tressel should make it clear that receiving a valuable scholarship and the privelege of playing football for the Buckeyes places a greater responsibility on said student-athlete than on the average student.
That said, I don't think the Columbus Dispatch needs to make it a bigger deal that Alex Boone received a DUI than any other OSU student-if that qualifies as holding them to a higher standard, than no, the media should treat them no differently than any other student, and the same goes for the legal system-for good or for bad.
As far as the partying habits of the Buckeyes go-they shouldn't drink and drive, but if someone actually demands that the players live like monks in a monastery and not participate in the campus party scene to a normal extent-no fights, no DUIs,etc- but normal keggers and parties-they need to get a grip.

[Bucklion]

Everyone is dead on about this. They are representatives of the University, and therefore must treat that accordingly. Getting a scholarship to play at Ohio State is a priviledge, and with priviledges come responsibilities. The University absolutely has a right to expect certain behavior, because they are paying for the players to be there.

[MaxBuck]

Should our athletes be held to a higher standard? In my opinion, no -- but they will be, anyway. So they better learn to deal with it.

Poster who asked the rhetorical question, "Who said life is fair?" had it absolutely right. If life were fair, these young men would not have been blessed with the enormous gifts they have.

[sandgk]

Originally Posted by bucknut11

That's quite a positive twist you're giving the situation, but I have to doubt that was the case. E$PN Headline: "OSU Star Arrested for Chewing Gum"

As long as he can chew gum and block at the same time that would be OK.

The mythical breathalyzer buster chemicals now have mint flavoring added to them I guess.

As for Alex, and JT - one thing past history shows is that the punishment will be meted out, Alex will do his time in the drug / alcohol awareness program. All of which is as it should be by the book.
Then, unless Alex is dumb enough to make the same mistake again, JT will give him every chance to redeem himself on field and in practice.

As for the present negative press .. par for the course, and hopefully in itself a wake-up call to the big fellow that the microscope of the media always is ready to get errant college athletes in its cross-hairs.