Delmon Young's Arrest and the Problem With Athletes as Role Models

I already had a blog post planned for today. I was going to write an open letter to David Stern, the commissioner of the National Basketball League (NBA) in which I was going to publicly criticize him for allowing the NBA to only give Ron Artest (er, sorry Metta World Peace) a slap on the wrist with a seven game suspension. Artest blatantly elbowed James Harden on the back of his head after Artest's slam dunk the other night. It was a vicious blow to Harden's head that left him with a concussion. With Artest's history as a troublemaker, Stern should have banned him from the league.

My open letter to the Commissioner was going to ask him how I'm supposed to let my children watch NBA games if this is the type of behavior they will see. I don't need Metta World Peace to be a role model for my children; they have enough positive role models in their lives already. However, I cannot in good conscience allow my children to watch a professional basketball game (or even the highlights on ESPN) if such cheap shots are going to become commonplace in the NBA without serious repercussions.

And then I saw the news today. Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young was arrested outside of the hotel where the team was staying in New York City. Young was "highly intoxicated" according to a police source and he was arrested after allegedly shoving a man to the ground and making anti-semitic remarks. The Detroit Free Press has reported that Young faces an "aggravated harassment hate crime charge" for the anti-Semitic remarks he made during the incident.

When I read the news about Young, my heart sank to the floor. My oldest son is eight. In the past year he has become a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan. He knows all the players by name. He knows their uniform number and their statistics (just like I did when I was a Tigers fan at that age). How am I supposed to explain to my son that Delmon Young was drunk, got into a street fight, yelled an anti-semitic slur and got arrested? To my son, Delmon Young is a hero. He cheers for him. He prays that Young will hit a home run when he comes up to bat. I don't think that it ever occurred to my son (or to me for that matter) that Delmon Young hates Jews in an inebriated, full-of-rage Mel Gibson sort of way.

Thanks to the Detroit Tigers organization and specifically owner Mike Illitch and Dave Dombrowski, the teams President/CEO/General Manager, baseball has become exciting again here in Detroit. The team has really made a concerted effort to reach out to children. That is great, but it also means that the organization has a responsibility to handle this matter quickly and appropriately. Delmon Young needs to be treated for his alcohol problem and a response to Tigers fans must be made soon concerning his anti-semitic slur.

For me, I still don't know how I will explain this to my son or if I will at all. The bottom line is that no one is asking professional athletes to raise our children. They are great athletes and not always shining examples of virtuous human beings. However, they need to know that children are watching. Impressionable children are watching how athletes behave on the field or on the court, as well as outside of their hotels. The NBA and Major League Baseball are both doing great things to help their athletes give back to the community and be good citizens. But they have to take care of the bad apples as well. I don't know what the appropriate punishment for Delmon Young should be, either within the Tigers organization or in Major League Baseball, but I know that a strong message has to be sent to the young fans so they know this behavior is not tolerated.

Jason Miller is a rabbi and sports enthusiast in Detroit. He blogs at blog.rabbijason.com and is on Twitter @rabbijason.

 

Follow Rabbi Jason Miller on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rabbijason

Comments

[dgotte]

05:08 PM on 04/30/2012

Being that we've yet to hear all the details surrounding the alleged drunken fueled hate speech spewed from Delmon Youngs mouth, it's still too soon to judge. But, if reports are accurate, then Young should no doubt be suspended. This is his second offense, the first took place on the field in a brief argument with an umpire in which Young hurled his bat at the home plate ump. There are also reports of the umpire being Jewish. If this is the case, then I would think it would be clear that Young is an Anti-Semite...A Rabid Anti-Semite!!!

As far as athlete's being role models, it's an unfortunate truth. Children, even many adults idolize this people who have a special skill set which any sports fan would love to have. The real role models in sports are often overlooked. Instead the publicity is focused on those who do wrong. They still collect a ridiculous salary which fans help support. Things need to change and instead of using celebrities as role models, maybe parents should drum up their own publicity for being a role model, or talk highly about a teacher, scientist, etc. I'm a big sports fan, and each year I'm getting turned off by the attitudes of these amazing athletes who seem to feel entitled or live above the law.

[Lita7]

10:45 AM on 04/29/2012

"they have enough positive role models in their lives already." You doubtless being one of them. Indeed, you seem to be such a wonderful, wonderful person it brings a tear to my eye!

[dtgringo]

06:58 AM on 04/29/2012

If you say, "Athletes shouldn't be role models," enough times you think it will become true? As far as I remember they've been saying it for at least the last 30 odd years. If they keep on saying does that mean they are role models or aren't? It all gets a bit confusing when it never ends.

[Mr Muckle]

07:18 PM on 04/28/2012

Talk about a stretch.

[dadoorsron]

11:53 AM on 04/28/2012

Rabbi,
Parents today are so bad that these kids have No one else to look up to but, these athletes that make millions of dollars a year and these parents say nothing about it.. Some parents push their kids so much to become these athletes that they crack. At 8 your kid is smart enough to know good and bad and, He will think it was bad on what he did. However, we do not know the entire story and what you need to tell your kid is Young will be playing again because everyone can be forgiven and he will learn from his mistakes.

[happyblackman]

10:00 AM on 04/28/2012

I get tired of hearing the "role model" argument for athletes. That is a romanticized myth, pushed by sportswriters who grew up in the 30's, 40's and 50's. Joe DiMaggio beat Marylin Monroe. Ted Williams hated the press. Those guys weren't role models, but none of that ever made it to the light of day, while they were playing. The difference between now and then is, pre-Watergate, reporters buddied up to athletes and in exchange for access, they printed favorable stories in the press. Post-Watergate, every reporter is trying to get "gotcha" stories and they even brand athletes as bad-news, even before they make it out of college.


Rabbi. I suggest you turn the channel, and tell your followers to do the same. I

[Stephen Lipscomb]

01:33 PM on 04/28/2012

happyblack, I have never heard that Joltin Joe beat MM. I think you heard that at the corner pool hall. Only thing wrong with Joe D. is he was one ugly man. I have read alot about both, bad and good things about them. I have never heard that he hit that woman. He was a jealous man, yes, but I don't think he hit her.Man when you say something like that, name your source.

[phal4875]

02:59 PM on 04/28/2012

I have no idea whether or not DiMaggio hit Marilyn Monroe, but the rumor has circulated for years. It is usually said that he was jealous of her on-screen relationship with other men.

[DungBeetle]

05:08 PM on 04/27/2012

There's a shortage of good roll models these days. You've even got Rabbi's involved in human organ trafficking.

[icuwoot]

04:57 PM on 04/27/2012

Delmon certainly isn't in the right in any situation. But it's still to early to judge. Was he provoked? Did he just go out and say it? What did he say exactly? It's too early to talk about punishment when all we have is media reports. See exactly what was said from police reports and whatever you can, and then proceed to determine what the punishment should be.

[RabbiJason]

09:44 PM on 04/30/2012

More information has come out about what transpired in this situation. You ask the question of whether Delmon Young was provoked. What exactly does that mean? If he was provoked, does that make it acceptable for him to say what he said and push the panhandler to the ground? In my opinion, there should be a curfew for these athletes. On the night before a game they shouldn't be out on the streets in NYC (or anywhere) at 3 AM. And someone like Delmon Young who has battled alcohol problems in the past, should be with another teammate to keep an eye on him.