In the last several weeks, a few student-athletes have been accused of breaking the law. Once again: student-athletes. Not coaches, not faculty and not administration. Students.
I think it is ridiculous how big of a deal is being made about these arrests. These are young kids in their 20s who allegedly made a mistake. Many have not been found guilty at this time, yet we still feel the need to degrade these athletes because they are in the public eye. How many students on this campus have ever been arrested? Even if these athletes are innocent, their image is damaged.
Many say that we need to treat these athletes like everyone else, that they should be held to the same standard. I agree, but in a different manner. If they even just get accused of breaking the law, it becomes a huge deal and national humiliation is the end result. Is this the case with any other student on campus? Absolutely not. Athletes are being held to an unfair standard and it is appalling.
Even on the Daily Emerald’s sports poll, the available answers on your opinion on the athletes are basically “bad,” “really bad,” or “I don’t care.” Everyone makes mistakes. It just so happens that when a public figure makes a mistake, everyone feels that they are a horrible person. Just because we want to feel good about ourselves does not make it fair to put down other people that are in the public eye.
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