In today’s society, professional athletes are role models for most; therefore they should, as role models, give positive images not only during games but in everyday life. Every sport is considered a gentleman’s game and our present athletes need to act accordingly off the playing area. When a top notch athlete signs a million dollar contract, they are signing not only to play the game as a gentleman but to continue their hard work and positive image off the field. Our athletes’ are given praise for their work while playing but are sometimes frowned upon for their doing outside of the sport. There are a number of instances that deal with our athlete’s behavior. Whether it is gun charges, drug charges, steroids, arguments with the team, gambling etc. it hurts not only their image, but the fans that give them their salaries and buy their endorsements. It seems that the majority of instances come from male professional athletes. Many superstars feel that their performance will make up for their poor behavior but in reality it puts a damper on their celebrity image. It happens in all professional athletic teams but the majority takes place in the most popular sports which are football, basketball, and baseball.
The first example of poor behavior and well play is former hometown hero Allen Iverson. Allen Iverson was drafted in 1997 from Georgetown University and played with the Philadelphia 76ers until the end of the 2006 season. He led the Sixers into victory throughout those years receiving awards for his good play but in 2002 he ran into some legal issues. On July 14, 2002, Allen Iverson allegedly stormed into a family member’s apartment with a gun looking for his wife. He turned himself in two days later and was charged with fourteen felony and misdemeanor charges including, assault and weapon offenses. He had a multiple game suspension and some legal fines to pay. If he was found guilty on all charges, Allen could have faced up to fifty-four years in...