ht me a great deal about sports and life in general. As a kid, I knew what players not to model myself after. I knew not to follow such athletes as Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin and Darryl Strawberry, whose frequent run-ins with the law and substance abuse not only tainted their images, organizations, and sports but the minds of many kids who had indeed looked towards them as role models.
             Many professional athletes claim they don't want to be role models towards young kids and they shouldn't be forced to be something they're not. In a controversial Nike shoe commercial in 1993, NBA star Charles Barkley stated that he wasn't a role model and he didn't want to be one. This commercia
             ...