Childhood heroes vs. reality

[Random Axe]

I guess they don't usually measure up. I had two major sports heroes growing up, and BOTH ended up being adultering jerks.

Steve Garvey was the everyman for the Dodgers, Captain America so to speak. I studied his games whenever I could catch games, I collected baseball Digest issues with him on the cover and had every card from rookie on up. Then it comes to light he's got like ten kids or so scattered across the country and his image is shot. He doesn't even get broadcasting gigs that I can recall. I transitioned to first base from pitcher to emulate him. Good thing I only mimicked him on-field.

Dan Marino came out this week claiming he fathered a child with a former CBS assistant. I followed his career from inception to retirement and never saw this coming. Instead of disgust and disappointment, I find myself fairly jaded and unsurprised. His mobility is still a problem, a 35 year old woman caught him. He's got something in common with her, she doesn't have a ring either. She probably didn't even see it coming with his quick release.

I'm beginning to think all athletes are frauds. Go Niners...I guess.

[BlackKnight]

wow ....
I saw Marino on TV ..., But didn't pay Attention to what He Was Say'in ..., Much like His Play Call'in, He's Far too Damn Boring for Me to Follow. Not Sure Why Anybody But His Wife, Would be Captivated by that Nonsense.

[toys2cool]

Come on now, the dude is one of the greatest of all time..his NFL Career has nothing to do with his personal life ...look at Kobe , tiger Woods, Shaq, Arnold ,etc.. This happens all the time, Hell Brad Pitt did to Anniston..I was a little shocked by Marino, but not surprised..

[Brown Bear]

Chuck Norris was my hero as a kid. Now you can't mention his name without hearing a silly Fact.

[toys2cool]

Chuck Norris was my hero as a kid. Now you can't mention his name without hearing a silly Fact.

[HumanWolfman]

My heros were my Pop-Pop, John Lennon and Arnold. Arnold, while cool, turned out to be a bit of a disapointment.
The funny thing is the 3 of these guys could not be more different, althought they all had simmilar qualities as well. All 3 posessed an inner strenght that I still strive for today. All 3 were nearly invincible in my eyes. My Pop-pop surived Pearl Harbor and nearlly every major battle in the Pacific as a Marine in WW2. It took lung cancer to finally bring him down. John Lennon began has life as a fighter, born in Liverpool on the worst night of bombing in England by the Nazies. he beat drug addiction(as I have), formed the most successful and influental band in rock and roll history. He managed to finally find balance, something I seek and work at very hard my self, have a family and start to live a normal life. Through all this, it took 5 bullets from an assasin to end his life.
Arnold is the epitome of outer stength as well as inner strenght. He came to this land, an outsider and trully achieved the American Dream in every sense of the word. He helped me believe that with hard work I can do anything I put my mind to. With all his strenght, I was an ugly maid who toppled this hero.

[BlackKnight]

Come on now, the dude is one of the greatest of all time..his NFL Career has nothing to do with his personal life ...look at Kobe , tiger Woods, Shaq, Arnold ,etc.. This happens all the time, Hell Brad Pitt did to Anniston..I was a little shocked by Marino, but not surprised..

Dude was 1 Of the Greatests, But not in the Big Dance .
...., It Doesn't Matter If He's Great or Not, He's a Horrible Comentator , He's Boring as Hell. I can't even Watch that Show. Dungy, and Rodney are Just as Bad on Sunday Night, ... But so far Hines Ward is the Worse 1 this Year.

Some People Just Should Not Comentate.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I was disappointed with Marino. I guess he looked to throw to a tight end once too often. The way most of these sports guys are these days it doesn't surprise me.

My hero of the Dolphins was always Don Shula. I am sure he wasn't pure either, but i am jaded these days .

[RickD]

I love how everyone can be so quick to judge these athletes, movie stars, etc... They don't know you personally and you don't know them?

Enjoy them for the talent they brought or still bring and not their personal lives.

How many of us can look in the mirror every day and say we are perfect?

Schwarzenegger has a 'love child'... so who cares? I still love his movies and talent he brings.

[sauce]

^^^I like this perspective. Enjoy what they are paid to showcase.

[Zemo]

I love how everyone can be so quick to judge these athletes, movie stars, etc... They don't know you personally and you don't know them?

Enjoy them for the talent they brought or still bring and not their personal lives.

How many of us can look in the mirror every day and say we are perfect?

Schwarzenegger has a 'love child'... so who cares? I still love his movies and talent he brings.

Right on bro. These people are just people like everyone else. Why do some think they are pure is beyond me.

[kingdom warrior]

My Heroes are the Men and Women who fought in our wars came home got a kiss from their loved ones and went to work long hours for little pay to get food,clothes and a home for us. The Teachers who deal with silly unions and crappy pay and still show up for work to teach our kids with passion....The kid who against all odds comes from the wrong side of the tracks and beats the odds to become someone who mattered.

My Heroes are every day Joe's and Jane's..NOT a Celebrity who wins a big game or played a cool part in a movie.......they are cool but not heroes.......Jackie Robinson is the exception he is a true American Hero


My Mom was my Hero!

[Earth 2 Chris]

I've never been a sports guy, so I can't really say this type of stuff affects me much, but I understand it hitting close to home to those that idolized these people.

Here is my personal take: The media used to enjoy building these heroes up, but in or negative, paranoid society nowadays, it's more interesting to tear them down. They are fallible human beings. I don't condone their actions, but as long as what they did didn't violate the rules of their sport, or is considered criminal by law, I think we should separate their conduct from their athletic achievements.

Chris

[BlackKnight]

I love how everyone can be so quick to judge these athletes, movie stars, etc... They don't know you personally and you don't know them?

Enjoy them for the talent they brought or still bring and not their personal lives.

How many of us can look in the mirror every day and say we are perfect?

Schwarzenegger has a 'love child'... so who cares? I still love his movies and talent he brings.

I Agree with all of this ...
"Those that Live in Glass Houses....."
Good Post.

[Hector]

My Heroes are the Men and Women who fought in our wars came home got a kiss from their loved ones and went to work long hours for little pay to get food,clothes and a home for us. The Teachers who deal with silly unions and crappy pay and still show up for work to teach our kids with passion....The kid who against all odds comes from the wrong side of the tracks and beats the odds to become someone who mattered.

My Heroes are every day Joe's and Jane's..NOT a Celebrity who wins a big game or played a cool part in a movie.......they are cool but not heroes.......Jackie Robinson is the exception he is a true American Hero


My Mom was my Hero!

Amen brother, amen.