As genuine sports fans, we often get too carried away in the lives of athletes, forgetting that they are human beings just like us. Tony Dungee, the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, is no stranger to this issue and upon his retirement has taken up a new role as a conscience advisor to football players who may have strayed away from the right path. Perhaps Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress would have been able to find themselves amidst the strong forces of the media during their times of distress if they had had someone like Dungee. But this new profession of a "conscience advisor" leads to another question: are athletes' lives so open to scrutiny that such an advisor should be necessary?

    Athletes are often put on a pedestal, which causes fans to lose sight of the fact that they walk on the same ground and speak the same languages as the rest of us. What differentiates Tiger Woods from so many other cheating men who often go unnoticed? The fact that he is a professional golfer does not mean he cannot have extramarital affairs or be allowed to make mistakes. Although it is morally wrong, the media should not be allowed to scrutinize him by constantly looking for something negative to say or write. There are always two sides to every story, but the media never wants to hear the other side of these athletes’ stories. Maybe if the media focused more on the sport itself instead of all the drama surrounding the players, we, as fans, would not have to worry so much about judging them. 

    This issue also goes back to that of whether we should encourage the media to look too deep into the lives of these athletes by checking gossip blogs and subscribing to the magazines that one day glorify and the next day bash athletes. Maybe part of the problem is due to the fact that celebrities are treated like gods on earth, and athletes are included in this. Allowing the media to broadcast them at their job is an open invitation to judge them in all aspects of their lives. Regardless, a job is a job; even if athletes get paid millions more than the average American, that is the career path they chose. Maybe it’s just the simple belief that once you invite the media in, they are there to stay. 

    One of the greatest gifts in life is the ability for us to try, make mistakes, and learn from them. But when we criticize these athletes for everything they do, how are they ever supposed to learn from their mistakes? They lose all dignity in doing so. We are no better than them, so the media shouldn’t make it seem so. Remember to never judge a book by its cover, or by the little write-up at the back; read the book in its entirety before placing judgment. The media never has the full story when it comes to these athletes, so it is up to us to explore all sides (or to uncover the truth).