Athletes have no obligation to the media or fans beyond fulfilling what is asked for by their coaches, managers and team owners. The rest comes down to personal ambition, which manifests itself in the show that keeps these same media members and fans employed and engaged. That’s just the simple truth.
Athletes like Kevin Durant don’t owe you anything
In an era where media has never been more prevalent, professional athletes are beginning to push back against the system that demands so much from them. That’s a good thing.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant is well within his rights to engage with the media in such an abrasive manner now because having to speak to the public doesn’t necessarily mean having to posture as if he likes it. The question shouldn’t be why is he behaving in such a dejected manner now, but rather; how did we collectively manage to wear down one of the most polite athletes till this point of cynicism? Maybe it’s just him being older and jaded. Or maybe it’s the constant shower of criticism and comments on every bad shot, bad game of his, his teammates and his coach. Maybe it was newspapers labeling him as “Mr. Unreliable” after one particularly bad night despite years of All-Star-level play.
Flip the channel to a different sport and you see fans crossing that line. The ire and irrational abuse that Cristiano Ronaldo received for celebrating his 30th birthday was downright embarrassing. The anger of the fans and suggestions of ill-discipline from media types was because the celebration happened after Real Madrid lost 4-0 to Atletico Madrid. A party that was pre-planned months in advance, with some family members being flown from Portugal to Spain for it. To the public, he was disrespectful to the club for enjoying his own birthday. Because the team lost.
Real Madrid will lose again, and again, and again. They will lose an incredible number of games and life will go on. They have lost games in the past and it was not the end of the world. To abuse Ronaldo, who is undoubtedly the greatest player that the Spanish outfit has ever had, for enjoying his personal life away from the game is ridiculous. It reeks of such entitlement to the lives of athletes that we don’t even feel shame at suggesting that they give up their personal times to validate our emotions.
It goes beyond just these two. None of these are isolated incidents. Earlier this year, there was an incredible outburst from so many about Marshawn Lynch refusing to play nice. Even though he was fulfilling his contractual obligations. He was doing the part of his job that detractors will never fail to remind him is a privilege.
Though Lynch’s sin here was different than that of Durant and Ronaldo, as his offense was not giving the media the dull quotes that they desired; the arguments remained that since these athletes are making millions of dollars to play a sport, they should be happy to be put to the sword at the whim of the public. It got to the point of media members wishing for Lynch to go broke after retirement and suggesting that he would be in jail or working in parking lots without their reporting. It was downright vindictive and childish.
Check the Twitter mentions, Instagram comments, Facebook profiles of athletes after a bad game, an update when they’re injured or actually, honestly, just in general. It’s a firestorm of vileness. Social media platforms grant the public the access that we’ve complained about for years, the dream had been to get closer to these players: to see their process, to know them better as persons; now it’s devolved into a 24-hour cycle of judgement and abuse. How does one not become a cynic when you’re under the microscope every waking moment?
It calls to mind this scene from The Dark Knight Rises:
John Daggett: What. The hell. Is going on?
Bane: Our plan is proceeding as expected.
John Daggett: Oh really? Do *I* look like I’m running Wayne Enterprises right now? Your hit, on the stock exchange, it didn’t work, my friend! And now you have my construction crews going around the city at 24 hours a day! How exactly is that supposed to help my company absorb Wayne’s?
Bane: [to Stryver] Leave us!
John Daggett: No! You stay here, I’m in charge!
Bane: [puts his hand on Daggett’s shoulder] Do you *feel* in charge?
[Stryver leaves]
John Daggett: I paid you a small fortune.
Bane: And this gives you *power* over me?
We’re collectively John Daggett. The belief now is that since our views and money contribute to the salary of athletes that they somehow belong to us. That they should behave, think, practice and talk the way that we want. They’re not people, they’re robots programmed to our desires and when we look away, they should be working on other ways to entertain us for the next time. At no point should they have emotions or personal lives.
There’s no rational reason RGIII should come under fire for tweeting in his off time. It would be unimaginable for a reasonable person to abuse him under a video of him listening to “Billie Jean” on his way to doing charity work. Yet all of this happens. Not only does it happen, it’s the norm from media and fans alike. It’s a combined effort of the destruction of persons under the guise that since they’re athletes, they should have the skin to deal with it.
Admittedly, thanks to the information age and the astronomical money in sports now, the line between personal life and the job has blurred. Sponsors pay top dollar in order to market players’ personalities and off-court/field exploits and the players increasingly grant access to private moments. Soundbites, quotes, vines and tweets are as much of stories as actual performance. You can watch Stephen Curry have an incredible game one minute and then see him cooking and rapping with his wife the next. It’s a crazy tangled web where privacy is stretched and tested at every turn.
Money though, does not and will never dehumanize someone. Being rich does not mean that you are beyond human emotions, failures and the desire to be yourself. Neither does paying someone, directly or indirectly, mean that you own them. Criticize them on their job, comment on the efficiency of their shots, dribbles and anything else related to their on-field performance. But that’s where it should end. It should never devolve to the dehumanization all because people choose to live vicariously through them.
Just like regular people, athletes come in different shades. Some are sensitive, others are stubborn. Some are hell-bent on training and success like Kobe Bryant and Cristiano Ronaldo. Others are quiet like Lionel Messi and Marshawn Lynch. Some are abrasive and some are nice, it’s really just a palette of personalities. And the same human decency and consideration that you reserve for self-criticism should apply to criticism of others.
Athletes, like every other person, need support most when they’re at their lowest, not more sharks in the water. The praise after the success just makes you seem like a bandwagon jumper. It’s not surprising why so many stars seem to talk about overcoming the “haters” and the criticism when they finally do win. The adversity seems to stem most from the people who should be chanting their names more than their actual opponents.
It’s not a call to sugarcoat analysis or to “baby” athletes. But it is a suggestion that it would be better if many of us considered them as humans. As young individuals who go through the same soul-searching, low self-esteem, and unsure periods that the rest of us do. To see them as complex creatures that can’t be condensed into a hero or villain figure in order to make our judgement easier. That’s not how human beings work.
