Lessons should be learned from athletes' mistakes

by Michael Moore
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 1:57 PM MDT

Last week, two contestants in the College National Finals Rodeo got drunk, broke into a local business and decided to crash for the night.

Just a couple of days later, they were disqualified from the rodeo - and with good cause.

The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association booted Ranger College's Dean Wadsworth and Panola College's Tilden Hooper, both 20, after the incident. The NIRA should be applauded for its action - and the young men’s colleges should be scolded for theirs.

Too often, athletes at every level are coddled. Often they are not only enabled, but also encouraged, by coaches, schools and professional teams to believe that the rules don't apply to them.

I know several teachers in Texas who were flat-out told, "You don't fail football players."

The NIRA quickly took care of what could have been an extremely ugly black eye for the CNFR. Both colleges quickly appealed the NIRA's decision to disqualify the two contestants.

However, the rodeo association very firmly upheld the decision. Nothing else would have been acceptable.

The fact that the colleges appealed the decision was appalling. It sent the message that the success of their rodeo programs came first, and the athletes shouldn't be responsible for their behavior.

Allowing Wadsworth and Hooper to compete would have made a mockery of the CNFR, and would have sent a message that athletes don't play by the same rules as the rest of us.

The CNFR did the best thing possible.

The two contestants made a stupid mistake, but it could have been a lot worse. The important thing is that the two young men learn from this embarrassing situation and that they don't repeat it.

That isn't always the case for athletes and celebrities.

Just days after Hooper and Wadsworth were disqualified, Walla Walla Community College's Corey Daniel Rogers, 19, was arrested after he was pulled over and failed a series of field sobriety tests. It's unbelievable that he didn't learn from the other two cowboys' mistakes.

Also last week, Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker was found beaten and mugged on a Las Vegas street. He was robbed of jewelry and cash, and is lucky to have escaped with the few injuries he did suffer.

Photos were taken of Walker in a Las Vegas nightclub prior to the event, hosing down patrons with champagne. He was wearing a watch so gaudy that Elton John would have been envious, and enough bling for a rap song to be written about him.

Walker was present the night when then-teammate Darrent Williams was murdered in downtown Denver. In fact, it was Walker who held the dying Williams in his arms after shots were fired into their limousine.

Police believe Williams' murder was the result of a clash inside a Denver nightclub between Denver Broncos players and local gang members. Champagne was sprayed, heated words were exchanged and by the end of the night, one young life tragically was cut short.

These regrettable situations all began with a choice, whether it was drinking underage or partying late at night in a club with potentially dangerous characters.

Wadsworth, Hooper, Rogers and Walker all made bad choices.

Will they learn from their mistakes? History tells us they won't, but we can always hope.

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