When Heroes Fall

At what point does our fascination with celebrities cross the line?

by Robert Bruce

The crack of the bat. The pop of the glove. The call of the umpire. The roar from mothers and fathers in the stands. These are the sounds of spring.

From awkward and freckle-faced six-year-olds to confident and imposing eighteen-year-olds, young people across the country gather this time of year to take part in a game nearly as old as America itself: baseball.

Though the sport is youthful and innocent on the local level, it’s a profession for the relative few who are talented enough. Some baseball players from eras gone by have achieved iconic status in American culture: Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, and Jackie Robinson, to name a few.

But while the competitive nature of the game remains, today’s baseball players have the advantage of technology and modern science. And if you believe the allegations of newspaper reporters, magazine editors, and former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, then many players have used steroids to enhance their abilities.

In December 2007, at the request of Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, Mitchell released a 409-page report detailing the history of illegal performance-enhancing substances in baseball. The report listed more than 80 current and former players, including MVPs and Cy Young Award winners.

In a culture where perception is so often reality, the report further damaged the reputation of a sport which has deflected steroid rumors for a decade. With that sullied reputation comes the reality that the heroes of children and adults alike don’t always match the preconceived standards society has set for them.

But baseball isn’t alone. Fallen athletes litter the sports world. Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs before the 2000 Games in Sydney. She pled guilty to lying to federal investigators and was stripped of the three gold and two bronze medals she won that year.

And it’s hard to talk about the past year in sports without mentioning Michael Vick. In December 2007, the NFL superstar was sentenced to 23 months in prison after pleading guilty for his role in an illegal dogfighting ring. Over the course of several years, Vick had secretly helped finance the operation while also participating in a number of dogfights in four states.

Vick’s fall from public grace was monumental. In just four months, the former number one pick in the 2001 NFL Draft went from Pro Bowl quarterback to convicted criminal. Millions in corporate endorsements—lost. The adoration of a city—lost. At least two years, and possibly more, in the prime of his career—lost.

A Lopsided World
So what should you do when a celebrity falls from the pedestal on which you’ve placed him? Can you hope for redemption? Should you just categorize all athletes as ne’er-do-wells and give up on the whole lot of them?

The truth is, if you turn into any neighborhood in the world, you’ll find a laundry list of sin and misdeed. Your neighbor Jim down the street might be cheating on his wife and skimming money from his employer. Sara in the cul-de-sac keeps her drug stash under the bed and was arrested for DUI just three weeks ago. Jake next door sleeps all day and mooches off his friends.

We live in a fallen world, and athletes and movie stars certainly aren’t exempt. So why do we care whether or not Michael Vick gets arrested? Why do we care when the latest pop princess goes to jail? And why doesn’t our concern translate to the average Joe?

The root of the problem is our societal infatuation with celebrity. We idealize well-known individuals, somehow equating fame with character. We throw the “hero” label on anyone with a beautiful smile and a blockbuster movie. Some of us go as far as having plastic surgery— demonstrated in the MTV reality series I Want a Famous Face—in order to look as much like our idol as possible. When people are on a television set, a football field, or a movie screen , we can mistakenly assume their social standing has somehow placed them on moral high ground.

While any professional—athlete, actor, or otherwise—could be commended for the amount of determination and perseverance it takes to succeed on such a high level, we must not forget that they, like us, are fallen human beings with a host of complex issues, insecurities, and personality flaws.

As we’re reminded in the oft-quoted Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” From the plumber to the pastor to the pitcher, we’re all going to occasionally mess up and fall on our faces.
 
Keeping the Balance
The sports and entertainment world is in some ways a microcosm of the real world. And there are plenty of positive stories to counter the negative ones we always hear. For every Michael Vick, there is a Warrick Dunn—Vick’s former teammate, who builds and furnishes homes for underprivileged single mothers and pays their down payment.

For every disgraced diva, there is a Natalie Grant—a singer who founded the HOME foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating the global problem of human trafficking and child slavery.

And for every arrogant athlete, there is a Kurt Warner—a two-time NFL MVP quarterback known for his faith and humility in the locker room as well as his charitable involvement in his community.

So the world of celebrity does indeed have positive role models. But in a culture with a media presence that so often highlights the negative, their stories are a bit harder to find. Even so, a heavy dose of perspective helps.

At times, everyone will have a bad day, lose his temper, say something he regrets. Is it justified? Of course not. But if you place someone on a pedestal, he’ll fall off quicker than he can sign an autograph. And that applies across the board—to politicians, pastors, neighbors, friends, family. Unrealistic expectations only set us up for disappointment.

As a sports fan, I’ve ceased expecting athletes to be anything other than athletes. From afar, I can admire the Warrick Dunns and Kurt Warners of the world for their charitable hearts and benevolent spirits. I can pray for the restoration of fallen sports figures like Michael Vick. But to place anyone on a pedestal—much less someone I don’t even know—is foolish.

The only perfect role model is Christ. As my wife and I prepare to have kids one day, I try to keep that truth at the forefront of my mind. I want my future children to share my passion for sports. But I never want them to care more for a running back than they do for their Savior.

What would the world look like if every believer showed the same passion toward Christ that they do toward their favorite athlete, sports team, or actor? As a season ticket holder and avid sports fan, I have to revisit this question regularly: Is Christ first in my life?

There’s nothing wrong with following a sports team or admiring a celebrity. But we cross the line when our fandom turns into a form of idol worship. For us as believers, there’s room in our hearts to worship only one person. And He died on a cross in order to give us that opportunity.