[GoodbyeChandlerParticipant]

Considering that, in this thread, I’ll be negatively depicting Michael Jordan’s impact on sports, I think I’ll get some negative points from this topic. Recently, I watched a vid on youtube of a clueless girl who thought she could entice the beloved Jeremy Lin to a date. However, besides the fact that she called him Jerry, thought he was a member of the Superbowl-winning New York Giants, or that he was black, did try her best to deliver a valid message. You can watch the vid here: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QCYys449FA&feature=player_embedded

Her video reminded me of what the 21st century athlete has become. The 21st century athlete is a man who stands for nothing, outside of money and women. He also makes cheap attempts to fool his fans by starting foundations, going to charity events and signing autographs while his true desires are clubbing and gambling. Its hard to find athletes in the modern times that are truely genuine and stand for something that matters in society. Guys like Tim Tebow and the late Pat Tillman come to mind, but they are just a minority in a world full of such selfish, arrogant millionaire athletes. This is not to say that Lin is this type of person. He is a devout Christian who stands by his morals and probably would not accept such an offer. However, society has developed a stereotype of the 21st century athlete that paints the image of a pompous jerk. I thought of what might have changed in sports to allow such a change, and although there are several culprits, I thought of the man who has had the biggest impact on sports in the history of humankind: Michael Jordan.

In the history of sports, there has never been anyone to rise to the level of stardom that Michael Jordan ascended to. He was not just a sports star, he was a rockstar. Prior to Jordan, the endorsements that are so commonplace today weren’t even heard of. His popularity rose to a global level, enabling him  to become a world-wide celebrity. I will admit that, with the career he had, he deserved to become the star he did. However, his influence is what I’m criticizing. The inner-city child who was inspired by Jordan thought that basketball was more than a game. Soon basketball became a lifestyle, a fashion statement and overall, a culture. After the Jordan era, the NBA developed the image of being a baller’s league with the emergence of guys like Allen Iverson. Suddenly, guys were getting tattoos, braids, large chains and traveling with an entourage, like their hip-hop counterparts. The modern day athete not only became a celebrity, but the center of the universe.

Obviously Michael Jordan was not the first athlete to reach rockstar status. I do acknowledge that it is unfair for me to put the blame solely on Jordan. Muhammad Ali is an example of an athlete who lived a celebrity life (however, its worth noting that Ali was a civil right activist who fought for equal rights when he wasn’t knocking guys out). Yet Jordan ushered in an era where sports took a backseat to money. Endorsements and large contracts diluted the game and the life of the athlete became more desirable than playing the game itself. Certainly Jordan was a competitor who loved basketball, but he influenced a group of people who are happy with playing pedestrian games and do not care for the sport at all as long as they get paid. Im not mad at anybody for making money, but I do get a little frustrated when I see potentially great talents in all sports leagues who instead chase after the lifestyle and not the championship.

Once again, this is not a thread against Jordan, and Im not trying to vilify him or his career. What I am trying to say is that the people who were influenced by Jordan mistook the success he worked hard for and so rightfully deseved as something that was given to him at birth. A lot of gifted athletes in the present day work only hard enough to get that million dollar contract and enough fame and their attitudes reflect that. Instead of being humbled by the fame and fortune, the 21st century is ready and willing to flaunt it wherever he goes. Wherever he goes, he makes sure everyone in the room knows that he is rich, famous and talented at something that millions of people watch on a nightly basis. He updates is twitter feed about things that no one should care about, but sadly, his thousands of followers anticipates his tweets like gifts on Christmas day. Jordan never tweeted, did not flaunt his wealth on a high level or continuously talk about his financial status during his career, but he made the crucial mistake of being a megastar.

*On a sidenote, the video is apparently a fake, but Im way to lazy to rewrite this article.

 

[bball guyParticipant]

 Cant blame him for that. If you cant motivate yourself to be great thats your problem not MJs

[Future_Scout]

 that video is a joke, like literally, a joke!

[juves4783Participant]

last i checked lebron, wade and bosh took pay cuts to try to win a championship.  if that’s not evident of how wrong you are, then i don’t know what to say.  regardless, it is unfair to blame michael jordan for the concept of capitalism.  

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Just, speechless. How anyone could take that video this seriously and write this, it just takes me back. Apparently Michael Jordan also destroyed peoples sense of humor in the process of tainting the image of the sports star forever. The funniest thing is, the poster finds out it is a joke and is too lazy to re-write it. A post talking about people overlooking the work ethic and sacrifice that goes into being an athlete. I-RONY!

On a different note, Hooray for Everything!:

 

[GoodbyeChandlerParticipant]

Iverson’s bankruptcy originally inspired my thought process, and I was gonna write something similar at the time, but my dislike for posting deterred me from doing so. The video, although somewhat of an inspiration, did not inspire me to think the way I do, but it inspired me to share my opinion. The video is not an example of athlete’s themselves, but how people view athletes. Once again, I believe that the majority of Jordan’s career was a blessing for sports. However, I was trying to make aware an aspect of the impact he left behind that many do not allow themselves to view. Its just a different view that I’d like to debate. Im sorry if I offended someone.

Lebron, Wade and Bosh are good examples of selflessness, but them getting $16 million is not the greatest example of selflessness. Besides there are plenty of other athletes who aren’t as noble.

BTW, the last part was a joke. Obviously all I needed to do was highlight and delete. Im sorry theres no font for joking or sarcasm. 

[sheltwon3Participant]

Actually what you said is wrong because players were worst before Jordan.  It was just that there was nobody following as much now.  I think because the league is more image conscious that, players are probablly more respectful in way than their earlier counterparts.

I think a lot of players before just kept some things to themselves because they wanted to get paid.

These players now make so much that they are not as scared to lose out on money

That is not everyone just the few bad apples.  Also their were guys doing drugs that played the game and a lot of people knew about it.

It only became a problem when their game was started dropping.

The media now is bigger than it was back in the day and because of that everyone thinks players are worst when they may be collectively better but the few bad apples hurt because media catches everything now.

[HaleParticipant]

 Where have you been? It’s LeBron’s fault not Jordan’s.

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7556817/miami-heat-lebron-james-apologize-kendrick-perkins-tired-blame-game

 

[GoodbyeChandlerParticipant]

Im sorry if I didnt make this clearer, but I was looking at Jordan’s impact on all of professsional sports, not just the NBA. And Im not blaming Jordan, Im saying that the way he ascended has influenced others to pursue professional sports in a way never imagined. Were there athletes before Jordan who partied? Yes. Were there athletes before Jordan who did drugs? Yes. Were there athletes who had trysts with different women on a daily basis? Of course. What Im saying is that, and please let this be the point you guys neg me for, is that the fame of Michael Jordan influenced a group of athletes to believe that fame and fortune is more important than winning . Even during his fame’s peak, Michael Jordan was a winner, a champion, and above all else, a hard worker. But the status he gained during his time as an NBA player may have altered the way athletes do their business in a negative manner. IM NOT SAYING IT WAS ALL NEGATIVE because the majority of Jordan’s business ventures have been a blessing to the world of professional sports. But he did leave an impact on sports many fans choose to ignore and, as this thread proves, refuse to hear.

[all-star snubParticipant]

quit hating  

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

the fame of Michael Jordan influenced a group of athletes to believe that fame and fortune is more important than winning

————————————————————————————————————————————-

That’s just it, I personally don’t think he had much to do with that.

International athletes like Diego Maradona and George Best personified that selfish and celebrity status attitude more. As did Joe Namath as far as American athletes went. Hell even Wilt Chamberlain probably had more to do with influencing a future group of athletes to believe that fame and fortune was supremely important, than MJ did.

 

[r377Participant]

can’t believe i just wasted my time reading this useless thread…….

[omphalosParticipant]

That was such a poor basis and explanation for a point of view that I can’t even bring myself to form an intelligent response, I started to try, but the point of that paragraph was so muddled I couldn’t even begin to refute it logically.

[SupParticipant]

Michael Jordan showed that if you’re the best you get rewarded. You are confusing him with people who want thw reward but dont want to be the best.

[SupParticipant]

Also it is perfectly fine for a “black” girl to try to holla at Jeremy Lin

[SupParticipant]

Oh she thought he was black…gotcha.I

[HitsterParticipant]

Happy birthday to MJ today, 49 years old, he was described in my local paper in the UK as " widely regarded as the greatest basketball player ever" in the sporting birthdays section.

[JoeWolf1]

I think it’s incredibly unfair to generalize professional athletes as "not standing for something like "Tim Tebow and the late Pat Tillman."  Many of these NBA players with chains, braids and tattoos have started charity organizations to help inner city kids, like themselves, have more opportunity.  You don’t have to get on TV and praise Jesus to be a generous and moral man.  You don’t have to be a Christian to have a strong moral code.  

This whole piece sounds a little culturally biased and out of touch, to tell you the truth.  Like something, the 80 year old raidio journalist, Frank DeFord would air on NPR.  

The world is full of all kinds of people, some people do things for the right reasons, some for the wrong.  There was fame in the NBA in the 60’s and 70’s and Michael Jordan most certainly approched his stardom from a different perspective than anyone before him.  Realizing his buisness and brand potential like none of his predecessors, but wanting to be famous isn’t new.

It’s sad because a lot of these guys, who come from nothing want to help their friends and family, but don’t know a responsible way how.  If you want to goto Vegas with your friends and your best friend from high school is still poor, you WANT to fit the bill, because you can.  Athletes going broke is often from being too generous, not from being "the center of the world".  Antoine Walker, after he went broke, mentioned how hard it was to tell his friends "no" because he had sooo much.  That doesn’t sound like a arrogant baller to me, it sounds like someone being compassionate to a fault.

 

[Author]

Posts