What makes a good sports role model?

[Ahlevah]

Coming of age in Southern California in the 1970s, I was a Dodgers' fan. I loved those players: Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Rick Monday, Dusty Baker, Tommy John--even the pinch hitter, Manny Mota. :lol: Garvey was probably the one I most admired.

Anyway, if you had a sports role model growing up, who was it any why? What traits did they possess? Did they just have to excel at their sport, or did character or off-the-field accomplishments also come into play? Did you share common characteristics with them, e.g. race, sex or sexual orientation, geographical proximity, and were these important aspects of your view of the person as a role model? Personally, as a youth I detested the Cowboys and Roger Staubach. It was only later, as an adult, that I came to appreciate him as not only a great athlete, but also an honorable human being. But forced to pick one name that, even twenty years after his death, I admire above all others, it would is this one: Walter Payton. I can't put my finger on why I feel this way about him. I realize he wasn't a saint, and yet to me he was, is, and always will be a demigod.

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[Lutherf]

Great question!

I grew up on the other coast and my guy was Thurman Munson. He was pretty much the epitome of sportsmanship and leadership on the field without being the least bit of a showboat.

WRT, your guy, Garvey, he was my inspiration for working on wrists and forearms in my swing. Garvey used to swing a concrete filled pipe to work out his swing and get a little more "pop" in his swing. I totally stole that idea and put it to work. I also stole Joe Morgan's swing (but not that elbow twitch thing he did) for when I switched up at the plate.

One other guy was Yogi Berra. His biography was one of the first that I read and his dedication to the game, to his teammates and to his wife put life as a whole into perspective for me.

 

[Bucky]

Coming of age in Southern California in the 1970s, I was a Dodgers' fan. I loved those players: Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Rick Monday, Dusty Baker, Tommy John--even the pinch hitter, Manny Mota. :lol: Garvey was probably the one I most admired.

Anyway, if you had a sports role model growing up, who was it any why? What traits did they possess? Did they just have to excel at their sport, or did character or off-the-field accomplishments also come into play? Did you share common characteristics with them, e.g. race, sex or sexual orientation, geographical proximity, and were these important aspects of your view of the person as a role model? Personally, as a youth I detested the Cowboys and Roger Staubach. It was only later, as an adult, that I came to appreciate him as not only a great athlete, but also an honorable human being. But forced to pick one name that, even twenty years after his death, I admire above all others, it would is this one: Walter Payton. I can't put my finger on why I feel this way about him. I realize he wasn't a saint, and yet to me he was, is, and always will be a demigod.

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Some athletes are not just great athletes, but great leaders among men. They have the ability to cast their own light.

 

[chuckiechan]

O.J. Simpson?

 

[calamity]

About twenty years ago, I went through an unusually challenging time in my job. We installed some equipment in Texas, working 18 hour days trying to make the crap work. One night, when my drive had died and I was inches from giving up, I had a dream.

This is the image I saw.

It worked. I became like Mike.