Weeding Their Way Through the System
David Andrews
David Andrews
Nowadays in professional sports, athletes are seen more as commodities and public figures rather than actual people. As a result, it puts them in a really tough spot where most things they do get brought to light pretty easily and their personal life is no longer personal. Recently, the biggest issue throughout all professional sports has been the use of marijuana, medicinally and recreationally, by athletes everywhere. We have seen athletes, like NFL wide receiver Josh Gordon, practically losing their careers because of this drug, yet former NBA number one overall pick, Kenyon Martin, says, in an interview with Bleacher Report, that he believes about “eighty-five percent of the league” smoked marijuana during his career.
Many players and fans of the game have made the argument that it is the players money and they can do whatever they want with it, especially since most teams show very little, if any, care for these athletes personal lives. For instance, NBA superstar, Isaiah Thomas, had just gotten off the best season of his career, averaging about thirty points per game and finishing fifth in MVP votings, but what we did not know is that he was playing with a hip injury the whole time. After aggravating his injury to the point where he could no longer play, the Celtics traded him with no consideration for his impact on the team and how much he sacrificed for them. He even played on his late sister’s birthday only a couple days after her death and scored fifty-three points, and the team just replaced him for someone else because of an injury he got from putting his body on the line for them. In the eyes the sport industry these athletes are just pieces to the puzzle, not people, so why should these teams be able to tell these athletes what to do with their lives. Then again, these athletes give up certain rights when they become professionals because they have kids who look up to them and when they put on that jersey they are representing much more than just themselves, they are representing the team as a whole. Also, in most states marijuana is still illegal, and using it is against the law and the consequences for doing so is much bigger than any fine or suspension a team can give you.
Many people and many athletes believe that the use of marijuana amongst the players should not be regarded as a bad thing and that it can even be better for them in the long run. Former NBA player and founder of the cannabidiol company Harrington Wellness, Al Harrington, even made the case that, after suffering from many injuries throughout his career, using marijuana made his recovery a lot easier.
On the other hand, a lot of people, including many of Hillgrove’s coaches, look down on this idea solely because of the fact that it is against the law. At Hillgrove, the coaches use their job as a way to teach these students valuable lessons like that everything comes with consequences. With so many professional athletes promoting drug use with no repercussions, it sets a really bad example for these young athletes and it put our coaches in a really tough position.
This is why the use of marijuana in sports has been so controversial. Because these athletes are being under constant watch by the media, it makes it a lot harder for them to be humans and live the lives they want. Although, in exchange for giving up such rights and liberties, they get millions of dollars and endless fame. This is the real problem facing athletes today, and it just so happens that the use of marijuana is at the forefront of it.
Many players and fans of the game have made the argument that it is the players money and they can do whatever they want with it, especially since most teams show very little, if any, care for these athletes personal lives. For instance, NBA superstar, Isaiah Thomas, had just gotten off the best season of his career, averaging about thirty points per game and finishing fifth in MVP votings, but what we did not know is that he was playing with a hip injury the whole time. After aggravating his injury to the point where he could no longer play, the Celtics traded him with no consideration for his impact on the team and how much he sacrificed for them. He even played on his late sister’s birthday only a couple days after her death and scored fifty-three points, and the team just replaced him for someone else because of an injury he got from putting his body on the line for them. In the eyes the sport industry these athletes are just pieces to the puzzle, not people, so why should these teams be able to tell these athletes what to do with their lives. Then again, these athletes give up certain rights when they become professionals because they have kids who look up to them and when they put on that jersey they are representing much more than just themselves, they are representing the team as a whole. Also, in most states marijuana is still illegal, and using it is against the law and the consequences for doing so is much bigger than any fine or suspension a team can give you.
Many people and many athletes believe that the use of marijuana amongst the players should not be regarded as a bad thing and that it can even be better for them in the long run. Former NBA player and founder of the cannabidiol company Harrington Wellness, Al Harrington, even made the case that, after suffering from many injuries throughout his career, using marijuana made his recovery a lot easier.
On the other hand, a lot of people, including many of Hillgrove’s coaches, look down on this idea solely because of the fact that it is against the law. At Hillgrove, the coaches use their job as a way to teach these students valuable lessons like that everything comes with consequences. With so many professional athletes promoting drug use with no repercussions, it sets a really bad example for these young athletes and it put our coaches in a really tough position.
This is why the use of marijuana in sports has been so controversial. Because these athletes are being under constant watch by the media, it makes it a lot harder for them to be humans and live the lives they want. Although, in exchange for giving up such rights and liberties, they get millions of dollars and endless fame. This is the real problem facing athletes today, and it just so happens that the use of marijuana is at the forefront of it.