Whether it be steroid allegations or gun charges; these privileged individuals are showing that they not only take for granted their fortunate circumstances, they have no regard for their consequences.
Just as Plaxico Burress used poor judgment in bringing a loaded gun to a nightclub and subsequently shooting himself in the leg, which landed him in jail, another professional athlete has all but ended a promising career over a stupid decision and potentially faces legal charges.
When Gilbert Arenas brought unloaded firearms to his locker at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, he not only violated NBA conduct rules, but also violated D.C. laws as well. Reports said that he and teammate Javaris Crittenton were arguing over a gambling debt when both pulled out guns. Arenas later said that he was trying to play an ill-fated joke on his teammate and was not trying to harm him.
First of all, Arenas should have had his story straight. You can’t change your story a million times, especially if you are involved in a criminal case. There was no reason for him to use guns as a prank or draw a weapon on his teammate over a gambling debt. How much money do you make again? Why are you upset about someone owing you money over a card game. That just means that you need to practice whatever game you got dusted in.
Arenas must not have realized that different states have different laws, and the District of Columbia had its own separate set of laws. Once he left Virginia or Maryland, he went into an entirely different entity and would be subject to its own form of action.
Another excuse that he gave for bringing the guns to the arena was that he wanted to keep them out of the reach of his children at his home. Not only is it stupid to bring his kids into the situation, but it is also his responsibility to take care of it without breaking the rules of his employer. If he wanted to protect his family, then there were other ways to do it than to put your professional career in jeopardy.
Some people would say that professional athletes are targeted and they have to protect themselves, but that is what a bodyguard is for. If you want to protect yourself, at least use your second amendment rights and get the gun registered, and then follow the rules of your employer. Being an athlete is still his job, and if you break the rules at a regular job, then you will face the same consequences. As much as you are paid, you should not feel the need to pull a gun on somebody for any reason.
These athletes do not appreciate the opportunities that they are given and Commissioner Stern was justified in his discipline of Arenas. Apparently, the only way for one of these athletes to realize the error in their ways is to take their privileges and their livelihood away. This man can no longer make a living for his family because of the poor choice that he made, and now that spur-of-the-moment “joke” is not so funny is it?
The NBA indefinitely suspended Arenas on Jan. 6, coincidently on his 28th birthday, without pay until its investigation is complete. Initially, NBA Commissioner David Stern planned to wait until the investigation took place to give out a lengthy suspension. However, Stern acted immediately when Arenas pretended to shoot his teammates with guns made from his fingers during pregame introductions prior to a game.
Another example of how immaturely he handled the situation. If you are under investigation for this type of crime and they are still letting you play, then you need to show some level of remorse and make a better case for yourself. Arenas was a promising player in the NBA, and he had a lot of things going for him. However, athletes have to learn from each other’s mistakes or else they will fall down the same destructive paths and will not ever be able to fulfill their promise. Now he is probably going to face federal charges for having illegal firearms in DC and a suspension from the NBA will be the least of his worries.
Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The A&T Register
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