Last month the University of Wyoming basketball team made a thrilling run capturing the Mountain West basketball tournament and qualifying for the NCAA basketball tournament.
During the epic stretch, it seemed the State of Wyoming came together in unison to cheer on the Cowboys.
When the team played their opening round game against Northern Iowa in the NCAA tournament, it was as if the state stopped for two hours to cheer on the Cowboys. It seemed like the whole morale of the state was cheerful, and everybody came together for a common cause.
This was a perfect example of what is great about sports. Sometimes they can be far more than just a game, they can be a rallying cry and a way to bring people together.
The positives sports can bring just don’t lay with the college or professional games, they also play a big role with our youth.
It’s been shown time and time again, that kids that are active with sports throughout the year do well in school and this foundation of discipline will also lead to success later in life.
I’m not saying that playing sports or being in some sort of activity is needed to do good in school or life, but it certainly helps and there is no denying that.
While there is so much to cheer about and so many positives, there is also a darker side to sports, that can escape the day-to-day aspects of reality.
College, professional and other athletes are only human and they are by no means immune to the ills of our society.
This has been shown recently by the infamous Ray Rice video and suspension, and perhaps no better example would be that of Floyd Mayweather.
This weekend, Mayweather is set to battle Manny Pacquiao in what has been called the biggest boxing match in over a decade.
The fight has already been projected to shatter pay-per-view records, and Mayweather is estimated to make about $180 million for what could be anywhere from five minutes to an hour of work.
Leading up to the fight, there has been plenty of positive press about the fight that is supposed to bring boxing back into the mainstream. There has also been plenty of press that has been very negative about Mayweather and encouraging people to boycott the fight.
To make it short, in the past 12 years or so, Mayweather has been convicted multiple times of abuse to women.
I watched a special report on ESPN that detailed his convictions for such things as striking women and dragging them by their hair.
This is a professional boxer battering a woman. It has also been shown in public record that he did some of the abuse in front of his children.
Despite his convictions, he has never been in any sort of trouble from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
What type of message does this send?
It really seems to me that those who pull the strings in Nevada are reluctant to do anything because of the amount of money his fights bring in.
In other sports, individuals are suspended or even kicked out of the organization for this type of behavior.
No matter how big of a star he is, this is not acceptable behavior and after multiple convictions he should not be able to fight anymore.
Do we live in the type of society, that it’s ok for a guy who beats up people for a living to beat up women, just because he makes a ton of money and has a ton of fans?
Everyone makes mistakes. Some bigger than others, but we all have to live with the actions we make. This guy should not be off the hook for what he’s done. It’s obvious the criminal justice system isn’t working so there has to be some sort of message to send to him.
The athletic commission will not do anything about is behavior, so maybe the American public can send a message.
No matter what I write, people are going to buy this fight, but I’d really encourage them not to.
These are not isolated incidents with Mayweather who doesn’t seem to show any sort of remorse and often says that the only one that can judge him is God.
It would be really nice for him to walk to the ring in front of a empty MGM Grand Garden Arena and know one watching on pay-per-view.
I’m sure most people wouldn’t want to work with someone who has multiple convictions for assaulting woman.
Why should we cheer them on?
You can be an athlete and follow the same rules as everyone else, and if you do something bad time and time again, suffer the consequences like everyone else.
Pretty Boy Floyd, you think only God can judge you, I really wish the whole nation would.
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