Comments Thread For: “Fighting Words” - Good and Bad, Boxers Are Role Models

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

by David P. Greisman - This seems as appropriate time as any to have this conversation, what with the number of recent reports about professional athletes accused of domestic violence, and particularly as those storylines led to a renewed focus on Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his various cases and convictions.

It’s not that Mayweather’s history wasn’t known. He spent a couple of months in jail in 2012 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery and no contest to a pair of counts of harassment in a case that stemmed from an assault on an ex-girlfriend who is the mother of three of his children. His history came up this past summer after an article on the Deadspin sports website examined it in depth and with sometimes-graphic detail.

“Floyd Mayweather is a misogynist,” wrote Daniel Roberts. “And not just a misogynist, but a batterer, and a serial batterer at that.”

Mayweather has once again been accused of abuse in a civil lawsuit filed by former girlfriend Shantel Jackson, who often was known as “Ms. Jackson.” You don’t need to dive too deep into comments sections to see people participating in victim blaming, questioning her motives and labeling her as someone merely seeking money.

Jackson’s attorney called for a boycott of Mayweather’s pay-per-view bout the other week against Marcos Maidana. And Mayweather’s past came up in the days before, when the boxer for some reason decided to comment on the additional punishment that the NFL had handed down to football player Ray Rice after footage leaked of him knocking out his wife. [Click Here To Read More]

[Psylence83]

Great read!!! As almost all the "fighting words" articles are!!!

[Kagami Taiga]

Good read but I totally disagree with the premise. The problem with society is we make sports figures, actors and other famous ppl role models. Theyv aren't. They are people. Just like we are people. They will make mistakes, they will **** up, they will do numerous things that other people do because they are exactly like other people. I Dont know why America is such a hero worship society. It's wgatcwill be one of the things that lead to the downfall of this society, of that I have no doubt. It's such a flawed logic to the point of being disgusting to me. But alas, this society isntvrwsdy to change and tfats unfortunate, because nowadays everything anyone says or does wrong is all over the internet and tv. So whatever idols u guys think u have now, don't expect that to last in most cases. Because when it's all said and done, the see are flawed human beings just like us.

[Pony Boy]

Great article! I hope the Nevada State Athletic Commission reads this.

[joseph5620]

by David P. Greisman - This seems as appropriate time as any to have this conversation, what with the number of recent reports about professional athletes accused of domestic violence, and particularly as those storylines led to a renewed focus on Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his various cases and convictions.

It***8217;s not that Mayweather***8217;s history wasn***8217;t known. He spent a couple of months in jail in 2012 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery and no contest to a pair of counts of harassment in a case that stemmed from an assault on an ex-girlfriend who is the mother of three of his children. His history came up this past summer after an article on the Deadspin sports website examined it in depth and with sometimes-graphic detail.

***8220;Floyd Mayweather is a misogynist,***8221; wrote Daniel Roberts. ***8220;And not just a misogynist, but a batterer, and a serial batterer at that.***8221;

Mayweather has once again been accused of abuse in a civil lawsuit filed by former girlfriend Shantel Jackson, who often was known as ***8220;Ms. Jackson.***8221; You don***8217;t need to dive too deep into comments sections to see people participating in victim blaming, questioning her motives and labeling her as someone merely seeking money.

Jackson***8217;s attorney called for a boycott of Mayweather***8217;s pay-per-view bout the other week against Marcos Maidana. And Mayweather***8217;s past came up in the days before, when the boxer for some reason decided to comment on the additional punishment that the NFL had handed down to football player Ray Rice after footage leaked of him knocking out his wife. [Click Here To Read More]

Reading this you would think boxing has had a history of saints. Boxers with bad behavior is about as new as the great depression.


And no, they are not role models.

[Weebler I]

Being a role model is innate part of the job, it "comes with the territory" of a professional sportsmen.

All those athletes who want shirk the responsibility in order to commit crimes and generally be deplorable individuals don't warrant the position.

The sport is bigger than any individual, and they'd do well to remember that when they're wiping their backside with money or assaulting females.

[BoxngLove]

Mayweather has taught us that there ARE repercussions to abusing women physically. 2 months in jail. And when you get out you can fight on PPV. Perfect example for future generations

[MC Hammer]

Boxers or any athlete for that matter shouldn't even try to be role models. They can do 1 million good things, but their first flaw will be what defines them. Its not their responsibility to raise YOUR kids anyway.

[hardboiled777]

YES boxers and indeed ALL people are role models. BUT some are better than others, for instance Albert Einstein is a better role model than ANY boxer in how he lived his life AND the hard work he put into his field. Boxers put hard work as well, and I believe it is the REALEST sport along with MMA and combat sports so it FORCES them to train and fight hard vs other sports which I don't think deserve as much shine. YET there are fields that CREATE rather than destroy like boxing and MMA.

Think about it, YOU are alive because the advances of SCIENCES to troll the internet like the IDIOTS you are. You most likely give little to no regard to the scientists who made it happen whether through their discovery and use of penicillen and so on. Yet you put a boxer on a pedestal whose only real claim to fame is he beat someone up and DESTROYED them? The only real good thing they do is help LOSERS WITH LOW SELF ESTEEM feel better about themselves. Like people tend to think or believe subconsciously THEY ARE FLOYD MAYWEATHER because they are black or Manny Pacquaio because they are asian. BS, you ain't **** and the person who is closest to be like them is A FIGHTER not your lame *****asses who sit and watch sports allday. So in a way they do help boost racial self esteem and inspire others. BUT if someone is inspired more in CREATIVE FIELDS like business, science, and education those are HUGE compared to being a "fighter." I do think there are exceptions like when the fighter is a TRUE martial ARTIST and thus the "fight" is an artform with deep philosophical principles that TEACH AND CREATE vs seek to destroy as in boxing/MMA.

BRUCE LEE, MANNY PACQUAIO, JACK JOHNSON, JOE LOUIS nuff said for your *****easses

[SUBZER0ED]

There's two sides to this. As the article stated, athletes are role models whether they choose to be or not. This is because they are in the public eye, and will always have young boys & girls as well as adults admire & look up to them. The stars are standouts with their success, which impressionable young people may emulate. While some may differentiate between the admirable and shameful behavior of their athletic heroes, some may not. This may lead to an acceptance and emulation of the good and bad characteristics. However, we can't place the sole responsibility on the athletes. It is the responsibility of parents to teach their children the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Children (and adults) have to take responsibility for their own actions as well. We all know right from wrong, and have the ability to choose. I learned as a child that just because someone else got away with bad behavior, it didn't mean I'd get away with it too.