Last week the province erupted with the news that Dwight Anderson and Taj Smith were arrested following an altercation at Pure Nightclub in Regina. The news, following the Riders loss to the Bombers in the Banjo Bowl cause mass outrage towards Smith and Anderson with much of the province choosing to get on their moral high horse and condemn the players for being poor role models. There was also the issue of the Riders having some sort of "Code of Conduct" that the two players (and another little used wider receiver) violated in getting into a physical altercation in public and subsequently charged with assault as a result.
I am here to tell you that those people who were outraged need to be reminded of something that will make their sports fandom a million times easier: Athletes. Are. Not. Always. Role. Models.
It is something I have touched on before and it is something I will likely feel the need to touch on again and again, but it is something fans often forget. The athletes you cheer for are only human, and they often aren't thinking about what you think in the heat of a personal crisis or when they are making their own life choices. Especially when they are in the process of getting into a barfight. That is also completely fair.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders do a lot for the province of Saskatchewan and the communities that support them. From attending Football Night in Saskatchewan banquets to raise money for minor football programs across the province to visiting Saskatchewan schools each year. There is no argument against the fact that the Riders give back to their fans on a daily basis. In fact Kory Sheets came down to Yorkton this week for a Haas Nissan event. I can personally tell you that the leading rusher in the NFL wouldn't be driving to a middle of nowhere town in any league market to go take photos and talk with fans on a Tuesday night.
So why turn your back on the players that you cheer for on Friday and Saturday nights when they have a lapse in judgement? Would you do the same to your friends in your walk of life? You probably would try to look at things from their point of view, so why is it any different when it is an athlete, especially ones in the CFL who make around the same amount of money on average as me and you? Is that truly fair?
Dwight Anderson and Taj Smith didn't take the high road at Pure that fateful night, but so have countless of other adults in similar situations. They were just lucky enough to not be Saskatchewan Roughriders when their less than graceful moments occurred. The Leader Post doesn't show up when I see the police breaking up a fight out of any Saskatchewan nightclub in any other circumstance and I am sure all three players involved in this situation all feel remorse and shame for their actions. It is time to let it go and realize that at the end of the day, professional athletes are people, not characters in indirect life lessons for your children or yourself. Leave them be in moments like this and focus on the hard work and dedication they put into their craft if you are looking for anything to focus on. After all that hard work and dedication to making you stand up and cheer for three hours is why they are role models anyway.
