AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2008 > March > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USHolyfield should role-model at home
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
It was the irony that struck me. I’d just been reading Jeff Schultz’s review of Evander Holyfield’s book, “Becoming Holyfield: A Fighter’s Journey,” and paused at this excerpt:
“Gruenfeld does a nice job of getting Holyfield to open up on several topics, including the influence of his late mother, Annie; being born out of wedlock; repeating the same mistake of having several children out of wedlock; encountering racism as a youth; meeting after several years with his estranged father, Isom Coley; missteps in his business life; and failed marriages to his first two wives, Paulette and Janice.” (Gruenfeld is Lee Gruenfeld, Holyfield’s authoring caddie.)
Later, Jeff quotes Holyfield as saying, “That’s it. That’s me.” Thus, the boxing champion’s stamp of approval.
Then the morning mail was delivered and there on top was a new book entitled, “The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting.” Now you see the irony of it. “Sports Parenting” is a study in advice to parents who come to deal with athletic offspring, over 400 pages of it. It is commended by such people as Sen. George Mitchell, more in the news as a steroids bird dog lately than as a legislator. But in no way does it refer, or even hint, of such athletes as Holyfield and those who create children out of wedlock.
Athletes are headliners as such mainly because of their fame, not realizing nor caring about the influence their errant examples set for those coming behind them.
There is one section in “Sports Parenting” that takes a pass at the fallen star:
“Unprepared for the epilogue of sport, and with no market skills of any sort,
“He plummeted hard in sad free fall, seeking condolence from alcohol,
“He fathered a son, he did not marry, the weight of paternity too heavy to carry. …”
Only a mild reprimand, but to have any effect on an athlete so unprincipled as to cause nine illegitimate children to be delivered into this world? Hardly so. It isn’t a sin limited to the athletic world, but it draws headlines there because they are headliners. One professional basketball player has had six children by six different women. A running back the Falcons might have drafted, won’t be. He is alleged to be the father of one child born out of wedlock and said he is the father of two others. Then there is the widely publicized story of Tom Brady, the New England quarterback, who ditched his girlfriend, leaving her pregnant. Holyfield and his nine, though, surely must lead the world of sports.
Dan Doyle probably had no intent of having his book tied in with the unsavory lot in headline sports. The author is connected with the University of Rhode Island, and his work is supported by an all-star lineup of athletic people of ethics, including John Wooden, Richard Lapchick, Mike Cleary, head of college athletics directors, Mark Murphy, former Washington Redskins star, now AD at Northwestern, and, of course, Senator Mitchell. He does not blindly take the puritanical position that all sports are beautiful and clean. He does just the opposite and offers his recipe to avoid pitfalls, dealing with that ubiquitous object, the role model.
Role-modeling should be something that begins at home, not left to some glorified gladiator seen streaking across a 34-inch screen. Careful who you set forth as an example for your child, on the field and off. He may wind up the subject of a book that strips him down to his real self. One seeing himself in tell-all print, and saying, “That’s it. That’s me.”
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Furman Bisher
Comments
By parrish duke
March 11, 2008 11:31 PM | Link to this
Shawn Kemp has 11 kids out of wedlock, he once was paying like $100,000 per month on child support due to the kind of money he was making.
By webspinner
March 12, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
Hey, Furman. George Mitchell retired from the U.S. Senate more than a decade ago. Try to keep up, OK?
By scott
March 12, 2008 9:00 AM | Link to this
Hey Webspinner,
Great article. Finally someone said the truth about Holyfield. This man parades around as a committed christian and a leader in his church. Great example Evander.
btw webspinner, George Mitchell was selected by Bud Selig to investigate steroid use in major league baseball. Try to keep up, Ok?
By Harold H.
March 12, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this
Furman, I love you to death but you cannot group all athletes into one catagory. Not all ‘glorified gladiators’ are unprincipled. One name in particular comes to mind, WARRICK DUNN.
By Oneiron
March 12, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
Webspinner’s too busy living in his mom’s basement, eating cheetos, and playing video games to realize that. Anyway, I’m glad to see someone - anyone bring to light the significant problem of these “heroes.” They claim to be role models only when it’s convenient. Holyfield, like Tyson, like Shawn Kemp,ad nauseam are some of the reasons sports have lost a luster for me. Who wants to read about out-of-wedlock child issues, etc. on the sports pages? Some days it’s hard to find the scores with all the other “news” in the sports world.
By Gman
March 12, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
Colin Cowheard from ESPN was naming off a list of Athletes with illigetimate children the other day on the air, not everyone but just the worst offenders…..I was surprised at some of the names he was saying.
Here is an excerpt from a 10-year old article on this subject I have included below. Bottom line - Athletes are not role models for families and have not been for some time, maybe never, but the situation is really bad now……
“Nearly one-third of all children in this country are born to unwed mothers. But this week, Sports Illustrated reports that among professional athletes out-of-wedlock births are epidemic. And of athletes in the major sports leagues, those in the NBA appear to have the greatest number of cases. According to SI, one of the NBA’s top agents says he spends more time dealing with paternity claims than he does negotiating contracts. The agent tells the magazine that there might be more kids out of wedlock than there are players in the NBA. According to Sports Illustrated, Larry Johnson of the Knicks is supporting five children by four women, including two he has with his wife, and Shawn Kemp of the Cavaliers, who is not married, has fathered seven children. Other NBA players who have been the subject of paternity-related lawsuits include Patrick Ewing, Juwan Howard, Scottie Pippen, Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Dr J, Hakeem Olajuwon and Gary Payton, as well as Larry Bird, who is now the coach of the Pacers, and current NBC game analyst Isiah Thomas.
In other sports, baseball’s Gary Sheffield and Juan Gonzalez, along with former greats Jim Palmer, Steve Garvey and Pete Rose, have been hit with paternity suits. The NFL names include Andre Rison and Alonzo Spellman; hockey, Mark Messier; boxing, Oscar de la Hoya; and tennis, Roscoe Tanner.”
Selah!
By Larry
March 12, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this
Well, all one had to do to witness the apes in heat during the Vick era was walk the halls of the Georgia Dome.
Utter, unabashed, degeneracy!
By wow
March 13, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this
whatever. usual suspects.
By derrick
March 13, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this
Larry-“apes in heat”? sounds like you are the degenerate!
People should be the example for their kids, not athletes!
By Darrin "The Vent King"
March 14, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
Goodness, I can not wait until your old, outdated, over-generalizing, “that’s not the way we did it!”. self-righteous, blowhard azz retires. Just tired reading you judgemental views. You sound alot like that old congressman from VA to me. Please hurry up and retire..PLEASE!!!
By Darrin "The Vent King"
March 14, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
Goodness, I can not wait until your old, outdated, over-generalizing, “that’s not the way we did it!”. self-righteous, blowhard azz retires. Just tired reading you judgemental views. You sound alot like that old congressman from VA to me. Please hurry up and retire..PLEASE!!!
By Darrin "The Vent King"
March 14, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
I hope you die soon Larry.
By Ken Stallings
March 14, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
Yes, God forbid that a man express the point of view that it’s best that a child be born of a father and a mother in marriage. Nevermind that every expert firmly states that such a situation is complete truth.
Nope, nevermind those children.
Must not allow their legitimate needs to override the needs of men and women to satiate their sexual desires out of wedlock without so much as using 99% effective birth control!
Yes, “Vent King” you remind us all that in today’s world it is only those who champion morality who are immoral.
One day, when you live in a society filled with poverty and decay you will suddenly realize how stupid you are. Then again, perhaps you will not.
More’s the pity!
By Darrin "The Vent King"
March 14, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this
Hell with you Stallings. You talk all that ish and defend a man calling my people “apes”. I.m tired of hearing that dung and you liberal girlie-men that defend that mess. You can follow Larry to hell too.
By Brown-Eyed Girl!
March 14, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Someone was left off the list…Tom Brady.
By UGA'91
March 14, 2008 8:29 PM | Link to this
Ha ha. Babe Ruth was reported to have fathered his “adopted” daughter and brought her home for his wife to raise…the good ole days weren’t really as good as the seemed grampa.
By Norman
March 15, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this
Though I feel that Mr. Bisher always seem to express negative opinions about those that don’t look like him, he does have a point….this is not the best example for our young people. But I wish for once that Mr. Bisher, and people like him, would look at issues with a little more perspective. They expect so much more from people like Evander and those with similar beginnings, but not from the Gov. Spitzers of the world. I’m black, married for twenty plus years and no children out of wedlock. I’m not much of an Evander fan, but I’m just sick of Bisher’s self-righteous jabs at those different from him.