Do you consider an athlete as a hero?

Question

Wikipedia definition of Hero:
A Hero (Greek ἥρως), in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demi-god, the offpsring of a mortal and a deity.[1] Later, hero (male) and heroine (female) came to refer to characters that, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice, that is, heroism, for some greater good

Does this sound like what athletes are?
I keep hearing that Vick should not be let back into the NFL b/c as an athlete he is looked up to as a hero - if this is true it is a sad state of our country

Answer 1

No.

To me a hero is a person who sacrifices himself or his desires for the benefit and well-being of another (sometimes even giving up his life in course of events). I think of fireefighters and police officers. I think of soldiers. I think of parents taking care of their children. I think of dedicated teachers. I think of the 'average' person who steps up in a time of crisis. I think of those who do right even though it may not be popular. These are my heroes.

Answer 2

Why cant an athlete be a hero?

Many people have stated a hero is someone who puts their needs above others. There are some athletes that give a lot of time and money to help many different people have better lives. Warrick Dunn is one who was mentioned earlier. I have no problem with a child calling him a hero.

Just because you are a Soldier, Teacher or any of the other things many people have mentioned does not make you a hero. There are many bad cops, soldiers, teachers, etc.

There are hero's in sports. It's the ones that use their status as a high paid athlete to try and make a better world. Dont base it all on some bad players.

Answer 3

I think as a society we've come to use the term hero in a way that does not fit its definition. As others have said we should be using terms like "role model." Yes, athletes are people paid to do a job, but so are teachers, police officers, and fire fighters. No matter what a parent tries to teach their children, most kids WILL look up to athletes and celebrities. The important thing is for a parent to be a positive force in their life and help them choose good role models. Many celebrities and athletes use their status to achieve some good in the community. Most kids out grow the "celebrity role model" in favor of more "practical" role models like parents, teachers, grandparents, etc. But when they do, they often still respect the celebrities and athletes who do good things. I don't think it's right to say no athlete should be considered a "hero" (when the term is used in place of role model) because a few are not worthy of that title.

And honestly, I'd rather have my kids idolize football players who try to make a difference in their community then any of the "demi-gods" in Greek mythology.

Answer 4

A hero should be your parent, a relative, a friend that shows particular courage.
An athlete is someone you see on tv on the weekend. Still Vick is an example and since he didn't want to be the positive role model, now he can be an excellent negative one so that kids everywhere can know how not to act.

Answer 5

It really depends on the player, and people's perception of 'heroism'. There is too much of a 'celebrity culture' these days, in all areas. We watch their every move and as soon as someone crosses the line, we're calling for their head. For example if a player like Manning got caught speeding (not suggesting he would), people would be critising him because "he's a role model and should behave himself at all times. But I say 'So what?' hundreds of people in every country will get caught over the speed limit, get fined, but the papers don't say 'Local man caught in speeding scandal'.

Getting back to the 'hero' topic. In the NFL there are many people who I would view as being a 'hero'. Like someone who makes a play for the team and takes a sore one while doing it. Someone who sets up a charity and actively participates in it. Some of them might not even be termed as an 'athlete' by others. Like an big O-lineman taking a hit to prevent the QB getting sacked, and allowing the QB to make a touchdown pass. Someone playing way out of position because of team injuries. Like a D-lineman playing as a RB/TE. Or a RB who will dive into to a bunch of guys to try get the 1st down/TD when someone else would just step out of bounds.

A 'hero' could even be someone who goes about there job week in week out, every season for one franchise and plays at a top level but doesn't get the praise he deserves. I'm talking about the guy on the O-line who allows your star RB to make those plays and gains that he couldn't without you. Do you ever see people picking an O-line for Fantasy games? Yet without an O-line your other picks won't get the numbers they would normally.

Answer 6

No. In fact, I don't really consider anybody a "hero". I think that's too strong a word and implies (in my mind) that a person is infallible. I like to use the term "role model" instead, because I think it implies that there are certain traits you look up to in a person, but not that you think of them as a god. The one person that I might consider my hero would be Abraham Lincoln. No way does an athlete have any chance of reaching that level.

Answer 7

Athletes are looked up to as role models, and so I suppose they can be considered heroes to children. I remember growing up having many good role models from the NFL - Randall Cunningham and Reggie White (both were ordained ministers) stick out. Even now, most NFL players do their best to be a good role model (look at John Lynch and Warrick Dunn to name a couple), but there seems to be a growing percentage who just don't care.

Personally, my hero is my father - someone who busted his *** working to make his children's lives better. Sacrifice for the betterment of others is what makes someone a hero.

Answer 8

A professional Athlete should be an Icon, a leader to the community...not a hero. A hero is a person who puts others well being before their own...people who make our world a better place to live.

Answer 9

An athlete is a hero until he gets charged with rape, convicted of dog fighting and killing, steroid use, gambling, murder etc. It's just a matter of who's gotten caught and who hasn't. Athletes should not be heroes, they should be enjoyed to watch but how can someone be a hero because he can dunk? Or because he gets 28 TDs in a season? A true hero is someone you can look up to who you can strive to be. A moral person who does good for society. Don't get me wrong, I love sports, but who does more for society? Barry hitting 755 homeruns? or a police officer who goes into the trade centers risking his life for the lives of others?

Answer 10

The only hero I can think of that was also an athlete was Hershel Walker. I can't recall exactly what happened but I believe it was just a short time after getting the Heisman Trophy that he rescued someone from a burning car. Otherwise I think that athletes should be role models as well as idols. It used to be that athletes were worthy of respect.

Answer 11

NO an athlete is just someone that gets paid to entertain us. I would put them in the same category as actors. I mean both of them get paid lots of money to entertain people. Yes they can be role models but a hero they are not. Pat Tillman now he can be considered a hero. He gave up his life for the freedom we enjoy. My list of hero's are those people that are willing to give up their own life for ours (firefighters, police man, EMSA, and soldiers). My dad is someone I consider to be a hero seeing the way he fought cancer. He fought cancer for 5 years beating it once but it came back with a vengeance.