Professional athletes are anything but

by Tom Valentino
Staff Writer

Act like you’ve been there before.

Once upon a time, this was the creed for professional athletes. In short, it meant that professional athletes should conduct themselves like "professionals."

Somewhere along the line, the “act like you’ve been there before” creed got lost. Either that, or many of today’s athletes are “getting there” for the first time — over and over and over again.

If a wide receiver scores a touchdown, it is now pass•é• to hand the ball to the official and go to the sideline. It’s not even fashionable to just spike the ball or high-five teammates.

Today, if you’re not doing the “Lambeau Leap” in Green Bay or the “Champaign Toast” for the Chicago Bears, you’re just not cool.

If you are playing in a Ryder Cup match, you’re considered boring if you are not prancing around the course hugging your teammates like Sergio Garcia.

Hit a home run in baseball? So what. Everybody does that now. If you want to be a superstar, like say, San Francisco Giants outfielder and home run machine Barry Bonds, make sure that after you hit the ball 450 feet, you stand at home plate and admire your handiwork before circling the bases.

Never mind that there are already 43,000 spectators admiring your shot. If you’re with it and hip, you’ll join them. Why not break out a pair of binoculars from your back pocket while you’re at it?

It seems celebrating success has become more vital for today’s athletes than actually ••being•• successful. Of course, celebrating a victory prematurely can cost your team victory. Just ask Dwayne Rudd of the Cleveland Browns. He was so excited about what he thought was a game-winning sack that he had to tear his helmet off in jubilation.

The only problem for Rudd was that Kansas City quarterback Trent Green got rid of the ball before being sacked. Rudd was penalized, and the Browns were 0-1 as a result. D’oh.

Former basketball star Charles Barkley gave a public service announcement 10 years ago that could be very useful for the youth of America today. Barkley’s message, delivered in a commercial for Nike shoes, was simple: He is not a role model. Professional athletes are not role models. ••Parents•• are role models.

Personally, I’ve taken Sir Charles’ message to heart. You can rest assured that until the day I hear about my dad doing the “cabbage patch” after a well-done presentation at work, you probably won’t see me chest-bumping with any of my professors after a successful exam.

••Valentino is a junior journalism major who acts like a professional, except when playing Madden 2003 on PlayStation 2. Send him an email at tomvalentino@msn.com.••