I think most of us miss the bigger picture. Like with any cross section of the community, trends in a particular study group reflect trends in general society.
Whilst many 17-25 year old men don't go around beating up/abusing women, what you have to look at is the % of young NRL players abusing alcohol vs. the % of young men (and women) abusing alcohol. Also have a look at the % of alcoholic related assaults on any given weekend. And that there is the answer folks. Alcohol abuse is not only an accepted norm of the youth, it is nearly unacceptable to not drink in excess.
We have had this debate a million times and I can already feel you all jumping back in defence, so before you type;
read! Go out and ask young people (17-25 year olds) and actually find out how many are either taking recreational drugs or abusing alcohol (binge drinking). It's a scourge on our society and I have witnessed so many people on this very forum glorify the mass consumption of alcohol. Hell, I don't even blame young people, it has been an accepted custom in Australia for numerous generations. If a % of BHQ abuses alcohol, does that make us, as a forum, out of control? Should we be treated like babies? The % of BHQ alcohol abusers would be close to the % of NRL players who are alcohol abusers.
The next thing people will say is, "Hammo I get smashed and I don't abuse people". Well, try being smashed, having many young girls admiring you because "omg you're that footy player!", etc. And also, have guys want to give you aggro because all the girls like you and you're famous. It's a recipe for disaster. Add to the mix what Flutterby alluded to;
Flutterby said:
They are their school's best players and treated like gods there, they are brought into a professional club system often before they have even finished school and don't ever have to face up to some of life's harsh realities - they don't know or appreciate the social rules of the real world and think that these rules don't apply to them.
Then you can start to see where the problems come from. I'm not in any way justifying players actions or condoning players drinking habits, I'm simply reminding society that, we as a society have allowed alcohol abuse (esp. binge drinking) to be an acceptable habit and as such we as a society shouldn't look to sporting players and ask why they behave the way the vast majority of their peer group behave.
From a business viewpoint, I can't understand why a club doesn't have some form of alcohol usage plan in place. Many of us, on far less paying jobs, are expected to pass breath or drug tests at anytime, so should NRL players. The NRL should take control of the mess that is club administration and put clauses in player contracts that players can be breath tested or drug tested at any time. Furthermore, clubs need to have the balls to have their own personal restrictions on players. If players fail to abide by these guidelines, then treat them like children by hiring minders to watch them when they do go out on the grog, remove them (by force if necessary) to a safe location when they can't control themselves.
In a nutshell;
-Should players be treated like babies? Only if they stuff up a first, maybe second chance.
- Do I blame players for the recent spate of poor alcohol related off-field behaviour? No, I blame clubs for being weak as piss and not backing each other. I also blame the NRL for not forcing clubs to honour other clubs discipline efforts.
- Do I blame the individual player for his actions? Yes.
NB; If anyone is going to respond to my post, feel free, however if your response has anything along the lines of
"but they are role models, average isn't", I will simply not reply. To hold an uneducated footballer, who more than likely hasn't even finished high school, up as a role model and demand he behaves better than the vast majority of his peer group is both irresponsible and ridiculous. It's not that I don't believe they are role models, I just don't believe a player under 25, has received the life experience nor job coaching it takes to be a role model.
