Sports
Athletes should lead by example, not be the exceptions to the rule
By Jonny Schwab | November 20, 2002Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen's decision to suspend sophomore guard Jermaine Harper reinforced the belief that athletes should act as role models, not individuals with the power to break rules without severe consequences. True, athletes often are considered exceptions to the rules, whether on the professional, college or high school level, but so are standout students, extraordinary actors and leaders of other sorts. One Charlottesville resident I spoke with, upon hearing about Harper's arrest, said his father once told him that athletes should be allowed a certain leniency in terms of having fun and following the rules.
