Guts, Glory & Guilt

When most people think of a college football player, it conjures up the image of the perfect, all-American male hero. These young men are icons of the talent, skill and drive that Americans deem so necessary to become successful in our society. Since many consider them the prodigal sons of our country, it is hard to admit when they need to be reprimanded, or in some cases, severely penalized.

Recently, Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry, journalists at the Seattle Times, have written a series of articles called "Victory and Ruins" that investigate the University of Washington's 2000 college football team, winners of the 2001 Rose Bowl. The men that comprised this team were loved and venerated by all fans of the Huskie football program and had much respect from the wider college football community. However, behind the scenes of the gridiron action, many of the players did not have such a winning relationship with the law.

In Armstrong and Perry's series, they bring to light many of the scandals and cover-ups of the 2000 Huskie team. By paralleling the timeline of events of the football season with the underlying criminal conduct of the players, it becomes apparent that a winning season outweighed justice when it came to University of Washington football. Though the articles have helped many to understand the problems with the current rebuilding of this program, the question has been asked, how far should journalists go in exposing the lives of the Huskie athletes and administrators? Do "off-field" antics warrant less attention than game time plays?

An avid college football fan myself, I can understand the hero worship that accompanies the sport. However, someone who has earned the privilege to play for such a program also takes on the burden of constant vigilance by the media. This is especially true for the administrators who have taken on leadership roles in the college and in the community. As model citizens they should behave as such, and when they do not, they should be as subject to the media, and the law, as all other citizens are.