In 1993, NBA all-star Charles Barkley was the subject of a very controversial Nike ad. Barkly, who owns a reputation for being contentious and outspoken, partook in a Nike Air ad in which "Sir Charles" declared that he was not a role model and that no athlete should be considered one. Barkly furthermore goes on to state that parents and teachers are the real role models because they influence a child's life. While Barkly has said a lot of candid comments, he could not be any more right about this ad. The reason it was so questionable is that everyone had an opinion on it. Some insisted that Barkly was attempting to create an excuse for all of his wrongdoings and others said he is right because as we all know Charles is not the only dubious athlete. No matter how one looks at it, it is a matter still discussed and with all eyes on these "larger than life people," it is not absurd to consider what Barkly is proposing. Athletes should not be considered role models because it is not in the job description. Athletes are striving to win and obtain their money, and they conduct themselves in such ways that would not be encouraged …show more content…
He later went on to state that "just because I can dunk a basketball, that does not make me a role model, it is very easy to do that from prison." Barkley professes this as he had a reputation of being a "bad boy" in basketball with backlash from his gambling and violent, acts on and off the court. This kind of attitude resonates with too many athletes, and in much in recent times, we see athletes getting accused of domestic assault, money quandaries, and in some cases, murder. And not only that, but some can barely handle the media. Athletes tend to sway the way of "they rank overall, why do they have to answer stupid questions?" Moreover, in a world where the news is everywhere, it is hard to keep the apt image for the kids, so why should the athletes have