Criticism Doesn T Deter Rose By C. Johnson

In K.C. Johnson’s article, “Criticism Doesn’t Deter Rose,” Johnson uses the testimony of Derrick Rose to discuss his opinion on whether the public is holding professional athletes to unrealistic standards, specifically when it comes to dealing with injuries. Derrick Rose, a point guard for the Chicago Bulls, has been dealing with public scrutiny ever since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in 2012 and refusing to play the following season (par. 5). Rose reasons that the fan base did not understand the long term health implications associated with playing injured and that by sitting out, he was protecting himself from a potential career-ending injury (par. 3). His testimonial relies on the support of team doctors and other star player to support his claims. These experts as well as the testimonies of star players, like Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony, establish the author’s credibility. In his article, Johnson agrees with Rose and uses many logical appeals to make the audience feel that expecting athletes to risk their livelihoods for our entertainment is wrong.

C. Johnson, a sports writer for the world renowned Chicago Tribune, discusses several reasons to oppose athletes playing through injuries. First, he claims that playing hurt lengthens the healing process (par. 4). He argues that when professional athletes chose to play hurt, they not only aggravate the existing trauma, but the y increase the likelihood of developing a more serious chronic condition (par.4). This argument causes the audience to question whether the short term benefits of playing through an injury are really worth the long term anguish that an athlete is likely to deal with as a result of the choice. The empathy created as a result of this questioning helps to convince the audience that it is impractical to expect sportspeople to jeopardize the rest of their lives, in order to live in the