Monday, April 23, 2007
Truth & Consequences
Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson recently was one of several top college football players to admit to past marijuana use. A number of people have had negative reactions to the news, claiming that the marijuana use represents "character issues" and should have a negative impact on the players' draft status. Another issue presented by this story is whether athletes should tell the truth about their behavior. If Johnson and the other players had lied about their marijuana use, then there would be no public issues concerning their character and draft status. However, because they told the truth, they have suffered some image problems. Even so, their honesty still was the best way to go. If the media or the public had found out about the marijuana (and thus, the lying) later on, then the players' problems would be even bigger. By telling the truth, they showed that they are honest and trustworthy. These traits should do more to assure professional teams of the players' character than should the marijuana use. When trying to manage an athlete's media relations, it usually is best to stick to the truth instead of trying to avoid the possible negative consequences.
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