Sports figures of this day and age are some of the most scrutinized individuals in the world. We praise these men and women and judge everything that they do. But what is the price of fame?
Recently I went out and got Call of Duty Black Ops for Playstation 3. It's a great shoot em up game and one of the best in the series. Then while watching a Lakers game a few days ago, I saw my favorite player, Kobe Bryant, wielding a gun and playing a live edition of Call of Duty. I thought it was cool.
The message of the commercial is that there's a soldier in all of us. Even a sports star like Kobe could be online playing this game along with other celebs and everyday blue collar workers like most of us.
You can have fun with the soldier in you. Take a little time out of your day, (or a lot) and enjoy pleasing the soldier in you. That's the message of the commercial.
Then I was watching ESPN First Take and saw Skip Bayless arguing that it was dumb for Kobe to take part in the commercial, smiling and shooting a machine gun.
Really?
Since when is it a crime to be on a commercial about a video game? The people who usually argue this point will point out that Kobe is a role model for children and that he should set an example—not by wielding a gun simulating a mature game.
Then I thought about something else. Where have the parenting skills gone that we now rely on an athlete to raise our children? Is Kobe going to come over your house and play Wii sports with your kids? Of course not!
Yes, Kobe is a role model and kids look up to him. However, it is up to the parents to ultimately decide what their kids should be playing on the video game systems. Not Kobe Bryant.
As a fan who watched him scowl his way through the playoffs and only smile when he's hoisting the cha...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
