A Toxic Brew
The story is startling and troubling. An eighteen-year old man is found dead from alcohol poisoning in Finley Hall and three OSU football players are implicated.
Following a series of other alcohol related arrests and incidents over the past year; this latest event starkly illustrates the lethal consequences of a potent and potentially deadly brew: athletes, alcohol and bad judgment.
The feeling of invincibility that so often accompanies youth is sorely called into question at times like these. College students rarely take seriously all the possible consequences of their sometimes bad decisions.
The problem is often amplified further by the privileges that are accorded the student athlete.
Student-athletes are conditioned and trained to absorb injury and perform at peak levels. Passionate fans fill enormous stadiums to cheer their accomplishments. Coaches, meanwhile, push for ever greater peak performance.
Under such circumstances it's easy to understand how the student athlete can develop a sense of immunity.
Drinking alcohol impairs motor coordination and judgment while also reducing an individual’s inhibitions, self control, and caution. Under the influence of alcohol, an athlete’s perhaps already inflated sense of self importance multiplies unchecked. It is not entirely surprising that this combination can lead to trouble.
The high stakes and high pressure lifestyle of the student-athlete also lends itself to the abuse of alcohol. For example, a disappointing game or rough practice may trigger a binge drinking session as a means of handling disappointment and anxiety.
The very nature of sports in America, and football in particular, incorporates a degree of violence and aggressive behavior. Student-athletes experience a daily indoctrination of practice, workouts and games that serve to fuel their aggressive instincts.
The danger occurs when student athletes become so saturated with this aggressive lifestyle that it begins to spill over into other areas of their lives. Alcohol raises the stakes even further.
The recent incident involving Seattle Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin serves as a partial example.
Hamlin and his girlfriend were leaving a downtown Seattle club at 2 am Monday, following a Seahawks home game.
According to the police report, as Hamlin was walking out of the club he put his hand on another man’s back and said “excuse me.” The man told Hamlin to stop pushing and the two men began shoving each other.
Hamlin then reportedly punched the man in the face. Another man struck Hamlin with his forearm and a fight ensued.
Seattle’s starting safety is now in stable but serious condition with a fractured skull, blood clot in his brain and bruising of his brain tissue.
The Tennessee native could easily have walked away from the situation. He instead opted to shove the man back and deliver the first punch. It seems fairly illogical to pick a fight outside a club with a complete stranger.
And while police reports indicate Hamlin was likely sober, it's instructive that the incident took place at a club, after a football game and that, directly or indirectly, alcohol was involved.
The environment surrounding football games does not exactly serve as the best advertisement for post game player sobriety.
Pre-game tailgating has evolved into a rite of passage for many football fans. Reser Stadium’s club level section features an extensive bar and the stadium is liberally filled on Saturdays with many fans who have consumed varying amounts of alcohol.
Let's also not ignore the fact that beer companies such as Coors are major sponsors of NFL football. So while football players may not make a conscious link between alcohol and their sport, the financial relationship certainly exists.
A young man has died needlessly and the lives of three football players are perhaps changed forever. Beyond these facts, we might do well to regard this tragedy in the wider context of the relationship between alcohol and the culture surrounding sports.
Following a series of other alcohol related arrests and incidents over the past year; this latest event starkly illustrates the lethal consequences of a potent and potentially deadly brew: athletes, alcohol and bad judgment.
The feeling of invincibility that so often accompanies youth is sorely called into question at times like these. College students rarely take seriously all the possible consequences of their sometimes bad decisions.
The problem is often amplified further by the privileges that are accorded the student athlete.
Student-athletes are conditioned and trained to absorb injury and perform at peak levels. Passionate fans fill enormous stadiums to cheer their accomplishments. Coaches, meanwhile, push for ever greater peak performance.
Under such circumstances it's easy to understand how the student athlete can develop a sense of immunity.
Drinking alcohol impairs motor coordination and judgment while also reducing an individual’s inhibitions, self control, and caution. Under the influence of alcohol, an athlete’s perhaps already inflated sense of self importance multiplies unchecked. It is not entirely surprising that this combination can lead to trouble.
The high stakes and high pressure lifestyle of the student-athlete also lends itself to the abuse of alcohol. For example, a disappointing game or rough practice may trigger a binge drinking session as a means of handling disappointment and anxiety.
The very nature of sports in America, and football in particular, incorporates a degree of violence and aggressive behavior. Student-athletes experience a daily indoctrination of practice, workouts and games that serve to fuel their aggressive instincts.
The danger occurs when student athletes become so saturated with this aggressive lifestyle that it begins to spill over into other areas of their lives. Alcohol raises the stakes even further.
The recent incident involving Seattle Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin serves as a partial example.
Hamlin and his girlfriend were leaving a downtown Seattle club at 2 am Monday, following a Seahawks home game.
According to the police report, as Hamlin was walking out of the club he put his hand on another man’s back and said “excuse me.” The man told Hamlin to stop pushing and the two men began shoving each other.
Hamlin then reportedly punched the man in the face. Another man struck Hamlin with his forearm and a fight ensued.
Seattle’s starting safety is now in stable but serious condition with a fractured skull, blood clot in his brain and bruising of his brain tissue.
The Tennessee native could easily have walked away from the situation. He instead opted to shove the man back and deliver the first punch. It seems fairly illogical to pick a fight outside a club with a complete stranger.
And while police reports indicate Hamlin was likely sober, it's instructive that the incident took place at a club, after a football game and that, directly or indirectly, alcohol was involved.
The environment surrounding football games does not exactly serve as the best advertisement for post game player sobriety.
Pre-game tailgating has evolved into a rite of passage for many football fans. Reser Stadium’s club level section features an extensive bar and the stadium is liberally filled on Saturdays with many fans who have consumed varying amounts of alcohol.
Let's also not ignore the fact that beer companies such as Coors are major sponsors of NFL football. So while football players may not make a conscious link between alcohol and their sport, the financial relationship certainly exists.
A young man has died needlessly and the lives of three football players are perhaps changed forever. Beyond these facts, we might do well to regard this tragedy in the wider context of the relationship between alcohol and the culture surrounding sports.
posted by Andy Darkins at 10:23 PM
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