Mar 26, 2022
By Jim Caltagerone
For the Mirror
As a ballplayer, Joe DiMaggio was acutely aware of his elevated stature in baseball, but his words and actions never left anyone with the impression that The Yankee Clipper thought that he transcended the game or his ballclub.
Even when DiMaggio was engaged in salary disputes with management, his views on the composition of the team roster and gameday strategy were never points of contention.
A growing number of professional athletes, particularly in the NFL, are of the opinion that they know best how to manage personnel and/or devise a gameplan.
As a four-time Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player, Aaron Rodgers is simply adding achievements to his Hall of Fame-worthy resume at this point in his career.
But, based on his comments last summer, he apparently thinks he should be inducted into the Hall as a quarterback/general manager.
And, he’s not alone. Dak Prescott told a reporter that he’s “pretty sure” that his opinion would be valued by team executives as organizational decisions are contemplated.
“So, with that being said, just plan on helping this team get better in every which way I can,” Prescott said.
Rodgers and Prescott can best help their team by performing at a championship level in the playoffs.
Rodgers has been living off the Super Bowl win that he was part of 11 years ago. Prescott is still seeking a conference championship game appearance after five full seasons as a starter.
Multi-tasking is taking on a whole new meaning in pro sports. It’s not enough to focus on conditioning, film study and skill development. Today’s athletes want a role in the draft room and a say in who plays and who goes.
Some are even deciding when they play, if at all.
The enduring image of Antonio Brown’s final game with Tampa Bay this past January is the wideout parading off the field shirtless in the third quarter, as the defending Super Bowl champion Bucs struggled to defeat a Jets team that finished the season 4-13.
As the Internet attests, insubordination has landed more than a few athletes on the suspended list over the years. But defiance of authority is hardly a new phenomenon.
After a timeout with 1.8 seconds remaining in a 1994 NBA playoff game, Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls refused to take the court because head coach Phil Jackson had drawn up a play for Toni Kukoc to take the potential game-winning shot, which he made.
Reggie Jackson earned a suspension for attempting to bunt in a 1978 game when he was told specifically to swing away.
More than a half century ago, former President Dwight Eisenhower wrote an article for Reader’s Digest in which he offered a candid assessment of social unrest in the country. Eisenhower was of the opinion that, “American society had failed to instill discipline, restraint and self-respect in its youth.”
With the passage of time, Eisenhower’s observations have become increasingly relatable to the attitudes and behavior of some prominent professional athletes.
Legends such as Stan Musial, Gordie Howe, Roger Staubach, Hank Aaron and Julius Erving personified unqualified class without arrogance and quiet dignity without self-absorption.
In this age of grossly overpaid and self-centered professional athletes, the lyrics of a familiar Simon & Garfunkel tune have particular resonance.
“Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”
Jim Caltagirone resides in Altoona. He is an occasional contributor to Voice of the Fan.
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