OUR VIEW: Give athletes responsibility, not restriction

Should student-athletes be banned from social media? No. It’s unconstitutional.

The first amendment protects freedom of speech, for everyone.

Athletes live a rigorous schedule, and have a lot to handle. It comes with added pressures and higher expectations. Unfortunately, athletes often take this to mean they are above the law and an exception to the rule.

Being a student-athlete is a privilege, not a right.

That said, among the added expectations is a higher standard of conduct. Student-athletes have responsibilities that go beyond the written or verbal; they carry a banner and a target on their backs.

They must think about more than themselves, which is admittedly tough considering the expectations and pressures placed upon them. 

But when a player makes a poor decision, the rippling effects go much farther than that individual sees. 

They affect a large crowd because they are the faces of the university they play for. 

We see it often in the media. An athlete tweets, posts or does something that is scrutinized, and it reflects poorly on the respective institution. Their actions cause others to pass judgment, albeit an unfair judgment most of the time.

Again, the first amendment guarantees the right to free speech, so you can’t control what the athletes say/post. They must be allowed to use social media the way they choose, but they should do so responsibly. But, administration must be able to enforce repercussions for actions that don’t reflect the institution respectably.

Students as individuals should be held responsible for what they post. Universities shouldn’t shoulder the blame for the reckless actions of adults. They’re not day cares. Athletes aren’t spokesmen, they aren’t heroes and if we expect them to be perfect, we’ll be disappointed. A 19-year-old athlete will behave pretty much the same as any other 19-year-old kid, so why should it shock us when they do?

When an organization is judged by the actions of a student-athlete, it is not fair to the majority of those connected. Student-athletes signed up for the life they lead. If they want to make choices that aren’t acceptable within the institution, they simply shouldn’t embark down that road.

It isn’t fair to administration, it isn’t fair to their peers and it isn’t fair to themselves.