jeudi 10 janvier 2013

Being a Famous Athlete

By Christian Roy


Many shows run 22 episodes per season, and of late, quite a few shows on networks such as AMC, FX and HBO, among others, only air 13 episodes in a given year. It seems surprising how famous the stars of those shows become, when one considers how little time they spend on the screen.

Having been a hockey fan my whole life, specifically a fan of the Montreal Canadiens, I find myself thinking of these 25 men who travel all over the US and Canada to perform in front of enormous crowds. They don't do it 13 times a year, and not 22 times, either. They hit the ice 82 days each and every year.

The only other comparable television program is newscasts and soap operas, but then again, the stars of those shows don't have to perform in front of over twenty thousand screaming fans.

Musicians tour extensively as a part of their career, sometimes playing as many as two hundred gigs in large and smaller venues. Their shows, however, aren't televised and seen my millions of eyes.

That puts professional athletes in a league of their own, and for me, as a Habs fan, I can't help but wonder how they cope with the fame.

The amount of fame they're made to contend with is staggering. If they've had a good game, half the world will want to congratulate them. If they had the misfortune of having a bad night, for whatever reason, then the fans' rage will be communicated with equal enthusiasm. I'm surprised not more of them burn out!

In Montreal, a player must always have a good day. With Twitter, Facebook and other such social media, a player's bad attitude toward the hundredth fan to line up for a picture can turn the crowd against him come game time.

Of course, they players have psychologists and publicists to teach them how to behave around the hungry denizens - on or off the ice - but on some days, the bad ones, I'm sure some players would trade it all for a bit of peace and quiet.

So when you run into your favorite athlete on the street, just wish him well. If he's a bit short, forgive him. He has a life of his own, and he might be in a hurry. It doesn't mean he's not thankful for your support. Don't judge a person based on your first impression of them, because 99 percent of the time, you'll be way off the mark.

Our athletes, no matter their discipline of choice, are role models for a reason: they do their best to be good, and for the most part, they do a great job of putting up with their hectic life.




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