During his playing days he was my favorite player. How people can change.
That is a better comparison than Mayfield. Mine was only as it related to the false sense of importance and arrogance. There is a difference between confidence and arrogance, Bennett crossed that line unnecessarily.
Who should they look up to instead? I used to idolize Jerry West as a kid. Should I not have done that? I do think athletes have a responsibility to live a good life and be keen to the fact that kids look to them as role models. Why wouldnât that be a good thing? Lighting up a stogie depicts arrogance and pomposity in my opinion. How is that good for kids?
If the truth be told âNo you should not haveâ Why? You idolized West because he could put a round ball in and round circle?
I will admit that I idolized Jerry West, Willie Mays and one you might be surprised Jerry Sloan when he played.
But those guys then are the not same type of people who play sports today. They knew what âdecorumâ was.
Some of my other heroes were people like Lincoln, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Eisenhower, Norman Schwarzkopf, etc.
I also will admit, my heroâs were not perfect and made mistakes, but I find that their inner abilities to do things because they believed in what they were doing simply amazing.
Not to argue because Iâve given that up this year, Hitler, Dahmer and many others believed in what they were doing and people followed them. So, I agree with you that we shouldnât have idols and heroes. Except for the Lord. But itâs important to be good examples so children and grandchildren can follow their parents and grandparents righteously.
As I pointed out, Willie Mays didnât smoke or drink, at least during his playing days and was a good example in those areas. Jerry West was a good example in several areas. But, there were areas they werenât as good in as well. So, take the best from people and leave the rest. Follow the Savior and His appointed leaders and do our very best and we turn out to be good people like you 
Yes I did and he was a person of character, integrity and honor. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to put a round ball in a round circle. Yes Floyd I idolized him as a kid. Thatâs what kids do. West, Mays, SloanâŚ
I am totally okay with it.
I remember ChRles Barkley being honest enough to say, âiâm not a role model.â
On the other hand, kids and their parents need to check a personâs behaviorâathlete, politician, etc.âand then choose the role model.
I would love for my daughters to use Cassidy Smith as a role moel.
not sure about that, because I saw Willie Mays in person. His manager Herman Franks lived Ogden, Utah during the off season and was a member of the club my dad was a bartender at.
That is how I met my favorite ball player.
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Granted, doesnât make it right though does it?
I am anything BUT a good person. Just so you know the truth.
It isnât a âright or wrongâ thing. It just is. Iâm having a difficult time understanding the point of the discussion here. I donât see anything wrong with a kid wanting to be like an athlete they idolize. It is part of childhood, part of growing up, part of life experience.
Why are we talking about whether it is âright or wrongâ?
I agree. I think it has to do with idol worshipping which is against the commandments. But, when we use âIdolâ in this context, it usually means following how they are as an athlete. I wasnât concerned about Mays smoking or drinking alcohol. My parents at the time smoked and drank. I was trying to emulate his skills at baseball. You were trying to emulate Westâs shooting skills. Thatâs how we are using the work âIdol.â Although, there were a lot of kids I knew tried chewing tobacco. 
Getting back to the threadâs original topic, Jake Hatch interviewed Jake Retzlaff on last nightâs edition of Locked on Cougars. He sounds very articulate. Some highlights:
- Discusses why he didnât go to an FBS school out of high school
- His father is a football coach and his mother is a tennis coach
- His brother, a wide receiver, is two years older and hasnât decided where heâll play next year
- Didnât know much about BYU prior to his recruitment other than it is historically QBU
- Has met with other quarterbacks in the program and thinks their all great guys
- Being from Southern California, he didnât know what to do when he found ice on his windows his first morning in Provo. (I can relate.)
This kid, Jake Retziaff, is ligit. He can throw, one year behind Slovic and I expect big things.
Thanks for sharing, Stan.
Itâs ok to have icons. I loved Joe Namath as a little kid. Loved Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Luka Doncic etc. I admired their skill and tried to emulate them on the court. I didnât care about their personal lives-it was a non-factor. There is only one person I would try to emulate in my personal life-guess who? Itâs why I still watch sports-to see the beauty of a skill set that is inspiring to watch.
Well said!