Mark Bell, a Toronto Maple Leafs forward, was suspended Wednesday September 12 after he was involved in a hit and run while intoxicated. His suspension will last 15 games without pay. The left wing pled no contest to both drunken driving and hit and run charges. Bell is currently in Stage 2 of the NHL’s substance abuse program; after being suspended indefinitely on Sept. 4, his suspension will begin once he’s cleared to return by the program’s doctors. The former Chicago Blackhawk and San Jose Shark will face 6 months of jail time at the end of the 2007-2008 season. He may have the option to complete the sentence over the next two off seasons. What has happened to professional athletes? These players are supposed to be who America looks up to. Although Mark Bell is not a typical household name, he’s still a “professional” athlete. This story may not make the sort of impact of stories like Lance Briggs crashing his Lamborghini and abandoning it on the side of the road, but I believe that it still tarnishes the image of professional athletes as role models. If this becomes a new standard for how professional athletes act, respect and awe for these players will erode as well as the popularity of professional sports. I’m worried that all of this controversy surrounding professional sports as a whole will negatively affect the integrity of just playing the game. Mark Bell’s case is not as significant on its own, but combined with all the other crap that’s been happening in the last few years, could signal some darker days for sports fans unless the athletes participating don’t clean up.
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