Character-A Lost Trait

What happened to character?

The events of the last week beg an answer to that question.  Heck, the events of the last decade and a half cry for answer to that question.

Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Ray McDonald are just the latest in a long line of NFL arrests.  Domestic violence is a sensitive issue.  It is an issue of respect and The Bible calls for men to love their wives and not be harsh with them (Colossians 3:19).  Fathers are not to discourage their children (Colossians 3:21).  I don't see the word "beating" anywhere.  "Spare the rod, spoil the child" (Proverbs 13:24) means appropriate discipline, not beating for beating sake.

When did winning become more important?

In times past. a player with character issues would be cut from the team, and it wouldn't take a league mandate.  It would be bad for team to keep a player with those issues because it would surface in the locker room.  It would keep the team from being it's best.

Now the great individual talent is kept around, regardless of character.  He is coddled and nursed through, sometimes with help that is outside the boundaries.  Pass this player in your class, we need him to win.  I know he is disrupting your classroom, but he can really play.  We won't win without him.

When did winning become more important?

I had my own character and maturity issues, even into college.  Everybody has flaws, but hiding them, coddling them, nursing them through doesn't help the individual or the team.  Accountability is not just a buzzword, it is a way of life.  You are responsible for your actions, and it shouldn't be court mandated.

When did winning become more important?

So...am I off base?