14The Tar Heel Thursday, July 3, 1986
CcJcaiiie snatches awa j young -liyesr
By EDDY LANDRETH
Sports Editor
In recent weeks the dominant
sports news has been the untimely
death of Maryland basketball star
Len Bias and Cleveland Brown
defensive back Don Rogers. Despite,
or maybe in spite of, the avalanche
of news reports on each, there are
several things worth mentioning.
Both of these young men died at
a young age because of their invoK
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vement with cocaine. Each man was
extremely talented at his particular
; sport. They were each more than
talented, they were outstanding. But
folks, it seems we are missing the
point somewhere: the tragedy lies not
in the fact that they were gifted
athletes, but that they were human
beings with a lifetime ahead of them.
Being famous athletes should only
serve to place them before our eyes
and magnify their deaths. Are those
not-so-famous men and women
being swept away by this white death
any less tragic?
The use of drugs is not just a sports
problem in this country. Far more
non-athletes use drugs in the United
States than athletes, if for no other
reason than there are far more rion
athletes. If you could take a cross
section of American society . you
would find people of air races and
occupations involved in the drug.
culture. .
Many people seem to have the idea
that, athletes suddenly begin taking
drugs when they become profession
als, with hordes of money. Most of
those who use drugs as professionals
used drugs as amateurs; the money
only increases their ability to acquire
them. And believe it or not, everyone
of these people taking drugs is not
addicted, although the potential
certainly exists.
There has been a tremendous
amount of criticism concerning the
media's role in these affairs. Many
people say the press has dragged their
names through the mud. Well, my
friends, although there are times ,
when the media deserves criticism,
the death of these men was news and
deserved to be covered. Not only did
it deserve to be covered, it had to
t
-
L.. 1 y. jf iu ,: Aj ;
Len Bias, 1963-1 986
Yackety Yack Matthew Plyler
be or the press would have been
remiss in its job. Bias and Rogers
were public figures and press cover
age goes with the territory, regardless
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of the nature of the news.
Remember, the media reports
what occurred. Bias and Rogers
brought their deaths, and any shame
that resulted, by their own actions.
This is not an attempt to lessen the
tragedy or make light of their
families' grief, but just a reminder of
the truth for those who would search
for a scapegoat.
Scapegoatism is something people
seem to acquire in situations such as
this. The prime example is the current
talk of prosecuting one of Bias'
friends who happened to be with him
that night. Bias was a grown man,
and I seriously doubt anyone placed
a gun to his head, forcing him to take
the fatal cocaine. No, he searched out
the drug and decided on his own to
partake. Placing someone in jail for
being with him, or conviting someone
of murder for selling it to him, will
not bring back Len Bias or Don
Rogers, nor will it serve justice. This
would only make the local police feel
more adequate.
Most everyone, including this
scribe, is hoping these deaths will
become an example to others not to
take cocaine. Tis cannot be dis
counted completely, but sadly, the
memory of these young men and their
deaths will fade; time is like that. Lest
you forget, Bias died nearly two
weeks before Rogers, yet Rogers still
met with the same fate. The "it-canV
happen-to-me" syndrome is difficult
to overcome.
The use of drugs will continue, at
least until a better method of prev
ention comes along. This is not
pessimism, just realism. It occurs far
more than most realize, because most
who die are not famous athletes.
You may not agree with the above
views and they may make you angry.
That is your right and it is the good
thing about our freedom of speech
but before you disgard them, think
about them.