PITTSBURGH _ In these times, it's comforting to remember Roberto Clemente. He wasn't just a Hall of Fame player, he was a Hall of Fame person.
"Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth," he once said. Clemente did so much to help others that MLB named its greatest honor after him. Willie Stargell and Andrew McCutchen were among the winners of the Roberto Clemente award, which goes annually to the player who excels on and off the field.
It's also comforting to remember Franco Harris, Joe Greene, Lynn Swann and Jerome Bettis. They won the Walter Payton award, the NFL's equivalent of the Clemente award. Cam Heyward was the Steelers' nominee three times in the past five years.
And it's comforting to remember Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh's greatest athlete. No sports figure has done more for our community. Just the latest example: Lemieux and Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle each donated $100,000 on Thursday to COVID-19 relief. Lemieux is a civic treasure.
There are plenty in this town.
The overwhelming majority of the pro athletes here _ everywhere, for that matter _ are good, decent, caring people. For every Antonio Brown, there are dozens of Joe Musgroves, Maurkice Pounceys and Sidney Crosbys. We are pretty lucky that so many give back so much.
"We do have a great platform," Heyward said. "It's our responsibility to use it to help other people."
I mention this as a reminder because it's been a tough month for the image of pro athletes.
Four NFL players were arrested last Saturday. Cornerback DeAndre Baker, a No. 1 pick of the New York Giants in 2019, and Seattle cornerback Quinton Dunbar are facing charges of armed robbery with a firearm. Washington wide receiver Cody Latimer is looking at charges, among others, of assault, menacing, illegal discharge of a firearm and reckless endangerment over an alleged incident that might have included another man, who is being investigated for sexually assaulting Latimer's 4-year-old son. Buffalo defensive lineman Ed Oliver was arrested during a traffic stop and charged with drunken driving and illegally carrying a handgun.
It was more than enough to make Roger Goodell sick to his stomach. He has worked hard to protect the NFL shield by strengthening the player-conduct code. The arrests, though representing a small percentage of the league's players, were a setback.
Then, there was Tampa Bay pitcher Blake Snell, maybe the most tone-deaf athlete of all time. At a time when so many people have lost loved ones, their businesses, their jobs and their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Snell went on a public rant on Twitch (whatever that is) to say he couldn't possibly play half of an anticipated baseball season for half of his prorated salary of $7 million.
"If I'm gonna play, I should be getting the money I signed to be getting paid. I should not be getting half of what I'm getting paid because the season's cut in half, on top of a 33% cut of the half that's already there, so I'm really getting like 25%. ...
"Y'all gotta understand, man, for me to go, for me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof. I gotta get my money. I'm not playing unless I get mine, OK?"
I'm sure those comments went over big at the unemployment offices and the food drops around America.
Prominent big-leaguers Bryce Harper and Nolan Arenado did themselves and their sport no favors by coming out in support of Snell's out-of-touch comments.
"He's speaking the truth, bro," Harper said. "Somebody's gotta say it. At least he manned up and said it. Good for him."
"I think he was being honest, just being real," Arenado told The Athletic. "He made a lot of good points."
Harper's contract with Philadelphia was to pay him $27.5 million this season. Arenado was scheduled to make $35 million with Colorado.
And you wonder why many people believe pro athletes live in a different world?
Just don't let the actions of a few unfairly tarnish the reputations of a lot of good people.
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