What comes to mind when you think of Peyton Manning? I usually think of touchdown passes, Wheaties, warm milk and an early bedtime.
How about Kenny Rogers? In my mind, he's a gritty veteran, and the best pitcher in the MLB playoffs right now.
If you asked me about Rogers last season, I would have said, 'Isn't he that jackass who pushed the camera guy down?'
The common theme here is that I tend to link performance with personality. We all do it.
The truth is, I don't know Peyton Manning. He may or may not be a good guy. But just because he is a great quarterback doesn't necessarily mean he is the male version of Mother Teresa. Maybe he beats up little kids in his neighborhood. Maybe he doesn't. I don't know because I don't know him.
If you are a high-profile athlete, whether on a local or national level, expect to be judged for more than your performance.
Tiger basketball players Antonio Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts obviously don't like this concept.
A few days ago, they contacted The Commercial Appeal. The two rising sophomores wanted people to know that they are "good guys" despite the troubles of a few of their teammates.
I've got some good news for Anderson and CDR. What people think right now really doesn't matter because the season hasn't started.
If the Tigers play like they did last year, everyone will love them - They can hand out toys to needy children on Christmas or pour water on the heads of female students on campus. Either way, no one will care. Everyone loves a winner.
On the other hand, if the Tigers don't make the NCAA Tournament, look out - every member of the team better be ready for scrutiny and character attacks.
CDR, for instance, seems like a genuine guy. He scored lots of buckets on an Elite Eight squad a year ago. But if things turn sour this season, he shouldn't be surprised if some girl calls up the paper alleging that he didn't hold open the door for her after philosophy class.
Andre Allen had his troubles before the start of last season. He quickly erased those blemishes from his record by outplaying former Tiger point guard Darius Washington - at least from a defensive standpoint.
Joey Dorsey is the man-in-question right now. He's messed up these past few weeks. If he cares about what fans think of him, then I bet you he's looking forward to Nov. 16, the Tigers' first game of the season. If Dorsey bullies opponents in the middle and rips down 15 rebounds, consider him off the hook. That's the way it works in sports.
I wish these type of rules applied to me as a writer. If they did, here's what I'd do: First, I'd go to the Tiger Den, cut in line and steal a Subway sandwich. Then, I would eat some of the sandwich but throw the rest at some kid (not a girl because that's wrong). Finally, I'd steal a golf cart and ride over to the Southern Lot and smash into an Explorer.
I wouldn't have to worry about any repercussions, though, because I just wrote this amazing column.
