Written by Bart Doan at Bloguin
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett isn’t Spider-Man, and neither are most of us.
“With great power comes great responsibility” is the famed Peter Parker quote when he realizes he’s part spider, but only the good things like walking on buildings or being able to sense danger rather than having a bunch of eyes, eight legs, and the desire to eat bugs.
Barrett was arrested this past Friday night for operating a vehicle while intoxicated before being picked up by fellow quarterback Cardale Jones. The 20-year-old will be suspended one game. Predictably, everyone went crazy.
No matter how often it happens, some in the media still have not come to grips with the fact that college students often drink, even ones who play sports or are on scholarship. The odds are that most of those demonizing the drinking and partying and calling for things like season-long suspensions either did the same thing in college or at least wanted to.
Look, for the most part, we place too much emphasis on sports and the individuals who play it. The larger-than-life narratives that come from guys or girls playing games as it relates to our own lives has made icons out of people who really don’t do iconic things.
Sports has the ability to unify those from wildly different demographics and backgrounds all under the guise of wearing the same colors, and so it becomes more important than it is. By the same token, when a guy like Barrett goes to Ohio State over, say, Tulane, he knows he’s going to get more accolades, more attention, more pretty girls, and more opportunities when he’s good.
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