Andrew Hayes - The Pros the Pros Would Pay to See

The article "The Pros the Pros Would Pay to See" focuses on the world's most famous athletes and their respect for other athletes.  Not only does the article shed light on each athlete's particular preference and admiration for other athletes, but it shows a bit of their personality as well.

Some athletes, such as Carmelo Anthony and Barry Bonds, showed their true feelings and personality when both said they wouldn't pay to see anyone.  Carmelo, who said he "wouldn't pay a thousand dollars to see nobody", and Bonds who answered that he would "put that money in the stock market and go to the event on someone else's ticket", showed a bit of narcissism and cockiness with their answers.  Even Shaquille O'Neal showed his ego when he said he would pay to see Randy Couture because he is the "Shaq of Ultimate Fighting".

The other interesting part of this article is to see the change in the public opinion of specific athletes from 2004 to 2013.  Three of the top five athletes chosen by their peers (Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, and Barry Bonds) have fallen from the graces of the common fan.  Tiger's personal issues that became public, Vick's dogfighting scandal, and Bonds' known steroid usage have caused them to now be three of the most despised and rejected athletes of our time.  The comparison of the list of athletes that athletes would pay to see then and what we would assume they would say now shows how much importance the we, as a society, put on an athlete's personal life and morals.  We see them as more than just athletes, they are role models.