Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons^™

Pro Teams Should Reward Good Off-Field Behavior, Porcher L. Taylor Iii, David R. Maraghy

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

Professional sports—particularly the NFL and NBA, whose players clearly are behavioral models for kids and even young adults—should join the cash-for-performance movement by rewarding players for their exemplary good citizenship off the field. Why not reward integrity-passionate athletes like Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks or Willie McGinest of the Cleveland Browns with annual bonuses of $100,000 each—or donate that amount to their favorite charities? Such a bonus program would require more than being scandal-or police-blotter-free for a year. To qualify, players would have to travel at the highest moral altitude of sports ambassadorship and citizenship. Character counts and should …