All the Young Dudes

Last night, my old editor Bran Strickland sent me a column written by Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.

He didn’t like it because it was lazy (it was), but my bigger issue was with the overwhelming sense of self-righteousness.

Well, I think you’ll find that’s not much of an issue in my writings.

I turned 25 in May. Since then I have:

· Smoked pot over 100 times

· Had sex with a truly reprehensible person

· Fallen for an 18-year old

· Committed third-degree theft on multiple occasions (don’t ask)

· Driven drunk about a dozen times

Sadly – though I am, to quote Earl Hickey, “trying to be a better person,” – there are quite a few other things that could have made this list.

By the way, I’m four years older than Cam Newton and five years older than LaMichael James. Oh, and my life is more of the rule than the exception. People whose names start with “twenty” don’t make good decisions. Like, ever.

Is it fair for me to begrudge Newton and James for their transgressions? For that matter, is it fair to begrudge Lebron James for his behavior in the past six months? No and no.

See, it seems Lebron has been around forever. But he is … wait for it … 25. Twenty-five. What 25-year old wouldn’t go play with his close friends in Miami? What 25-year old would turn down almost constant guilt-free sex with the hottest women on South Beach?

For that matter, would Mike Bianchi? I mean, if he didn’t look like this. (I love the title of this article. And yes, the comment by "Razz" was mine.)

There is such expectancy in this current sports world where a 17-year old can be the first pick in the MLB draft. Today, the announcer of Spurs’ final Champions League group game (Group winners! Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur!) casually mentioned that today was Gareth Bale’s 100^th appearance for Tottenham.

Gareth is 21 years old. He has indisputably been one of the best handful of players in the world this year, but his humbleness and loyalty is quite refreshing and rare.

Not just in the sports world, but in the world of all the young dudes.

The athletes who don’t live up to the old guard’s ridiculous expectations should still be cherished by those of us who realize that everyone makes mistakes.

Except Mike Bianchi.