Underestimation

In my last post, I was very specific about my love for, but mistrust of professional athletes, particularly of the National Basketball Association, otherwise known as the NBA. And while I stand by my overall assertion for all of the reasons I stated before, I was presented, through comments, with a couple of ideas that I wanted to respond to.

To be more specific, the assertions that most men cheat, and that Pro Athletes only associate or date women who could be found in a Maxim Magazine.



I would say that these assertions disturbed me, but in fact I am used to hearing them, so disturbed would be too strong of a word. But while I am not surprised, I still find these assertions false.

Yep, you heard me, even with all that I spoke about these guys, I have never taken on either as a reason to not date a person based on their profession.

Like I've said, I've practically lived in their world, the world of elite athletes for at least 15 years, and while I do know that guys, both normal and un-normal, cheat, I have also seen the amazing loyalty that men have when they are paired with a woman who makes them feel like they are the luckiest man on Earth.

Starting in my own family,  my Dad has taken care of my ailing Mother, who doesn't even remember who he is, with a single devotion that allows me to believe in good men being out there. And while I know that he is from a generation that I do not belong to, it is false to think that all good men were born before JFK was assassinated.

But, yeah, cheating now-a-days runs pretty rampant. And the travel schedule of the NBA makes having a girlfriend in each city a sport all of it's own. But not every guy, even if he is famous and has the money, is going to participate in this particular sport. Most do it in fact because their female counterparts have basically given them the ok to do this as long as they are kept in a certain manner.

To say the least , I'd rather NOT deal with cheating at all. I'd rather be by myself than in a house by myself pretending to trust a man who I don't. I'm good.

From what I've seen, the problem lays with the initial impression that a guy gets from a woman he is pursuing. Guy's are not dumb, they just pretend to not notice. But, if they know that the woman in front of them is after them for their money, then they feel less obliged to stay faithful to her, because he figures that if he loses his money she'll be gone as well.

And from there, there's the growing apart of a couple because of the changing of goals in the relationship as the guy's career progresses. I have no solution for this, but I know that at least 20% of all professional athlete marriages last, so it can be done, but work probably went into it.

As for the last bit, I can talk forever on. Professional Athletes, whether in the NBA or Wakeboarding, are as varied as they come. Really.

Give these guys photos, and yeah they will probably choose similar females, but it's the person they interact with that makes up who they will go for. A confident woman, who presents a challenge to these competitive men will get way more attention than the Maxim Model who is underneath all the guys. Believe me or not, but I've seen it personally, and this much I do know.

If proof is needed, look at the former wives of Michael Jordan, Dwayne Wade and Eric Snow. Also the current wives of Ron Artest, Derek Fisher and fiance of Kevin Johnson. And let's not even talk about the wives of NFL players, just look up Donovan McNabb's wife, she's beautiful, but not in the Maxim sort of way.

The Media's view of beauty doesn't just touch the lives of men, it plays on the views of women about themselves and about what men actually want.

My reasons for not wanting the NBA lifestyle still stands, and maybe the views of others, that these men are as easily manipulated by women as the media suggests, will stand as well, but I hope not. Because just as I believe that these guys are not dumb, I also refuse to accept that they all want the same thing....it just seems too easy an answer, and a complete underestimation of these guys.