I was recently griping to my brother about some athlete's transgression (or actor or politician...insert the scandal of the day). How these people are role models etc, etc, etc. I was on a real rant.
He immediately corrected me...They are not personal role models, nor should they be. And I think he maybe right. One can admire and try to emulate the athletic ability, but any personal morals have to begin at home. And then, young people will experiment. It doesn't mean they will end up living under a bridge.
I don't know if the current crop of athletes are less moral than those of the past. The media wasn't so merciless and everyone didn't walk around with a camera in their pocket.
Your brother is right, each current "hero's" heroic accomplishment is in his area of specialty and only there, and let's stop at that. Their lives are likely to be a mess, just like everyone else's. I bet you could find dirt in Captain Sully's life history, too, but why look?!
In the meantime, Michael Phelps is a featured speaker (along with Colon Bowel, Steve Forbes, Rudy and Zig Ziglar) in a traveling circus advertised in full page ads and called GET MOTIVATED BUSINESS SEMINAR. ONLY $4.95 to attend ("Or Send Your Entire Office for Only $19!"), and undoubtedly a come-on to buy more goodies. But the question for me is what is it that I could possibly learn from the likes of Michael Phelps?