If you’re a sports fan, it is impossible to ignore the flashing cameras and piercing words forced onto student-athletes. These talented young adults, who are just learning how to navigate life through college, are thrust into the spotlight with little guidance. These past couple of years in particular have really shown how vicious the public can be towards athletes that (oh my gosh) dare to be themselves.
Case #1: Angel Reese
Either you love her or you hate her, but you have to admit that she brought so much attention to women’s basketball. Starting with her and Caitlin Clark’s trash-talking at the NCAA Championship in 2022, the media ripped her apart, threatening her, calling her names, and more. Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool, wrote a tweet calling her a “classless piece of sh*t” for her ring gesture towards Iowa’s former #22. However, despite everything that has been said about Angel Reese, she keeps her head high and pushes through because she is a role model for so many young girls, particularly young Black girls. Her race, whether directly or indirectly, has exponentially driven up the levels of hate she receives. A since revised editorial in the Los Angeles Times described the LSU team as “dirty debutantes,” and it would be blatant ignorance to believe that if the team was mostly white, the piece still would have been written. Reese states, “I haven’t known a day of peace since [the national championship],” but she stays true to herself for her teammates and the people she inspires. While many of her haters aim at her “classless” behavior, she is still making millions of dollars in NIL deals.
Case #2: Jared McCain
Many people know him for his video singing that “I’m two days into college song” as well as a plethora of other funny dancing videos. However, McCain has also been ridiculed by basketball fans online for wearing nail polish and posting TikTok videos, both seen as feminine. McCain dismissed the hate, laughing about how a “grown man [is] just hating on a kid.” The media can often make or break a person, so it is refreshing to see young adults not care so much about what the public says about them. Similarly to how Reese’s race is often targeted, McCain’s carefree personality is often seen as a weakness, but they both use this spotlight to garner attention for their sports and talents.
Case #3: Caleb Williams
The number 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Caleb Williams has made a lot of people mad. However, a series of events sent football fans into a frenzy. Viewed as one of the most masculine sports, it’s not a surprise to me that many fans didn’t like the polished nails nor the dress on the GQ spread. However, Williams shot back, saying he has to keep his hands in good condition because “this is where all the gold comes from.” He would be correct, passing 42 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions.
We often treat college athletes like they’re adults, forgetting they are only a couple of years out of high school. So many talented athletes have since grown tired of just letting hate tear them down, allowing their true selves to bask in the limelight. The tendency of sports media to crush players and change the narrative has caused these student-athletes to go against the status quo, allowing their confidence to spread to more people.