Stars like Kyrie Irving, Naomi Osaka, Kevin Love, Hayden Hurst, and Dak Prescott have all spoken publicly about their battles with mental health. Their lives don’t stop when the clock stops and the lights are off, these athletes are humans before they are our entertainers. We are deep in the dawn of the social media era where anyone can say just about anything to anybody. Some big stars turn their comments off or have limited replies on Twitter to keep trolls away from them. Imagine missing a kick, dropping a touchdown, or letting a crucial ground ball roll under you then you have to log in to your social media accounts to see thousands of people who could never compete on your level, telling you about yourself. The thing about social media is it gives people who have no courage in real life to become the most courageous people on the planet. Social media is only a part of the problem, something that is fairly new in the battle with mental health.

Just last week the media and players alike were championing Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for speaking on how he was able to work on his mental health this off season. We don’t know what Rodgers has been going through behind closed doors and his struggles have not been documented publicly. So when we look at the Richard Sherman incident I want everyone to keep that same energy, understand that Sherman is not in a good place in his life. A man who was a the top of his game, battled back from injury, and is now seeking employment. I’m not a millionaire but I know how stressful being unemployed can be. I was regular person unemployed not unemployed from a job that I’ve been working towards since I was a kid. We don’t know what type of toll not being signed to a team is taking on this man. Throw in drama at home, alcohol, and instability you get a recipe for disaster.

It’s unfortunate that the 911 call and video footage of Richard Sherman was released because this is a very trying time for him and his family. Nobody knows what’s going on within their households but I’m sure we have seen things get rocky in our own homes. A call back to social media, look at how blown out of proportion this situation was. Originally reported as a domestic violence case with little to no information, the opinions were already forming about what kind of person Richard Sherman is. I think that we should all give him and his family the space, time, and privacy they need to get through this. I wish Richard Sherman nothing but the best, I want him to get the help that he needs before he hurts someone or himself.

Shares:

Drop a Reply