Fallin' sports heroes

I was glued to the television screen this morning and watched the facial expression of Aaron Hernandez as he received his sentence for the shooting death of Odin Lloyd -- life in prison without parole.

His expression: none. I, on the other hand, shook my head...bewildered. What happened to the gifted athlete who signed a 40 million dollar contract, had the world by the tail and in one giant swoop goes from the football field with 70,000 screaming fans, cheering his every move, to a jail cell for life?

Everyday, I turn on the television (and I'm beginning to wonder why I do) to witness another senseless act. Twenty years ago, I was a newspaper sports reporter and had the privilege of covering many talented high school athletes, all with a pen in their hand -- signing on the dotted line and instantly opening up the gate to a professional career in sports.

There was a time when Hernandez held a pen in his hand. He would soon become a tight end for the New England Patriots. There was a time when a young man from the University of Southern California would sign on the dotted line and would soon become one of the best running backs to ever play in the National Football League. His  name: O.J. Simpson. We all know how that story ended.

Fallin' sports heroes.

A sad ending in both cases.

And the worst of all. Both men could have done so much, enriched so many young lives and used their wealth to make the world a better place. Instead, they destroyed their lives and the lives of so many others.