Good Sports, Bad Sports
This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
For the last several weeks, professional athletes have been on the first page of newspapers as much as
in the sports pages. Some news stories are about extraordinary careers. Others are about athletes
behaving badly.
Professional baseball players Cal Ripken and Tony Gywnn are among the heroes. They were admitted
into the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday at a ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. About seventy-five
thousand fans gathered there to celebrate. Both men spoke about the importance of the public image
of athletes. Gwynn said professional baseball was about more than just playing. He said players need to
do the right thing for all the fans who love the sport. Ripken said players are behavior models whether
they like it or not. He said the only question is whether they will be good ones or bad ones.