The recent flurry of publicity around criminal behavior of athletes, from domestic violence to sexual assault and from college to professional, brings the issue of role models front and center once again. While there is nothing wrong with making a lot of money, that ability alone doesn’t constitute a person worthy of imitation. More important than here today, gone tomorrow bags of money is personal integrity, because integrity (we hope) endures.

If we are lucky, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and others will unwittingly open a discussion about the kind of persons we want our children to be when they grow up and the things that aee really important in life. It’s probably a long shot, but we can hope.