Column: Athletes must stop idolizing Vincent Chase

American males between the ages of 13 and 60 watch “Entourage” on HBO with their eyes wide open. We watch Vincent Chase strut around Hollywood with his entourage, as every beautiful girl seemingly begs to sleep with him. His life as a movie star is idealized and ornamented with fancy cars, extravagant estates and fun getaways with zero punishment.

It is no wonder that young celebrities try to emulate Chase’s life on the TV show. Tiger Woods, as we all know, is guilty of trying to live like Vincent Chase. He worked his way into the spotlight through his success as a golfer. Witnesses described his actions in Las Vegas and other nightclub destinations in a fashion similar to Chase. He would show up to hotspots with his entourage and would send them out into the crowd to find attractive women. Then Tiger would use his fame to lure the women into sleeping with him.

The recent premier of “South Park” featured Tiger Woods, Ben Roethlisberger and several other celebrities in an episode mocking the idea of sexual addiction as a disease from which they are suffering. It asked the ironic rhetorical question: Why do young men want to be successful in order to sleep with lots of women? The simple answer is that our society has constructed the idea that being famous results in one being surrounded by countless beautiful women. Shows like Entourage make young teenagers dream of an opportunity to become famous and sleep with gorgeous women. This is the main reason the show is popular among adolescent males.

There is, obviously, a major problem with this notion that being famous results in having many beautiful women trying to sleep with you. Roethlisberger’s actions over the past four years are the best example of how a young celebrity has tried to live his life like Vincent Chase. As quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Roethlisberger led the team to a Super Bowl championship in his second season. Since then, he has consistently been one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and he won a second Super Bowl ring in 2009. He is one of the major faces in the NFL and is certainly the leader and central figure of the Steelers.

With so much fame by the young age of 28, it is not surprising that Roethlisberger has let it get to his head. Back in 2006, Big Ben thought it was a good idea to go for a joy ride on his Suzuki motorcycle without a helmet. A Chrysler took on the role of linebacker and Roethlisberger crashed headfirst into the town car on his bike, severely injuring himself. Ben received much criticism from coaches, fans and former Steelers great Terry Bradshaw. Roethlisberger’s explanation for trying to imitate a Hells Angel with no helmet was, “You’re just more free when you’re out there and there’s no helmet on.” His justification is not only logically questionable, but describes the arrogant way he looked at his life: He believed he was infallible and invincible.

Roethlisberger did not learn from his accident. He has also been described as showing up to nightclubs around the country, surrounded by a posse of friends as they drink heavily and attempt to hit on young girls. Over the last nine months, Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual abuse on two different occasions. The first alleged instance took place at a Lake Tahoe hotel during a charity golf tournament in July 2009, while the second was in a small college town in Georgia earlier this year. Ben is said to have ordered shots for a 20-year-old college student and her friends in Milledgeville, Ga., before he followed her into a bathroom and allegedly assaulted her. On Monday, the prosecutor announced that he did not have enough evidence to bring Ben to trial, though there was suspicion. Despite this news, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Roethlisberger yesterday to discuss his actions. A course of discipline has not been decided yet, but strict action is necessary. He was not arrested, and he did not specifically violate the NFL’s conduct policy, but the commissioner has the power to discipline Big Ben.

Search Ben Roethlisberger on Google, and you will find pictures of him severely intoxicated, with quite a few different female companions. Ben and several other young athletes need to recognize that they are not Vincent Chase. They may have many young ladies wanting to make their acquaintance, but they continue to fail to understand the consequences of their actions. They are not television characters. They are celebrities who are constantly in the spotlight, and their actions have harsh consequences.

Nick Signorelli, a columnist for BleacherReport.com, a sports editorial website, compared Ben’s actions to those of Michael Vick, Adam “Pacman” Jones and Plaxico Burress to justify why he should not be suspended by the NFL. I disagree. Why would you compare his actions to those who have clearly violated NFL rules and regulations? Instead, Goodell and the NFL should set a higher standard for their athletes, starting with Roethlisberger. It is in the best interest of the NFL to hold its players to a higher moral standard and to keep its players from thinking they are invincible. This is a problem that spans all leagues and even all sports. Actions need to be taken to minimize the deviant behavior of young athletes. “South Park” may poke fun at such athletes, and I will laugh. “Entourage” will continue to show Vince without ever having a girlfriend, and I will still watch. The leagues, however, have the power to act, and they need to do so.