Violence Committed Against Athletes -How does it end?

I touched on a topic a few times this week that has generated a lot of interest and discussion — Violence committed against Athletes.  In writing a Blog on the Bodyguard Industry and how it integrates into the business, entertainment and sports worlds, I’m always striving for that balance between professional objectivity and personalizing the issues.  At the end of the day, my 2cent might matter just as much as anyone else’s but sometimes, enough is enough and you have to just speak what’s in your heart.  Denver Football player, Darrent Williams.  24 years old.  Just the latest example of an athlete involved in a violent incident and this time, the results are deadly.

Athletes are targets, plain and simple.  The episodes I highlighted in previous post—and many others I didn’t—point this out.

Most professional athletes don’t hire professional security services for protection for a number of reasons:  Perhaps it’s because, as athletes, they feel invincible.  It’s a high status and privileged life.  Being on top of the world can make one feel as if they can handle any situation that comes their way.  Unfortunately in the area of personal security, we’ve seen how that turns out time and time again.

Maybe most athletes don’t hire professional security providers because they feel that their friends–people who’ve they’ve known and trusted from the neighborhood since they were children—will keep trouble away from them.  Using “Tank” Johnson as just one example, we know how tragically that turns out.

What needs to be done here?  One solution is for team owners to look at hiring security for individual athletes or player pools (small groups of 3-4 players in which the protective agent is on call for any of them at any given time).  Of course owners will probably look at this as an extra expense, but don’t you think that their assets—in this case the athletes who are worth millions to the various leagues and its sponsors—are worth protecting?

This is one of several ideas I’m involved in talks with, because at the end of the day the business of the bodyguard is to PROTECT and I’m tired of seeing young men getting gunned down way too early in their lives and careers.