I feel differently than Tony and dub. I care about the Lions winning football games because I have an emotional investment in them. But, I also understand football doesn't have any real importance in the grander scheme. If I'm going to care about football, it's only going to extend as far as football remains essentially benign. That's not the case here.
We, as adults on this forum, may not look to football players as role models, but it's just naivety to think they aren't such to anyone else. I'd rather the game promote good ideals, and discourage bad ones. Owners and the league overall don't seem to care about that. Ok, but that doesn't make it right, or justified.
Well, that's a societal problem then. Parents should not be telling their children to look up to these guys. Because ultimately, it will just be a grand let down when they get older and understand they don't care about fans. It's a business, they are playing to get paid and support themselves.
Role models are people that help people every day, teachers, doctors, whatever you want to consider. But athletes are just that. Sure, SOME of them are good guys that do good things. But they should not be our role models.