Professional Athletes

Not skaters. Considering I can count the number of them on one hand. But actual professional athletes that are making much more then a living being an athlete. What has been going through their minds as of late?
Guns
I firmly believe that a portion of the best athletes never make it because of off-the-field problems. So knowing the ones that do manage to make it to the big leagues why are so many of them having trouble with guns now? If you need to honestly have a gun, get it registered. You are a professional athlete, you have a lot to lose compared to most. Most of all just leave your guns (registered) at home. If you have a body guard let them do their job. Or just don't go to places where you need that much protection. I understand having a gun in your home especially after an incident like Sean Taylor last year. But carrying them on you (Plaxico Burress) or having them in your trunk (Marshawn Lynch) is not the way to go about things.
Drugs
This is a big one. First, Steroids, if you were scouted and drafted and signed that was all done because they thought you were good enough the way you were. There is no excuse for steroid use. They say they didn't know and that is the biggest lie I've heard. They say that they had to be the best no matter what, and that is just crap. Want to be the best, become the best don't cheat the world and your body to earn a quick route. I can not respect someone that will not put in the time to become the best but would rather cheat. Plain and simple, nothing in life is easy and you must work for it. I want to be the best at everything I do, so I will work hard day in and day out and I will study day in and day out and I will get there in due time.
Illegal Drugs
So many athletes go on to admit that they smoked marijuana or something like that. It's wrong, plain and simple. You make so much money doing what you do, don't put junk in your system. Don't sacrifice your body and state of mind for junk. I would rather see athletes drinking because it's legal. I believe there should be some type of punishment, a fine or something. You have admitted it, which means by your own standards you did it. So what if you didn't get tested during the 10-30 days it's in your system you still did it. Michael Phelps is the worse case I could have ever imagined. You hear so much about his nutrition and dedication to be in the best physical shape he can be and then he is smoking marijuana. Unacceptable. A record 8 gold Olympic medals in Beijing and 14 overall. Every child has in some shape seen Phelps win a race, and they have heard this. How many people want their kid looking up to him now? You must have better judgment. If I have better judgment at 17 years old then his 23 years are no excuse. The apologies and the 3 month suspension does not take back the fact that he made a gateway for the youth of America. A student in my school just got a DUI for smoking marijuana and he told his mom don't worry an Olympic champion did it. Unacceptable. Plain and simple.
Professional athletes should be held to a higher standard then an average joe. Whether or not they signed up to be a role model is irrelevant, they are one. You make a ridiculous salary (and still worry about how much you are making), you are showcased on national television, and you want to be a household name so grow up and take the responsibility that comes along with it. It is easy to be a winner, it's difficult to be a champion and athletes like these show exactly why.