Post 4

I have decided to pick the pro side - I feel that Bode Miller is a good role model. I strongly feel that regardless of his natural personality of being a rebel he has very good morals. I feel he sends an excellent message to fans by not caring whether he comes home with a medal or not, just knowing that he skiied his best is all he needs to walk away satisfied. I think my strongest arguements will be that Miller has good morals, that he is a human and makes mistakes as well as the fact that almost no athletic role model is perfect just as Bode Miller isnt perfect. I intend on making them agree by explaining that he is a good influence, that his morals are amazing (the fact that he doesnt only care about winning medals etc.) and that the worst that he has done is say that he has skiied while intoxicated in a light hearted moment. Even when he did this he didnt hurt anyone and only put himself in danger. I am worried that I will not have enough sources with valid information about this topic. I feel like i will be able to effetivly write this paper especially after reading his autobiography.

Con

Many people in the country believe that Bode Miller is a bad role model. Bode Miller is a very unique person and does things his own way. A lot of parents don't approve of Miller being a role model for their kids. A recent incident especially made them feel this way. On a 60 Minutes interview Miller said that he raced while intoxicated. Most parents and adults found this comment very innappropriate and were disguisted with him. Many fans also dont agree with his degree of being a rebel, they feel he takes it a step to far. Altogether, many people in the world do not find him to be a good role model, they find him to be too much of a rebel.

Pro

Bode Miller is a good role model for many reasons. As a ski racer I feel that he is an excellent person to strive to be as far as racing goes. Miller has his own way of doing things which is very admirable. He doesnt care what others think, including his manager, he does what he feels is best for him. As a sixteen year old I can admire how he skiis and the way he thinks but also understand that he is a human being and make mistakes and learns from the things he does. I know that he isn't perfect and I can't follow everything he does. I also think that no role model is perfect. Many if not all role models make mistakes which may not be the best influence on kids and other fans but I feel it is the parents responsibility if the child is too young to understand that what the role model is doing is wrong. Overall, I feel that Bode Miller is a good role model for all skiiers aroung the world.

Is Bode a good role model and should he be allowed to participate in World Cup Events?

Last year, Bode Miller disappointed many fans, sponsers and fellow racers by making inapropriate comments on a 60 Minutes interview. Miller along with a manager feel that 60 Minutes only released the parts where he made comments about drinking then racing. Bode says that these comments were made in a light hearted moment where as the press release portrayed that his only concern was going out and partying the night before a race. Bode Miller is a good role model because his concern with racing is mainly to have fun and do the best he can. His only focus is not just coming home with the maximum amount of medals or any medals for that matter. I feel that waht he does to celebrate after a race is his decision. I also think that as long as he is on the mountain by the start time and is not harming anyone else, that he should make his own decisions. When compared to many other athletes and role models he has not done anything nearly as bad. I feel a good role model shows what the sport is really about- racing and having fun, which Miller does achieve.