Mark Ingram is the star sophomore running back of the newly crowned National Champions of the University of Alabama. That’s an amazing feat considering that many collegiate athletes don’t win the Heisman as a Sophomore especially under his personal circumstances. I had a conversation with my cousin one day and we were talking about my company and the work that I do with professional athletes and he said do you know Mark Ingram’s story and I said no. He said, that is former New York Giants wide receiver, Mark Ingram’s son.

As I begin to do some research, I discovered an article in Sports Illustrated that shared his story. Mark Sr. was sentenced to serve 92 months for money laundering and bank fraud. He was due to report to federal prison in Kentucky on December 5th 2008 and he failed to report and a month-long manhunt ensued as his son prepared to play in the Sugar Bowl. Two-hours before the kick-off of his son’s biggest game, Mark Sr. was found in a hotel in Flint, Michigan.

I remember Mark Ingram Sr. as a wide receiver for the New York Giants. I remember the catch that he made in the Super Bowl to extend the drive down the field to win it all. He was a good wide receiver and had a good 10 year career in the NFL, but as I see so often with NFL, NBA, and MLB players, some are good people, but they make bad decisions. Those decisions have affected his family, put a shadow over his son’s college career.

I watched a video titled Mark Ingram: In His Own Words and I could see how Mark Sr. wanted to help other young men understand that they are held accountable for their actions. My perception is that most athletes realize the mistakes they have made when it is too late. The other issue that I have is that these piranas that are out here preying on collegiate and professional athletes enticing them into troublesome situations. We have all heard the stories about many athletes and the trouble they have found themselves in during and after their professional career.

I hope that my firm can make a difference working with athletes to help them make better decisions. I was once told when I was 15 years old that, “the decisions you make from here on out will affect you for the rest of your life.” Looking at this story has made me realize the truth of that statement. I am glad that Mark Sr. & Jr. had a great relationship and I am hoping that his son has learned and will learn from his mistakes.

Gilbert Arenas, the Washington Wizards star player was suspended indefinitely today by NBA Commissioner Dave Stern because of three reasons:

1. He brought four unloaded guns to his office at the Verizon Center.
2. He allegedly pointed the gun at teammate Javaris Crittenton.
3. He made light of the situation by mocking the incident to the media and on his twitter account.

Let me briefly recap and try to understand. Gilbert Arenas made a conscious decision to bring guns to his place of employment because he didn’t want them in the house with his daughter. He did not put them in a lock box, he brought them to his job. In addition, he allegedly pulls a gun on a teammate after a heated argument or in his words, plays a joke on his teammate. Someone out there, please help me understand this nonsense. I think the reason that Commissioner Stern suspended Gilbert indefinitely was due to the comments that Gilbert made to the media and on his twitter account. He poked fun at the allegations and appeared to not take them seriously. For example, in a game played in Philadelphia on January 5th, some Wizards players participated in a pre-game gun celebration. I do not believe the Commissioner could stand on the sidelines and allow the legal process to conclude before making the decision to suspend Gilbert Arenas.

Gilbert Arenas is in the second year of a $111 million contract. Due to the suspension, he will lose approximately $147,000 per game that he misses, which will amount to approximately $9 million. That is $9 million that he will never see again because of poor judgement and decision-making. In addition to money, what kind of example is he setting for his family and for his NBA peers? Another issue that I have is that the New Jersey Nets guard, Devin Harris, when asked about the Arenas situation, says that, “I’d say between 60 and 75% (of players own guns).” Are you kidding me? If 60-75% of your league is carrying guns, I think there is a larger issue at hand.

I read the statement by both Commissioner Stern and Gilbert Arenas and I have a problem with the apology by Gilbert Arenas. At the game in Philadelphia, he was just in a pre game gun celebration and then he is apologizing. My issue with athletes saying sorry is that they say it all the time and expect to receive sympathy as a result of their actions. If athletes would just think about the repercussions before they enjoy the moment, then perhaps they will make better life decisions.

If your reading this blog, know that I am out there working to change the mindset of these professional athletes to avoid future situations like the Gilbert Arenas situation. I hope that the word gets out about AG Life Coaching Solutions for professional athletes. It seems like every month there is an athlete that is making poor decisions because of their mindset and attitude. When does it end?

Additional Stories:

Yahoo, NY Post, Huffington Post, and the NY Times.