Historically, professional sports have held a stigma that their athletes are all macho men. You know the kind of people I’m talking about: Mean Joe Greene and Shaquille “Diesel” O’neal are a couple of prime examples. These are men’s men—Guys who show no weakness, no fear, and no mercy. These athletes set the tone for young boys who look up to them as idols. They don’t show emotion, and when they do, it’s just their tough exterior. This can have a negative impact on young boys because by trying to be like their heroes, they will believe that it is not “manly” to show their emotions or to be more in touch with their feminine side.
As a child, this is exactly what I believed, and it had an extremely negative impact on my emotional development. I would bury each and every emotion because that is what my sports player heroes seemed to do. I never asked for help or told the truth when someone would ask how I was feeling. This took years to correct once I matured and realized it is ok to be vulnerable, to show emotion, and to show your feminine side.
Thankfully, there has been a new development in young male professional athletes. There is a new wave of male athletes who are willing to be totally and completely themselves but do not exactly fit into the stereotype of the classic male athlete. I believe this is largely due to the growth of social media. Male athletes are able to share their whole lives and display their interests beyond their sport. They are able to share their thoughts on politics, mental health, fashion, and just about everything else. Social media has allowed these athletes to be free of the confines of the games they play and express their true selves to the world.
Beyond social media, there are athletes who have found ways to express themselves while they play their respective sports. One way this is done is by their various accessories. Many NFL players now customize their cleats to express their interests, honor foundations or people, and display art. Another way professional athletes are able to express themselves is through their fashion. Nowadays, everything is covered by the media, including what players wear to their events. Athletes are able to showcase their style and fashion preferences to the world. Their outfits oftentimes combat the macho stigma of male athletes.
The added access of athletes off the field has definitely helped defeat the macho stigma, but some professionals have begun to express themselves even more on the field. For example, Caleb Williams, the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears, and Jared McCain, a guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, have recently made waves in the sports world thanks to their signature manicures. Each player always has their nails painted during games. McCain first made headlines for this during his days on Duke’s basketball team. He was deemed a distraction by sportscasters, but I think he is just a guy trying to express himself. This ended up with him gaining an NIL sponsorship from the nail polish company Sally Hansen, campaigning that everyone can pain their nails. Hopefully, these two young athletes set a new standard for male athletes to be able to express themselves, even if it does show their more sensitive side.
In conclusion, the stigma that professional male athletes must be ultra-manly and not show their emotions is being challenged by young athletes today, thanks to the rise of social media, more media coverage, and more willingness of the athletes to express themselves. This is an excellent thing because it will help those who look up to athletes realize being vulnerable and showing your more sensitive side is a good thing.
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