The FBI has gotten involved in investigating a scam in which a woman poses as a groupie, slips a drug into an athlete's drink, goes to his room, he passes out, then she takes compromising photos of him -- sometimes with a male accomplice. The New York Daily News reported that this happened to at least one Yankee, and an NBA source said a similar incident happened during the 1995 All-Star weekend in Phoenix.
More often, the headlines are about athletes accused of rape and other forms of violence against women. Roughly 100 athletes per year -- college and pro -- face charges of violence against women, according to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.
In his book, Athletes and Acquaintance Rape, author Jeffrey Benedict determined pro athletes often develop their views about women and consensual sex in a culture where groupies offer unlimited sex with no responsibilities.
This, coupled with the athlete's celebrity status, can create a man who feels he is entitled to sex whenever, and however, he wants it. He associates all contact with women as inherently sexual and has a difficult time understanding why a woman would not want to have sex with him.
Steven Ortiz, a sociology professor at Oregon State, spent four years researching a book on pro athletes and their marriages. He interviewed 47 wives of professional athletes, plus several of the athletes.
"Men objectify, trivialize and sexualize women in all walks of life, not just sports," Ortiz said. "But in sports, that mentality is combined with what I call the 'spoiled athlete syndrome,' a condition that begins when boys 6, 7, 8 years old begin to get preferential treatment because they can run fast or throw a ball. That intensifies as the kid gets into high school and college, when coaches, cheerleaders, fans and media enable the young man to feel that he is entitled to be treated differently. Then, as a pro, he believes he can be absolved of accountability."
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More often, the headlines are about athletes accused of rape and other forms of violence against women. Roughly 100 athletes per year -- college and pro -- face charges of violence against women, according to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.
In his book, Athletes and Acquaintance Rape, author Jeffrey Benedict determined pro athletes often develop their views about women and consensual sex in a culture where groupies offer unlimited sex with no responsibilities.
This, coupled with the athlete's celebrity status, can create a man who feels he is entitled to sex whenever, and however, he wants it. He associates all contact with women as inherently sexual and has a difficult time understanding why a woman would not want to have sex with him.
Steven Ortiz, a sociology professor at Oregon State, spent four years researching a book on pro athletes and their marriages. He interviewed 47 wives of professional athletes, plus several of the athletes.
"Men objectify, trivialize and sexualize women in all walks of life, not just sports," Ortiz said. "But in sports, that mentality is combined with what I call the 'spoiled athlete syndrome,' a condition that begins when boys 6, 7, 8 years old begin to get preferential treatment because they can run fast or throw a ball. That intensifies as the kid gets into high school and college, when coaches, cheerleaders, fans and media enable the young man to feel that he is entitled to be treated differently. Then, as a pro, he believes he can be absolved of accountability."
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