Do Sports Stars Have a Right to Privacy?

When an athlete becomes famous, they become a household name and are talked about on a daily basis by the media, sports fans and sometimes even the general pubic. As a famous sports star, they are no different than a famous movie star or other celebrity. Fans become infatuated with them and want to know everything they can about them. It is common to hear an athlete's accomplishments repeatedly mentioned by broadcasters and news anchors. This is especially true when they hit a game winning home run during a baseball game, have a triple double basketball game or throw the game winning touch down during a football game. When it comes to things like this, a sports star will never get any privacy, and they will never complain about it. Just like anyone else, they love to be glorified for the things that they accomplish during their career.

Personal life privacy rights

Sometimes, a sports star will get media attention for acts that they are involved in that have absolutely nothing to do with their job. Whether these acts are positive or negative, most of the time athletes want the same privacy rights that a regular person has. They may not want to be bothered during the birth of their child, marriage or other personal events that occur in their life. Even though the media may be a nuisance to them during these events, it is simply that and will not affect their career.

Privacy rights for questionable behavior

When an athlete is involved in questionable behavior, it is possible that their acts may have a negative impact on their career. Some athletes will always be remembered for their professional carer accomplishments. For others, their personal life tactics will always overshadow their career accomplishments. For example, Pete Rose will always be remembered for his gambling addiction and O.J. Simpson will always be known for the murder trail he was involved in. When it comes to breaking the law, an athlete's reputation can easily be ruined. Another example of this is all of the professional baseball players who were accused of using illegal performance enhancing drugs. Whether they like it or not, these sports stars are role models, and they are constantly watched. People look up to them, and they shouldn't ever expect any privacy for the things that they do in their life.

How much privacy should a sports star have?

There is no right or wrong answer as to whether a sports star should enjoy the privacy that a normal person has. It is my opinion that no sports star or celebrity should ever expect privacy to the extent that a normal person does. I certainly do not support the paparazzi harassing sports stars or anyone else, but when you have made a name for yourself it has to be expected. If a sports star gets arrested for driving under the influence or gets in trouble with the law for any other reason, they should expect the event to be publicized. When they are getting married, having a child or anything else of interest to the public, the event will many times be publicized without their consent. This may not seem right, but when they sign that multimillion dollar contract, they know that these type of things come with fame. Whether it's fair or not, this is the life of a celebrity. Even if I did believe that they deserved privacy just like anyone else, it is almost impossible. They are in the spotlight at all times, and every move that they make will always be watched.

Leslie writes about NFL on his blog and loves watching online.