What’s up with athletes continuously appearing in the news as a result of some type of… What’s up with athletes continuously appearing in the news as a result of some type of illegal activity?

It is just hard to believe that these guys actually think they will get away with some of the things they attempt.

There are the minor infractions, such as with former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Lee ” I have a big mouth, but am not that good” Flowers. As a result of testing positive for an illegal substance, Flowers will be suspended for the first four games of the season with his new team, the Denver Broncos.

As with most players, he probably was “unaware” that anything that he consumed contained the substance.

Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett can expect a six-game suspension for lying about the value of the items stolen from a Monte Carlo that he borrowed in April.

Maurice, did you really think that you would get away with claiming that the items from the car were worth more than $10,000?

And your interview on ESPN a couple of weeks ago didn’t help, because you couldn’t even make eye contact with the camera. It was obvious then that you were guilty, because the eyes never lie.

That brings me to Kobe, who may be in the biggest trouble of any athlete currently in the news. I have a lot of respect for your passion, work ethic and overall game, but what were you thinking? For that matter, what are the athletes who fans look at as heroes and role models thinking when they attempt such things?

Apparently, they think they are above the law, or that somebody will cover up their dirt. As a sports writer and fan, I have a lot of admiration for athletes at all levels, but when you pull stunts such as the ones listed above, it’s hard to defend you against people who always have something negative to say about athletes.

Kobe, you were in Colorado to get your knee operated on, not to get your freak on. We’ve all seen your wife, and I cannot imagine that this woman is better looking than your wife. I find it hard to believe that you could not wait a couple of days and take care of business at home, where it is supposed to be handled.

Furthermore, you put yourself in the situation of being accused of rape by inviting the woman to your room at odd hours. You, like a lot of other athletes, are married and you need to act like it.

With marriage comes responsibility. You stood before God, your family and friends and exchanged vows with your wife. You broke them, and now it’s up to a jury, who might be looking to make an example out of you, to decide your fate.

Your image will suffer for a while, because you cheated on your wife, but hopefully that will be the extent of your punishment. I really want to believe that you would not waste your time forcing yourself on a woman, since it’s too late to believe that you would not cheat on your wife.

Athletes, you need to start using your heads before you act. People are watching you, and there is always going to be somebody out there who is looking to take advantage of you because of your status.

You are not invincible and, whether it is adultery, illegal drug use or attempting to steal money, you need to think about a saying that my mom taught me: “If it doesn’t come out in the wash, it will come out in the rinse.”

Kevin Nash is the assistant sports editor at The Pitt News.