Am I the only one who is tired of hearing about Josh Hamilton’s story?  Sure it’s a great story and it’s truly remarkable how far he’s come, but I don’t need to be reminded that he was a drug addict every time his name comes up in a conversation.

I am not bashing Hamilton by any means necessary; I have nothing but the utmost respect for his game.   However, his story is not, as some like to put it, a lesson for all people to learn.  This guy was a drug addict!  I understand that people change, and Hamilton clearly has changed his ways, but why should people look up to him because he was able to quit an illegal addiction?  I have a crazy idea, look up to the people who never were dumb enough to fall into the world of drugs.

Is Josh Hamilton a very good baseball player? Absolutely.  Is he the right person to look up to?  Absolutely not.  Yes, I realize he is clean now, but he was nonetheless a drug addict.  No matter what the situation is, a drug addiction is never a good reason for people to look up to an individual.

This All-Star break was one of the most entertaining breaks that I can remember.  But it seemed like the story of Hamilton’s life was brought up every five minutes.  Watching him hit those 28 home runs in the first round was a great moment, but I didn’t need to be reminded of his dirty past every time he hit one out.

It is not remarkable when a guy has become a talented athlete years after taking drugs and, as Hamilton put it, doing everything he could to kill himself.  I’ll tell you what is remarkable; Rick Ankiel who was not a successful pitcher in the MLB and it appeared that his career was over in 2004.  Now, four years later, he has come out of nowhere and is one of the top power hitters in the National League.  That is a great story and a person that should be looked up to.

Again, I am not bashing Josh Hamilton.  I have nothing against him and it’s obvious he is one of the best players in the game right now.  And while his story is very lovely, I am tired of hearing about his past and annoyed with being told who to idolize on a constant basis.