New York representative (and presumed candidate for the next mayor of the Big Apple) Anthony Weiner revealed Monday that he had had electronic relationships with six women through the course of three years. The initial accusations stemmed from Weiner sending a photo over Twitter of his… well, you know, his “last name.” Weiner follows the path of other politicians, like former New York representative Christopher Lee, who have hit Twitter to post shirtless and pantsless photos of themselves.
Among many most notorious Twitter users are athletes, and a couple have taken part in the “revealing themselves on the internet” phenomenon. In fact, the advancement of technology in recent years, including social-networking sites and advanced cell phones, has led to more athletes being busted for “sexting” and revealing their inner-Weiner (or inner-Anthony Weiner, rather).
Mixed Martial Arts legend Tito Ortiz recently took the Twitter world by storm when photos were posted to his account of his… well, you know, his…Ortiz? The fighter claimed that his phone had been hacked, bearing the question: why did he have nude photos of himself on his own phone?
Before Portland Trail Blazers’ center Greg Oden was a “bust” he was a “Hall-of-Fame good” center from Ohio State. The 7-footer was selected first overall in 2007 by the Blazers but has only played in 82 games in four years due to various injuries. While recovering from a knee injury in 2010, nude photos of Oden began circulating around the web.
Patriots’ rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes made headlines before even touching the field in 2010. Instead, Spikes made headlines for touching himself and a lady friend on the instant video-chat website ChatRoulette. Washington Redskins tight-end Chris Cooley revealed some of his own skin in an accidental photo posted to his website in 2008. Cleveland Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore only needed a teacup to cover himself up in leaked 2009 photos, perhaps refuting the fact that size-is-more.
Tiger Woods’ former wife learned of his extramarital affairs by going through texts on his cell phone. Whether it was the food-coma from Thanksgiving dinner or the wrath of an angry wife (I’d bank on the angry wife), Woods crashed his car into a tree near his house the morning after the holiday. Less than a year later, Woods and his wife separated.
And who could forget the story of future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre? Cell phones were hardly thought of when Favre entered the league in 1991. Two teams, two retirements (here's the second one), and one Super Bowl title later, Favre found himself in New York playing for the Jets. The former Green Bay Packer allegedly sexted and left inappropriate messages on the cell phone of Jets Gameday host Jenn Sterger.
While we all may be laughing at the ridiculousness of the story (and at the irony of Weiner’s name), the actions of these athletes should prove a point. Regardless of a person’s status and fame, whether they be an athlete or politician, actions like sexting or revealing naked pictures will have a potentially negative effect on one’s career and personal life. As two of the most iconic figures in their respective sports, Woods’ marriage and Favre’s reputation were ruined as a result of their actions.
But, to avoid ending on a somber note, let’s laugh again at Rep. Weiner’s name.
