The role of mass media in influencing the values of young athletes has never been greater than it is today.

Consider the media’s portrayal and emphasis on one “high profile” sports figure – Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys, over another, Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals. Kurt who?

It seems the media feels obligated to report on T.O. like he’s the star of a weekly television series. To many a coach, the hype over T.O.’s current personal crises, trials and tribulations must seem so unbelievable that it too belongs in the fiction section.

It’s really unfortunate that the young athletes of today are shaped by a media that shines its light on T.O. far more than on Kurt Warner or, for that matter Donovan McNabb. Credit to ESPN for showing us Warner’s encouraging words for Matt Leinart, as the latter took to field to try to salvage a victory for Arizona against the Chicago Bears this past Monday night on national television. Editor’s note – this is the game that preceded Denny Green’s “they were who we thought they were”.

As a coach, which player, T.O. or Warner, serves as the best role model for your players?

Let’s see, we have a guy in Warner who had his time in the spotlight during a relatively brief period of greatness and notoriety as the Quarterback of the Super Bowl XXXIV champion St Louis Rams. The consummate teammate, Warner was portrayed during that Cinderella season as being humble, grateful, and frequently complimentary and appreciative of his coaches and fellow Rams.

After some hard times, Kurt Warner was traded to the New York Giants where he was put in a difficult situation – clearly the opening act for the (Eli) Manning era with the Giants. Warner played his role on and off the field very well, and handled his earlier than expected “demotion” to backup QB in such a way that the media chose not to report on it.

This year, a similar story was replayed in Arizona. On a Cardinal team plagued by a host of problems, Kurt Warner became the scapegoat and was replaced by a fresh-out-of-college, first round NFL Draft pick touted as the future of a franchise. Again, Warner handled it like he did a couple of years earlier as a NY Giant – accepting his role on the team and demonstrating his belief that that the team is bigger than the individual. Those who stayed up late to watch the end of the Monday Night Chicago Bear victory were treated to yet another display of unselfishness from Warner.

Coaches of young athletes have an opportunity, if not a duty to teach the values of unselfishness and “there’s no I in team” to their players. Let’s face it, the media won’t do it, and far too many parents do exactly the opposite.

Last Monday night, the media, in its attempt to shine the spotlight on what may be the next big name in Pro Football (Leinart), could not help but give us another look at Kurt Warner, and an example of how a true teammate behaves – placing team before self, providing encouragement to his teammates, and undoubtedly taking pleasure in another’s success, rather than just his own.

Thank you Kurt Warner – we hope to see more of you!