The Badger Beat with Charlie Viana

The professional athlete is often looked upon as a truly privileged specimen, often earning millions and seemingly insulated from the problems and difficulties the rest of us face. They are, sometimes it seems, untouchable.

Sadly, recent events have shown that the athletes we have grown to love and adore are just like the rest of us when it comes tragedy and sudden death.

On Jan. 1 of this year, Denver Broncos wide receiver Darrent Williams was shot to death in a drive-by shooting after an argument in a Denver nightclub. In the eyes of the public, these professional athletes seem to be a step above and beyond, and when there is a tragedy dealing with one of them, one wonders how could this possibly happen to someone like that.

More recently, on Nov. 26, Washington Redskins all-pro safety Sean Taylor was shot during an attempted burglary at his Florida home. The following day Taylor died in a Miami hospital.

The four suspects who broke into Taylor’s home are all in custody and have been denied bail. Taylor, 24, was at home with his girlfriend and 18-month-old daughter when the suspects broke into his home.

The question now arises: since these athletes are such high-profile individuals, is it OK for them to carry weapons to protect themselves and their loved ones?

Sebastian Telfair, a 22-year-old rising star who made the jump from high school to the NBA, has been arrested and charged with gun possession twice already in his young three-year pro career.

When a young athlete like Telfair gets arrested for a gun charge, or any athlete for that matter, we as the public tend to jump to conclusions, but the fact is we do not know why they are carrying these weapons. There may well be legitimate reasons for doing so.

I am not by any means saying that they are carrying guns for the right reasons, but there is a buzz around the NFL ? and every other professional sports league ? after the shooting of two high-profile athletes in the past year. More than a few eyebrows are raised, and many professional athletes wonder what they have to do to protect themselves.

Taylor, who had a bit of a troubled past stemming from his college days at the University of Miami, seemed to have a new outlook on life and was changing for the better. He had a little daughter, and everything seemed to be pointing up for the young all-pro safety until Nov. 26 came along.