--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We understand that athletes aren't…" description: "\"We understand that athletes aren't necessarily role models, but we at least expect them to abide by the basic laws of the state.\" — Tim Pawlenty" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/tim-pawlenty-15469_athlete_we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-neces_2518981.png" --- # We understand that athletes aren't necessarily role… ![“We understand that athletes aren't necessarily role models, but we at least expect them to abide by the basic laws of the state.” quote by Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/tim-pawlenty-15469_athlete_we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-neces_2518981.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/tim-pawlenty-15469_athlete_we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-neces_2518981.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/tim-pawlenty-15469_athlete_we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-neces_2518981.png) > “We understand that athletes aren't necessarily role models, but we at least expect them to abide by the basic laws of the state.” [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Athletes should follow legal and societal norms despite not being moral exemplars. **In simple terms:** Athletes must obey the law. Key Takeaway Hold athletes accountable to laws. Themes responsibility law public expectation Mood serious concerned Type political ethical When to use this quote - sports contracts - endorsement deals - community events - legal compliance Key Concepts civic duty role of public figures Questions to Reflect On - Should athletes be judged by personal conduct? - How do laws shape public trust? A Different Perspective Legal compliance does not guarantee moral leadership. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Athletes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletes/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Role models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-models/) ## Related quotes > [Athletes aren't allowed to have an opinion. It's tough. Athletes are evolving right in front of our eyes. You see athletes who are politicians,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaylen-brown/athletes-aren-t-allowed-to-have-an-opinion-it-s-tough-athletes-are/) [Jaylen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaylen-brown/) > [The general public does not really understand what athletes do away from competition time. They know there will be some exertion involved, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanni-grey-thompson/the-general-public-does-not-really-understand-what-athletes-do-away/) [Tanni Grey-Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanni-grey-thompson/) > [Some athletes aren't small, they're just short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-corso/some-athletes-aren-t-small-they-re-just-short/) [Lee Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-corso/) > [When you're young, you do dumb things. I just can't understand why some other athletes never were extended that same excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/when-you-re-young-you-do-dumb-things-i-just-can-t-understand-why-some/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [But how is it now? All we get is orders; and the laws go out of the state. Them legislators set up there at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-how-is-it-now-all-we-get-is-orders-and-the-laws-go-out-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What shall light us to murder & defile if by some chance the Laws of the State happen to get turned off?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-patchen/what-shall-light-us-to-murder-defile-if-by-some-chance-the-laws-of/) [Kenneth Patchen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-patchen/) > [Some laws of state aimed at curbing crime are even more criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/some-laws-of-state-aimed-at-curbing-crime-are-even-more-criminal/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [The laws of a state change with the changing times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-laws-of-a-state-change-with-the-changing-times/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Bubbles are very simplified versions of some of the basic laws of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-noddy/bubbles-are-very-simplified-versions-of-some-of-the-basic-laws-of-the/) [Tom Noddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-noddy/) > [There is something breathtaking about the basic laws of crystals. They are in no sense a discovery of the human mind; they just "are"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/there-is-something-breathtaking-about-the-basic-laws-of-crystals-they/) [M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/) > [Nature is with us if we can learn how to align with it and not break the basic laws that generate life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-moore-lapp/nature-is-with-us-if-we-can-learn-how-to-align-with-it-and-not-break/) [Frances Moore Lappé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-moore-lapp/) > [The basic laws of the universe are simple, but because our senses are limited, we can’t grasp them. There is a pattern in creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-basic-laws-of-the-universe-are-simple-but-because-our-senses-are/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [One of the basic laws of human existence is: find yourself, know yourself, be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/one-of-the-basic-laws-of-human-existence-is-find-yourself-know/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [When I was growing up, there were very few women athletes. I remember watching Olga Corbett, but Peggy Fleming and Janet Lynn were my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-hamill/when-i-was-growing-up-there-were-very-few-women-athletes-i-remember/) [Dorothy Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-hamill/) > [Athletes are given a really special platform. It's our duty, as athletes, to be role models.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rippon/athletes-are-given-a-really-special-platform-it-s-our-duty-as/) [Adam Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rippon/) ## More by Tim Pawlenty > [We need to be calling out the flaws and misguided decisions of the Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/we-need-to-be-calling-out-the-flaws-and-misguided-decisions-of-the/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [I'm a market person, but there are certain circumstances where you've got to have government put up the guardrails or bust up entrenched interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/i-m-a-market-person-but-there-are-certain-circumstances-where-you-ve/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [I've come to realize that Barack Obama is the tattoo president. Like a big tattoo, it seemed cool when you were young. But later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/i-ve-come-to-realize-that-barack-obama-is-the-tattoo-president-like-a/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [The marketplace measurement in politics is something called an election. It's a pretty good barometer - it's transparent, it's numerical, it's objective. It gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/the-marketplace-measurement-in-politics-is-something-called-an/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [History has taught us over and over again that freedom is not free. When push comes to shove, the ultimate protectors of freedom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/history-has-taught-us-over-and-over-again-that-freedom-is-not-free/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [President Obama said that he designed Obamacare after Romneycare and basically made it Obamneycare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/president-obama-said-that-he-designed-obamacare-after-romneycare-and/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [National polls basically always misinterpret the final outcome or mis-predict the final outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/national-polls-basically-always-misinterpret-the-final-outcome-or-mis/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [In my address last year, I spoke on the issue of gaming. My preference then is my preference now: to keep gaming within its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/in-my-address-last-year-i-spoke-on-the-issue-of-gaming-my-preference/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [We have a country that is $5 a gallon gas, $4 a gallon gas, we got unbearable unemployment and a federal government that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/we-have-a-country-that-is-5-a-gallon-gas-4-a-gallon-gas-we-got/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [I think the country's in trouble. And I think I have a pretty clear sense of the values and principles that have made this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/i-think-the-country-s-in-trouble-and-i-think-i-have-a-pretty-clear/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [A strong dollar reflects a strong country and a strong economy, and we need to make sure that we get the - stop the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/a-strong-dollar-reflects-a-strong-country-and-a-strong-economy-and-we/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [It appears that President Obama is making great progress on climate change, he is changing the political climate in the country back to Republican.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/it-appears-that-president-obama-is-making-great-progress-on-climate/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [We have the highest graduation rates, the broadest health care access, and the greatest level of home ownership and workforce participation in the country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/we-have-the-highest-graduation-rates-the-broadest-health-care-access/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [You can stick a fork in Barack Obama. Politically, he's done. The main way we can screw this up is if we choose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/you-can-stick-a-fork-in-barack-obama-politically-he-s-done-the-main/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [The rising cost of prescription drugs has sparked a prairie fire that is spreading across our nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/the-rising-cost-of-prescription-drugs-has-sparked-a-prairie-fire-that/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) [Explore all 43 Tim Pawlenty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) ## More Athlete quotes > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/) [Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/) > [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/) [Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/) > [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/) [Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/) [Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/) > [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/) [Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/) > [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/) [Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/) > [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/) [Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/) [Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We understand that athletes aren't necessarily role models, but we at least expect them to abide by the basic laws of the state.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tim Pawlenty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-necessarily-role-models-but-we-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Athlete" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-necessarily-role-models-but-we-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/tim-pawlenty-15469_athlete_we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-neces_2518981.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/tim-pawlenty-15469_athlete_we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-neces_2518981.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21e/tim-pawlenty-15469_athlete_we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-neces_2518981.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We understand that athletes aren't necessarily role models, but we at least expect them to abide by the…” — Tim Pawlenty", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tim Pawlenty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We understand that athletes aren't necessarily...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-necessarily-role-models-but-we-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/we-understand-that-athletes-aren-t-necessarily-role-models-but-we-at/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```