http://johnrlott.tripod.com/op-eds/Athletesandguns.html

Published Wednesday, January 28, 2004, at Foxnews.com.

Athletes and Guns

By John R. Lott Jr.

Giant NFL players admitting they feel threatened by crime? This hardly fits
their tough, macho image. Our concern is supposed to be for women walking
alone at night.

But while the massive size and strength of NFL players might seem to make
them unlikely victims, their wealth and high profiles nonetheless make them
targets for violent criminals. Yet, crimes against professional athletes
don't engender much sympathy or news coverage.

So, what do many NFL players do when they realize that their physical
strength does not give them enough protection from violent crime? The same
as many other would-be victims -- they get guns. Well over 50 percent of NFL
players are estimated to own guns. By contrast, about 45 percent of
Americans generally own guns. Shortly before New Year's, the concern that a
majority of NFL players actually own guns rated a news story in the
politically correct New York Times.