I read this story the other day and it is about a guy named Bubba Smith. He became famous for not only his performance on the football field, but perhaps even more so for his performance on TV as a spokesman for a brewery. The day came, however, when Bubba swore off booze.
Actually, Bubba never did drink. Still, he sold countless kegs of beer making clever beer commercials. He may be the first athlete ever to give up a highly lucrative, easy, and amazing job because he felt it was morally wrong. Why did he take this step?
Bubba was invited to be the grand marshal of a major university homecoming parade, and as he rode around the field during halftime, he heard drunken college fans yelling, “Taste great!” while others shouted, “Less filling.” In Bubba’s opinion they should have been yelling, “Go, State!” or, “Get ’em Bubba.”
Bubba Smith realized in a matter of moments that he was encouraging others to do something he himself chose not to do. When young school children began approaching him on the streets reciting his commercials verbatim, Bubba hung up his commercial career, saying simply. “I had to stop compromising my principles.”
May a clear conscience always be more valuable to us than man-made rewards!
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