Whether they embrace this or not, professional athletes are role models. People pay lots of money to see them play. Young people watch and imitate them, which can be unfortunate when players behave badly (see Winston, Jameis).
Winning helps, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are proving now. It puts a little spring in a city's step - but it's not the only thing.
As important as it is to win games, the status these athletes hold in a community makes it just as important to win off the field. It is encouraging to see the Bucs take a big step in that direction, too.
They will engage in a year-long, player-led social justice initiative in the community. The organization and players will donate more than $1 million to local charities. There will be monthly events focused on helping all sides of the social debate understand each other.
As Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud reported in the Tampa Bay Times, that includes seeing what is like to be a police officer and living with the notion that any day could be the one where you don't come home from work.
Receiver DeSean Jackson has made headlines for his play on the field during the Bucs first two games this season. That has brought him some extra positive attention. Instead of using that to focus on himself, his willingness to take part in police simulator training might start building a bridge across Tampa's social divide.
In the simulator, Jackson was given a situation of a routine traffic stop that turned into a gun battle when he approached the car.
"I was like, 'Dang!' I had to react," Jackson said. "I wasn't expecting that one."
That's the point. Officers have to expect that could happen at any time.
Having Jackson share that experience can only help when tensions between police and African-Americans are high across the country. Tampa is no different.
While there is no magic pill to bring peace and harmony to a community this size, we can't make any progress without empathy. Whites need to understand why blacks feel targeted by police. The phrase "driving while black" is something whites don't understand.
The city was criticized in 2015 for issuing a vastly disproportionate number of tickets to black bicyclists for minor violations. Former Police Chief Jane Castor, now a candidate for mayor, at first defended the aggressive tactic as necessary in high-crime areas, but later admitted it was wrong.
When NFL players, including Jackson and Bucs receiver Mike Evans, knelt during the national anthem last year to bring attention to racial injustice, the president labeled all protesters unpatriotic and suggested they should leave the country.
That's ridiculous.
But it works both ways. Police have the toughest job in any community, especially one this size. Officers make split-second life-or-death decisions. As Jackson discovered in his training session, even the most seemingly mundane situation can leave a wife without a husband and children without a father.
We have seen that happen far too often. In May, the city honored the 31 officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
How do we balance both sides in these incendiary times?
Programs like this are a start.
There must be a bond between team and town that extends beyond the field.
Remember, a decade ago the Bucs' roster had many bad actors who made headlines for the wrong reasons. Even though the team was winning, fans soured on the organization and demanded change.
"As professional athletes, we have the chance to be leaders and I look forward to being a big part in bringing about positive change here in Tampa Bay," Jackson said.
"This experience really helped us gain a better understanding of the pressures and responsibilities that the police have in doing their jobs."
Perfect.