Richard Sherman has been a more than polarizing subject in the realm of sports in recent weeks, and like most of the athletes that overwhelm our news coverage, it is not for something dramatically positive.

This particular case is rather troublesome considering the life story of a man who has, against all odds, become one of America’s premier football players, but who still tarnishes his own image with well-publicized outbursts and contradictions.

Sherman is a fantastic football player, period. But the accolades that fill up the mantle above his fireplace are not enough to surmount the damage done by his mouth and the debris he has left in his wake.

As much as people appreciate the passion and aggression players need to play the game, they are also intelligent enough to spot an (expletive) when they see one. And as Sherman ended his “interview” with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless on ESPN First Take in early March, where he attempted — futilely, I might add — to attack Bayless for criticizing his performance, Sherman officially earned his (expletive) badge.

We live in a day and age of mistakes. Mistakes are made by you, by me and by everyone around us, but the fact is that those with the power to be positive role models, even heroes to children, often take that position for granted. Taking the responsibility of influencing another’s life seriously is the ultimate sign of humility, and today that idea is far from a priority.

Still, if you take the time to sift through the rubble that is our society, there are still a few beacons of light. No, not Justin Bieber, who was just arrested with a charge of DUI following a slew of behavior that caused an 8-year-old fan to write him a letter in an attempt to stop the debauchery. And no, not Chris Brown, who in the midst of an epic lovers’ quarrel happened to beat the ever-loving tar out of his significant other.

No, the beacon that comes to mind for me is the new face of the NBA, Lebron James. Sure, the man deserted his hometown franchise to move to a place willing to sign actual talent that he somehow parlayed into back-to-back titles in the last two season, but the man is simply that: the man.

From the commercials that display his relationship with his children to the Lebron James Family Foundation, he truly exemplifies what it is to be an inspiration.

For a man that has been in the spotlight of the world since he was in high school, he has kept his proverbial nose clean, avoiding the undeniable temptations surrounding any mega-celebrity by simply being himself.

Whether you love, hate or have no idea who this man is, I challenge you to use the Internet to look up the video of James’ reaction when a fan hit a half court shot at the Heat game to win $75,000. Once you see the utter jubilation James exudes as he tackles the average Joe he had never met before in his star-studded life, I think your mind might change.