If I tell you my grandpa, or John down the street are my role models, you really don’t have a point of reference unless you happen to know them. If I mention I like how Peyton Manning handles himself in public or Ray Lewis’s positive intensity, you’re more likely to have heard of those people and have formed your own opinions on them. So you’ll agree or disagree, and we’d be more likely to discuss that. If my wife tells you she thinks Orlando Bloom is dreamy, you’ll know who’s she talking about. Also, my grandpa doesn’t sell a lot of jerseys, bumper stickers, hats, or season tickets, so you’re less likely to know about my adoration. Sports is a very public obsession for most people, people take pride in being a fan through thick and thin, there’s a public relationship developed there, and you’re witness to it. That’s all just a long way to say I don’t think celebrities and athletes are as likely to be true role models as the people who are actually in our lives, but they’re a lot easier to tie yourself to in a public manner, so people do. It gives us something to talk about other than the weather ;)