Are You Packin'? Most Pro Athletes Are

It must be tough to be professional athlete today. You make millions of dollars, are adored by fans who want to talk to you, get your autograph or a picture taken. Apparently, many of them feel it's necessary to pack a little heat when they are off the court or field.

Shaq is know to be packin' so are many other American sports figures, including NBA stars Paul Pierce and Vince Carter, NFL standouts Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, and Daunte Culpepper, and New York Yankee pitcher Carl Pavano, according to players and a Globe review of concealed weapon permits in states where the names of license holders are public record. Players and team officials estimated a vast majority of NBA and NFL athletes carry firearms -- legally or illegally -- and that the number of handgun owners among them has reached an all-time high.

"I would say about 90 percent of players in the league have guns to protect themselves," said New England Patriots receiver Jabar Gaffney, who holds a Texas license to carry a concealed weapon.

In the NBA, the figure "is closer to 100 percent than it is to 50 [percent]," said a team official who requested anonymity.

Now isn't it tough enough to raise kids these days? Most kids grow up idolizing professional athletes for their fame and fortune. Are these players sending the wrong message to the kids out there by carrying weopons on their person. Especially what would happen if these athletes were to get into an altercation with someone who is trying to rob or harm them?

"Fortunately, nobody has gotten killed" in recent years, said Boston Celtics center Theo Ratliff, who said he does not carry a firearm but has seen handgun ownership rise among NBA players during his 11 seasons in the league. "If something like that happens, it would put a big X on the situation."

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