Whining Winners of Sports

Michael Vick was hauled into court for staging viscous, brutal dog fights. At his trial and in public addresses to the media, he put on a repentant face and appeared to be remorseful on camera. Although his sentence included a prohibition on ownership of dogs in his future, now that he is out of prison he is noisily asserting publicly that he deserves a puppy for Christmas. Do you think Mister Vick should be allowed to have a dog as a personal pet once again?

Mike Tyson lost his gorgeous wife amid charges of domestic violence. Then he was convicted of raping another woman and did time in prison. Next, he did more prison time for assaulting two motorists. Further, when he rammed a police car, Tyson was arrested for driving under the influence of cocaine. Habitually a loose canon, Tyson was next arrested when he assaulted a photographer in Los Angeles. Now, months have passed and Tyson appears to be behaving better. Hopefully the "kinder/gentler" Mike will continue to grow and develop.

Marion Jones was caught red handed doping. She lost her Olympic gold medal and then was accused and convicted of lying to federal prosecutors as well as kiting checks. Marion did time in prison for these indiscretions. Now that she has been released she maintains that “I didn't deserve prison”. War On Sports is interested in your opinion on the Marion Jones case. We welcome your comments.

It appears that often, when sports figures are busted for illegal, unethical, dishonest or dangerous behavior, the common thread is that when accused, sports figures tend to comply with civil and sports related authorities just enough to forestall or diminish any punitive actions that may be levied upon them. Errant sports competitors are often iconic "heroes" in their fans' eyes. In reality some of those who appear to be heroes are actually undeserving of the loyal adulation bestowed upon them. It is no secret that human nature often allows processes of denial to avoid one's having to accept the truth about larger than life personalities. It is fans of all ages who suffer disillusionment and disappointment when they are let down by those that they admire from afar.

This is one of the reasons why War on Sports believes that all organized sports are vulnerable to various forms of cheating. Rules and regulations are intended to keep players, team owners, league officials and all regulatory agencies "on the same page" regarding proper behavior by all participants. Children, when they are first introduced to sports will certainly benefit from guidance that emphasizes honestly and fair play as well as the development of their performance abilities. The legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden claimed that his mission was not the building of superior athletes, but rather the building of individuals of sound character. Sports have become a prominent feature of modern life in our society. It has been widely proclaimed that "Winning is everything!". Over time that opinion has been modified by greater emphasis on sportsmanship. This pattern is worthy of acceleration by all sports related parental and institutional efforts toward the elimination of deceptive and dangerous practices that undermine adherence to fair play.