In recent weeks Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have been in federal court on trial for perjury and obstruction of justice related to their sworn testimony at Congressional hearings probing the use of steroids and human growth hormones by professional athletes. The truthfulness of their testimony before Congress was so questionable that federal prosecutors hauled them into court for a microscopic assessment of their alleged use of banned substances and their alleged lying under oath about such use. Both of these stellar baseball players have amassed phenomenal stats in the official baseball record books and they have achieved iconic status in the eyes of their peers as well as fans of all ages.If it should ultimately become irrefutably known that they actually did use banned substances and lied under oath about it, should the inclusion of their exceptional athletic performances be removed from official records? Should they be denied placement on the roster of the Baseball Hall of Fame? Should they be sentenced harshly by the courts for their misbehavior? Should heavy fines be levied upon them by the commission that governs professional baseball?
To let such dishonest behavior by professional athletes go unchallenged and unpunished would seem to send a negative message to fans and players alike regarding sportsmanship, athletic ethics, fair competition and a variety of other issues. Negligence of this kind diminishes the general belief that major league/professional baseball and football, and virtually all other amateur and pro competitions, are truly the "real deal".
The future of honorable sports competition is at stake. Contests if not fairly played and governed by the rules of the game will eventually erode the stature of authentic athletic competition and allow it to tumble into the morass of staged, psuedo-sport entertainments such as the rehearsed, bombastic performances that WWE wrestlers serve up to their live and TV audiences.
It's up to devoted fans, players AND coaches of bona fide athletic competitions to demand ethical fairness, sportsmanlike behavior and adherence to the "rules of the game" if there is to be a future for honorable athletic competition of any kind. I submit this opinionated statement to War on Sports (WOS) in the hope that it stimulates some thoughtful responses from those who value their participation as spectators of, or competitors in, sports around the world. YO!
If Jim Thorpe's medals and honor were taken, it certainly is the right decision for a much greater breach by Barry Bonds. Bond's level of intention and sophistication are undoubtedly much more heinous.
ReplyDeleteHey you guys...I think I get it. WOS isn't ANTI-SPORTS...it's ANTI-UNETHICAL, ILLEGAL AND DANGEROUS behaviors exhibited by professional sports team owners, players and fans in the extreme from time to time. It's largely a mucho macho environment for the most part and boys will be boys...greedy, violent, ego-driven, dishonest, stupid, insensitive and a wide range of negative human traits that maleness often displays. Fact is, there is so much money generated by the media outlets for broadcasting pro sporting events that "Jack Armstrong the all-American boy" lies mummified in the basement of the Smithsonian...not even scheduled for ultimate display due to widespread lack of interest in such mythical icons of "the American character". Jack is dead and pretty much forgotten. Mourn for him and for all of us. Keep on with your awareness raising efforts. The best of competitive sports can be a positive and valuable element in the variety of life experiences that we are blessed with.
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