You cheated!""
This brief sentence stirs a world of emotions in any individual whom it is directed toward. The concept of gaining an unfair advantage against an opponent has evolved into an intrinsic taboo, resulting in both institutionalized punishment and, perhaps more degrading than that, criticism from our fellow man. It influences the way we evaluate business, the economy, politics, the entertainment industry and overall social interaction.
The topic of cheating is indeed prevalent in today's news, not as much with the aforementioned aspects of society, but with professional athletes at center stage. Look at the following recent examples:
'¢In spring of 2005, several MLB players, retired and active, testified in a congressional hearing concerning the use of illegal performance enhancers in the sport. Players Mark McGuire, Jose Conseco, Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa answered a barrage of questions - ""answered"" may be too strong a word. Several of the players bounced around the questions and gave shoddy responses that revealed nothing.
'¢The central figure of the steroids scandal in baseball is current San Francisco Giants player Barry Bonds. The scandal has tarnished the accomplishments of the slugger, who, this summer, became Major League Baseball's all-time homerun leader, surpassing Henry Aaron. Countless rumors have circulated as to whether or not Bonds has taken illegal performance enhancers during his career, and an indictment may be near for the record setter. The last place Giants have informed the veteran Bonds that they are releasing him at the end of the season, as they are going in a more ""youthful"" direction for the 2008 campaign.
'¢This summer, scandal hit the National Basketball Association as Tim Donaghy, one of the NBA's referees, was accused of betting on several contests - some of which he officiated. Donaghy was promptly dismissed from his job and has pleaded guilty to several felony charges. The news raised questions as to whether or not certain games in which Donaghy was involved were officiated correctly and what effect they had on regular season and postseason results.
This September has been a troubling month for sports scandals:
'¢Earlier this month, Eric Mangini, the head coach of the National Football League's New York Jets, caught individuals connected to the New England Patriots organization stealing defensive signals from the Jets' sideline. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acted swiftly on the situation, fining Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots organization $250,000. Goodell also demanded that the Patriots turn over all materials related to the scandal and had them promptly destroyed. Rumors have circulated among sports analysts as to whether or not Belichick used the illegal measures in the past, and what effect they have had on his near impeccable record with New England.
'¢Also in September, authorities stripped United States cyclist Floyd Landis of his Tour de France title after Landis tested positive for an illegal increase in testosterone levels. Landis can still appeal, but the future looks grim and the cycling championship may be the least of his concerns.
One wonders what causes Americans, and the media for that matter, to lambaste these characters for their follies on and off the field. It is safe to assume that average individuals cheat one another every day - we do not hear about it because they are not in the public eye. So, why do we do it? Is it because of our search for truth, or a desire for goodness in our world? No. The answer is one word: money.
Indeed, money is the cause of cheating in professional sports. To enhance one's physical ability is to enhance one's paycheck. To steal signals from an opponent is to increase one's number of wins, get to the postseason and 'earn' that so-desired pay raise. And to complete the vicious cycle, money is the source for our resentment of crooked athletes. We resent their large salaries and, as a result, go on the offensive. Not that we do not have the right to, or that our goals of a cheating-free world are not sound, but one questions if our priorities are in the right place. What exactly do we value?
Outside of money, the acute reader can notice other trends in the aforementioned stories. One such trend is the fact that those who analyzed the scandals wondered if the crimes committed would tarnish records and championships. What do we criticize these individuals for? For abusing their huge salaries by cheating? For raising the ticket prices and inconveniencing avid fans? Or for compromising the integrity of their sports and filling their fans with doubt as to the legitimacy of their accomplishments? Yes, these questions go far beyond the playing field - they encompass every aspect of our daily lives.
If there is a silver lining to this discussion, it is this: we should work to eliminate cheating in all aspects of life, not for its monetary devaluation, but to reinforce the integrity of our actions and our accomplishments and to fully realize our potentials as human beings. We cannot neglect the beauty of the human mind, a tool we can apply to various arenas of action, from creating beautiful masterpieces to scoring the game-winning touchdown, from teaching others of the physics of space to performing a symphony. If we put money before mind, we may be cheating ourselves out of what makes us truly unique as human beings.
