In today's sports world it seems more often than not, perception is reality. It doesn't matter if the rumors being spread have any facts to them, it only matters what sells. With controversy around every corner in today's sports world, it's the fans who are being cheated. Whether it be steroids, cheating coaches, or cheating referees, every professional sports league has it's issues. With all this controversy casting doubt on our sports teams, I find myself wondering if integrity in sports is a thing of the past?
As the NBA season is coming to an end, much attention is being paid to the recent unfoldings of its referee controversy. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy has pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy charges. In July of 2007, Donaghy admitted to FBI agents that he passed on inside information on NBA games. Donaghy also implicates other NBA referees in altering the outcomes of games in the '02 and '05 postseason. NBA commissioner David Stern continues his stance that Donaghy was a "rogue" referee, but in light of the FBI's findings, Donaghy's statments have been deemed truthful. The unwillingness of the league to release it's own internal investigation findings makes this whole situation even more confusing. Why is Comissioner Stern unwilling to release the internal findings? Is he covering something up? Does he not understand that this cotroversy is ruining the image of the NBA? As a fan of the NBA I hear all these rumors about the league being behind these fixed games in order to drum up some ticket sales and TV ratings. The rumors may not be true, but the damage has been done. Too many fans have this cloud of doubt looming over their head. Too many fans feel that games are not being played on a level playing field. If the fans don't believe in the integrity of the game, then perception has become reality.
The NFL and MLB are no stranger to contorversy either. Whether it be steroid use or cheating coaches, both leagues have come under fire recently. These allegations of cheating coaches, players and referees seem all too common in todays sports world. So lets call it what it actually is, fraud. It's fraud on a grand scale. Millions of fans have been misled to believe their professional sports teams are competing on a level playing field. In a world where integrity takes a back seat to ticket sales and TV rating, the fans are left to wonder, what is real? Is the NFL, MLB and NBA the same as the WWE? The WWE definitly has steroid use, cheating ref's and circus atmosphere. The only differance is, the WWE openly admits it's in the "sports entertainment" buiseness. The Fans of the WWE know what to expect. The Fans of our professional sports teams do not expect the same circus atmosphere you get in the WWE, but thats what their getting.
I get it. I get that professional sports teams are a cash cow and that it's a buisiness. Curruption in sports is nothing new. Referees have altered games, players have shaved points, taken performance enhancing drugs and coaches have done dispicable things to gain an edge for there teams. However, it seems to have taken a turn for the worse lately. For example, "Spygate," the congressional hearings about steroid use, and "rogue" referees; what affect is this having on the fans? It's making it impossible to appreciate the game and the competativness. Anytime there is a questionable call, non-call, an athlete having an exceptional year, or team making history, there is that nagging question. Did they cheat? Even if the person or team in question is totaly innocent, perception in sports is reality, and right now nobody gets the bennefit of the doubt.
Melissa Haro
Meghan White
Did You See That?
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Comments (9) Add A Comment
Cool,good post
Civardi
Seaside Park, NJ
Total Comments (17392)
very true
Hank Hill
Arlen, TX
Total Comments (4952)
Good blog.
Undefeated: Bye FN
Total Comments (2945)
Good blog. I agree with you 100 percent.
badgerfan07
Whitewater , WI
Total Comments (1601)
Sad, but true. But before you blame the media, look hard at the leagues. Baseball owners did not like having a commissioner they could not control, so they took one of their own owners and made him the commish. That was the end of any control over the owners and the game. It all became about money. The coaches and owners knew their players were doing steroids, it was no secret, but they loved the money the Sosa's and Bonds were making for all of them. The NFL refuses to even go near the steroid problem and is currently considering moving a team to LA simply because it is the 2nd largest tv market. The NBA tells the refs what to look for and expect before every play off game, what is a ref suppose to do? They know they must please their bosses. The pressure in indirect, but it is there.
Pro sports are out of control, and as much as no one likes Congress spending time looking in to some of its problems, that is probably the only way it will clean itself up , at least in the short term.
50yearfan
Total Comments (3423)
i agree 100%
kobe_rules24
Total Comments (52)
Good blog!
Professional sports for the most part has been compromised as a result of the need to generate monies to pay high dollar athletes these astronomical slaries! The NBA and MLB have become their own worst enemies in terms of the pressures to win and produce a good product for the fan. The aforementioned pressure has forced a compromising of ethics in some cases. Outside of the NFL I am slowly becoming a non-fan of professional sports due to the never ending questions of integrity surfacing all too often. My biggest fear is that the NFL may not be too far behind! Unlike the NBA and MLB, I would be faced with some very difficult decisions if the integrity of the NFL became an issue because of my love for that league and the game! But as days go by the possibility of that happening slides more and more towards the "reality" side of the scale! That's some scary sh**!!!!
Cowboystar
Total Comments (966)
Well done, sir.
Now if the Powers-That-Be in all of the leagues would just step up and put their foot down with their rules and be honest about what is going on instead of all of this denial garbage then sports would be better off. You can't wait until you have painted yourself into a corner by denial and then the truth comes out and smacks you in the face. There goes the credibility as well as giving rise to all of the questions about cover up.....
Stick to your rules, enforce them across the board, and be open and honest about allegations. At least you will make it look as if you are trying to clean things up and then maybe, just maybe, the fans will begin to see the credibility come creeping back.
Therrien Rocks
Mysterious, PA
Total Comments (1830)
A very good analysis of the current and sad situation that we have in professional sports. It seems that money is 'The Root Of All Evil' and has corrupted our atheletes, sports agents, owners, officials and even the occassional fan working memorabilia scams. Unfortunately, this is evident not only in professional sports, but in the amature world as well.
Perhaps we can take a lesson from Golf: Steriods might be an advantage on the fairways, but would be little help on the greens, where most contests are won or lost. The players honor system seems to work well...and yet they get close and constant oversight from officials well-versed in the Rules of the Game...who's rulings are final and, in most cases, appear impartial and fair. We don't see a lot of shouting, arm waving or fist fights on the golf course, but there are certainly strong individual personalities competing. Would this system work for team sports as well? I don't know and I kind of doubt it, but what we have now is certainly broken! Let's face it guys and gals: ALL sports have become a multi-national BUSINESS and it's highly doubtful we'll never return to the pureness we once had without some major surgery! As fans, we ought to look to ourselves for some of the blame...and maybe for a solution as well.
Mr. Jess
Bakersfield , CA
Total Comments (1)
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