We forgive and forget too easily, and that gives transgressors a pass.
Of all the scandals that have occurred in sports history, one of the most famous transgressions occurred on Chicago’s South Side nearly a century ago. It was “The Black Sox Scandal.”
Courtesy: Encyclopedia Britannica
Eight White Sox players fixed the outcome of the 1919 World Series, appeasing gamblers by purposely committing errors and giving the series to the Cincinnati Reds. In return, players were supposedly given a share of the gamblers’ winnings.
But all the players did get something: a lifetime ban from the game. That ban was issued by Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first commissioner of Major League Baseball.
While some may view that punishment as excessive, even unnecessary, others see it as a sentence that fits the crime. Players are expected to compete–to win–and what those players did flies in the face of that fundamental expectation.
Fast forward about a hundred years. If a Black Sox situation were to happen again–right now–would there be a response similar to what Landis imposed?
Probably not.
The unpleasant reality is this: we live in a society that has become tolerant of scandals. Scandals are viewed as a “normal” part of sports.
Look at what happened just a few days ago. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, admitted on The Dan Patrick Show that he intentionally tried to lose games by not playing his best players toward the end of the season.
Why? The Mavericks were out of playoff contention and Cuban hoped to acquire a higher pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Cuban’s move is really no different from what happened with the Black Sox. The Mavericks, like the Sox, intentionally lost games in exchange for an off-the-field reward.
There is one major difference, though. What was viewed as taboo in 1919 is viewed as acceptable in 2017. And it’s not just in pro sports. Scandals have become a normal part of college sports, too.
Consider the basketball-related sex scandal at the University of Louisville. The Cardinals were paying strippers and prostitutes to “entertain” players. There’s no question that’s wrong, but the NCAA hasn’t imposed sanctions on UL–at least not yet.
Is that an isolated situation? No. There’s the UNC “paper class” scandal. For nearly 20 years UNC players (men and women, across sports) participated in “paper classes” — classes that were either non-existent or required very little effort. They were designed to keep “students” eligible. How did the NCAA respond? Well, you’ll have to stay tuned to find out.
Sexual assaults by athletes have become headline news on a number of campuses. Baylor’s football situation is the most notorious, but athletes have also been accused of sexual misconduct at Tennessee and Michigan State.
If we don’t respond forcefully to scandalous behavior, then the landscape of sports will change–and it will change for the worse.
Let’s face it, though: that road includes a slippery slope.
Who’s to blame? Don’t just blame the commissioners and others associated with the games. We–the sports public–are at fault, too. We forgive and forget too easily, and that gives cheaters and violators a pass.
It’s time for sports fans to begin taking responsibility, to stand up against scandals in sports.
