The Observer, February 15, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 17
Pro Sports Roundup
So much action is going on in the sports world right now, including the NBA All-Star weekend starting tonight, MLB spring training weeks away, and the countdown to March Madness getting underway. Sports fans should only be excited, right? Not so fast. In the past few months, a dark, heavy cloud has lingered, full of scandals that are clogging the buzz of sports right now. From the steroids scandal in the MLB, gambling rumors in the NBA and professional tennis, and doping allegations in the professional biking world, cheating has become a cornerstone of sports discussions.
The steroid and gambling issues have been most recently in the news. Many of the biggest names in baseball and tennis have been included in the accusations of transgressions.
In baseball, arguably the most dominant pitcher and hitter of the era, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds respectively have been at the forefront of denying any and all allegations of steroids against them. Sources have come out with physical evidence of the players using the juice, and serious implications are already underway. In tennis, the No. 4 player in the world, Russian Nikolay Davydenko, has been under investigation for his involvement in a match-fixing scheme. The inquiry began when officials saw a change in betting pattern when Davydenko lost a match in Poland in 2007. Since then, many ATP players have come forward with the facts that people had approached them with offers if they "threw" a match.
As a fan of all sports, I am torn between being bothered with constant allegations and actually knowing the truth. Can it be said that ignorance is really bliss? Should I honestly be interested in a tennis match if I have to repeatedly wonder in the back of my mind whether the match was fixed? I kind of like when the underdog wins, but not when it's at the expense of another professional athlete. Money-hungry people never find their way in the sports world. Just ask Drew Rosenhaus.
Think about how devastating it would be for Barry Bonds in the future if the allegations against him were proven true. The man given credit for owning the most hallowed record in baseball, if not sports, would single-handedly ruin any discussion of which era of sports was most impressive. More importantly, however, it would effectively taint the memories of growing up as a baseball fan. Such a revelation would revert back to the summer of 1998, when Sammy Sosa lit a fire under the metaphorical butt of baseball. Would that feat lose its special place in so many fans' hearts? I always hear stories of people who exactly remember where and what they were doing during major moments in sporting events. I can only hope that my memories don't begin to fade with these allegations.
Cheating is not maintained in just the professional arena. Though not prevalent at Case, according to former soccer player Nick Furlani, the idea of cheating to win has passed through his mind in the past.
"I've never been approached by anyone to throw a game or miss a PK," Furlani said. "I'd say that I've never been approached because I'm not sure if people invest too much money or interest into Div. III sports. I've heard of it happening in Div. I and in professionals, but nothing at this level. I can see where some people might be tempted to take the money especially if you are a poor college student, but I can't say I would take it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that. I think more than anything else I would know I let my teammates down who were giving it their all. It has crossed my mind what would happen if I were approached with a proposition to take steroids, and while it would be tempting, I don't see how I could take steroids either. Sure, it would feel great to get bigger, faster, and to have everyone else be impressed by my gains in strength, but deep down inside I would know that I cheated and it just wouldn't be the same. There's nothing greater in sports than coming out on top when no one expects it."
As sports fans try and enjoy the upcoming happenings in sports, we try and look past the negative stories that come about. Too bad it becomes so hard to do so when so many people decide to bend the rules.
