I realize it’s a hard concept to accept. Sports fans, myself included, want to believe that those athletes we watch on television or in stadiums haven’t used unscrupulous methods.
I still want to believe that Lance Armstrong really was such a dominant rider because of hard work, dedication, a slightly enlarged heart and a private hyperbolic chamber.
But with doping controversy that he can’t defend against and the gutting of the Tour de France this past year, it looks more likely that he wasn’t that innocent.
There are many examples like his out there, where players or teams have turned a blind eye to the rule book for that competitive advantage.
A few weeks ago the New England Patriots were caught trying to steal signals. When discovered, head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the Patriots had a draft pick taken away, which pick being dependent on how well they do.
If the first two games are any indication, they’ll lose a first round pick.
In college sports, there is at least one big story every year where some coach, player or booster was caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar in some way.
Usually, it’s a recruiting violation or news that a player accepted money from outside sources, a clear violation of NCAA rules that nonetheless spawns discussions about how college players should be compensated for their play.
But for anyone who still wants to believe that these are the rare exceptions, I hate to break it to you, but they’re not. An even harder truth to accept is that cheating is normal, not just because of a natural desire for these individuals to win, but because we fans have made it worth the risk.
American sports fans don’t flock to stadiums to see relief pitchers or third down backs, they flock to see superstars. Fans don’t want to see a sacrifice bunt, they want to see home runs. Fans, myself included, want to see records broken and history made.
Look at Barry Bonds. Everyone outside of San Francisco Giants fans hate what he has done, but everywhere he went on his home run history journey was packed. The fans know he used performance-enhancing drugs, but they wanted to see his 756 home run, even when neither team playing had any post season hope.
Sports is big money for those involved. Not for cities or universities, who often end up actually paying for the teams, but for coaches, players and owners. Those on the pay roll have a large incentive to win. When you’re dealing with millions of dollars, it should come as no surprise that people are willing to risk the consequences for the prize.
If Bill Belichick knowingly broke the rules and used that advantage to win the Superbowl and secure a multi-million dollar contract, than his fine would be worth it.
For the fans, all indiscretions are forgiven when a coach or player can bring home a championship trophy. Belichick received a standing ovation in New England because he won three Superbowls, even knowing that he cheated.
Cheating is ingrained in sports, just like various dirty tactics are employed in every sector of life. As long as people believe they can benefit more than they risk, they’ll break any rules they believe they can get away with. In sports, that benefit is potentially several millions of dollars into the hands of the players, coaches and owners.
That’s far more than the risk of a draft pick.
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