Reputation of sports crippled by recent cheating

by Schuyler Clark, staff writer

As an avid football fan, I am fed up and disgusted with all the scandal and dishonesty in professional sports. 

This appalling display of arrogance and smug protestation of innocence makes my blood boil every time I hear about it.  It would be nice for once to be able to say with confidence that my favorite team has won all their games and competitions fair and square.

But, unfortunately, that is not the case.  Every time I turn on the television or listen to the radio, I am bombarded by an array of accusations and complaints flying around my head like a frenzy of bats at sunset.  “Possible performance-enhancing drugs used by various athletes,” and “Athlete’s trainer testifies against client,” are only a couple out of a plethora that I have heard within the past few days. 

No sport has been untainted or untouched to my current knowledge. The unethical and dishonest behavior reaching out to strangle good intentions throughout the sporting world, from boxing and baseball all the way up to the upper echelon of  the Olympics. This was the red flag that has me dazed and confused with no clue of truth, and that really makes me ponder the integrity of sports to come. 

What’s worse is if today’s athletes have been getting away with this unethical garbage, what implications could that have for past greats such as Babe Ruth or Muhammad Ali?  Personally, I would like to try to convince myself that this nasty smear on sports is a relatively new thing. But I think that I am only deceiving myself. 

This is a frightening reality, because sports is a common source of surrogate “American Idols” to the majority of the youth.  This means that they will most likely look up to these icons and accept this behavior as normal or even standard.  The severity of these actions will not last very long if this is allowed to continue.  Only through early education can prevention truly work.

Drug testing is a positive thing. It allows employers to nip the problem in the bud by avoiding future potential risks and accidents. This, in turn, lowers insurance rates and the job site is a safer place. I don’t have a problem with that.

Where the confrontation begins is the topic of invasion of privacy. When will this stop? Or even slow down? Next thing you know we won’t even have the right to associate behind closed doors or harbor private opinions. The public needs to stand up for their rights that are being dissolved beneath their feet.

I don’t know how much more filth and debauchery the wide world of sports can handle before its honorable name is tarnished with an ugly stigma that I am afraid that may never be washed away.