WHEN IS WRONG REALLY WRONG?

                                  

I find it so hard to believe how much our lives are impacted by sports and athletes. Now to be sure I watch sports myself and I have my heroes too and I have probably been guilty to some extent of participating in the very thing I’m going to write about. But that doesn’t make it right.

A while back I finished reading a book by Jon Krakauer who is a celebrated author of such books as “Into Thin Air” and “Under the Banner of Heaven.” In this book he chronicles what happened in a community in Montana when a group of college athletes were accused of sexual violence against women. Now sexual violence against women happens everyday in this country so that in itself is nothing new but what seems to be so different, when athletes are the accused, is the amount of support they receive from the team and the community itself, professing their innocence. Yes, seemingly, they seem to be held to a different standard. In reality the colleges are doing a better job every day of holding athletes accountable but outside interests make this very hard for them to do. They are under intense pressure to bend the rules.

Even at the high school level it exists. A few years back I had just returned from Florida and in the community we were staying, several high school basketball players participated in making a disgusting video and then posting it online. The school acted quickly and the players admitted their guilt. They were suspended for several games and the matter seemed to be resolved, until the parents lawyered up and asked that the suspensions be reversed. The athletic careers of their kids were far more important, then setting a good example and doing what was right.

I was once told that no one is above the law but we all know that is not true when you have the money to pay someone to defend you in this country. Justice-- and I use that word loosely, is often times bought. Justice and the truth are not as synonymous in this country, as people would think. The truth becomes, not relevant to a good defense attorney and for the followers and supporters of sports, setting good examples are no longer important either. Krakauer told in his book about a young lawyer and an old lawyer who teamed up on a case. The verdict was set to come in and the young lawyer was sent to hear it. He telephoned the old lawyer after hearing the verdict and said “Justice was served.” The old Lawyer said, “Appeal immediately.”

 I often see Lawyers arguing a point for what seems forever, when you know in your heart that the truth needs no explanation. Say it and stick with it. If we want to be good examples of what is right and what is wrong in sports we need to get the selfishness out of sports. You should win because you are the best team and that means off the court as well as on it. Sports should teach you to be good winners and good losers, because in reality that is how life works also. To the athletes I would say this. You are held to a different standard-- a higher standard. It goes with the territory because when you fail. you fail a lot of people and that is sad.