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UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR OF PRO ATHLETES.
Term Paper ID:24570
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Essay Subject:
Examines causes & effects of criminal, immoral & violent behavior, focusing on the rewards for such behavior.... More...
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8 Pages / 1800 Words
7 sources, 18 Citations,
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Paper Abstract:
Examines causes & effects of criminal, immoral & violent behavior, focusing on the rewards for such behavior.
Paper Introduction:
For many professional athletes, unethical behavior has become the norm. Whether they are trying to sneak in a punch, shouting obscenities, fighting, throwing tantrums, or biting off opponents' ears, professional athletes are, increasingly, behaving like undisciplined children. Behavior in which the individual's interests are placed before everyone else's, behavior that violates the rules by which the game (or business or profession) is to be conducted, and behavior that violates the rights and interests of others, is unethical. In professional sports, such behavior is, increasingly, rewarded, applauded, and expected. And, it is seldom discouraged in any effective manner.
This growing problem stems, in large part, from the overwhelming commercialization of professional sports in the last few decades. Today, athletes are better paid, owners make bigger
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A brief suspension for assaulting a refereeor a camera operator sends the message that, in the long run, the financialhealth of the franchises takes precedence over insisting on ethicalbehavior from players. "Trash talk," the "venomous goadingof opponents," for example, has become an admired skill (Leo, 1993, p. 38).But, the public, and professional sports, appear to thrive on suchspectacles, and Tyson will undoubtedly be back. Whether they are trying to sneak in a punch, shouting obscenities,fighting, throwing tantrums, or biting off opponents' ears, professionalathletes are, increasingly, behaving like undisciplined children. Another aspect ofplayers as role models is that, as such behavior becomes routine, it alsobecomes what the fans expect to see. 38). And,very often, rather than simply ignoring common ethical training, they areactively encouraged to engage in unethical behaviors. 37). Dudley (Ed.), Sports in America: Opposing Viewpoints (pp. So long as owners are willing to give in to player demands (foranything except money), and owners use players as leverage withadvertisers, municipalities, and other players, there will be no change.Harsher fines and more meaningful suspensions need to be put in place, andacted on. Players are also role models for fans and other players, and thebehavior of one individual can have considerable impact on how the gamesare played. In the atmosphere of today's professional sports,however, team spirit is evoked only when it is sparked by a victory. Athletes learn,from the beginning, that those who pay the bills are the only ones whomatter, and, as time goes by, they come to see that these bill-payers arenot concerned with anything but the bottom line. But, the changes they are making extend farbeyond the loss of positive values. In addition, the athletes are better than they have ever been--playing at a level that surpasses any other period in history. It is, therefore, only a matter of timebefore another promoter takes him on, and, fueled by publicity that mayexceed what he would have gained from a win, Tyson will be earning millionsagain. 43). This impact takesseveral forms that could be summed up in the phrase "role model." Thoughsome athletes may claim that this is not a part of their job, theconsequences of their behavior are unavoidable. But,there is really no ethical requirement that an individual do more than playand behave in an ethical manner. Suspensions make agreater impact, but, they seem to be entirely out of proportion to theoffenses that brought them on. Television also has an overwhelming impact. "Athletes should not be role models." In W. But, the behavior of today's athletesis changing the very nature of the experience of playing sports. As Karl Malone argued, "wedon't choose to be role models, we are chosen" (1994, p. Their example is important in twoways. Since one of the socialroles of sports is to promote the values of team work, fair competition,and pleasure in physical skill, professional athletes, in eliminating theseconsiderations from their games, are guilt of changing an institution thatdoes not even belong to them. 37). Until professional athletes stop beingrewarded for such behavior, and start being penalized in a substantialfashion, the situation will only become worse. An entitled person is one whoperceives himself to be beyond the laws and rules that govern the behaviorof other human beings. In addition, the shallow flash andstyle, that are demanded by television and merchandisers, have an effect onthe types of players who receive the most attention, and, consequently, themost money. 88). It is impossible to place all the blame on theshoulders of the athletes when owners, despite their desire to avoid payingany more than they have to, favor players whose big contracts, flashystyle, and bad-boy reputations get all the free publicity any owner couldwant. Uniformsanctions within each sport are probably a necessary step. But, each time,his "headlong descent into a world of consumption and arrogance," has beendisregarded, and his money-making power has been tapped again (Hoffer,1997, p. San Diego: Greenhaven.McCallum, J. Goodman (1994) points out that Tyson is simply one of the mostblatant examples of athletes who have long been exploited by those whosought to make large fortunes from the athletes' abilities. Athletes used to be able to combine camaraderie withcompetition, team spirit with individual excellence, and enjoyment with thejob of earning a living. Mike Tyson's attack on Evander Holyfield is only the most shocking ofrecent examples of behavior that is completely outside the range ofacceptable aggressive competition. Certainly, in the field of professional sports, the minorpenalties, and major rewards, that are earned by those who break rules orbehave without regard for others, only confirm that their neglect ofpersonal responsibility is an acceptable mode of behavior. Bulls player Dennis Rodman kicked acamera operator. Such bowing to the wishes of the players occurs regardlessof the level of their current performance, and is motivated only by thebottom-line value attached to their names. Instead, the solutions probably have to be initiated at the other endof athletes' careers. Criminal behavior, and generally sociallyunacceptable behavior, by athletes should also be their own privateconcern. Fromhigh school through their professional careers, athletes are treated in amanner that discourages the development of ordinary moral reasoning. "The young and the feckless: Another NBA coach finds out--too late--who's really running the show." Sports Illustrated, p. "Feeding frenzy: A raging Mike Tyson dragged his sport to new depths when he sank his teeth into Evander Holyfield." Sports Illustrated, pp. (1997, June 14). 32-38.Leo, J. Second, much of what youngpeople learn about how to play sports comes from their observation ofathletes. San Diego: Greenhaven. Tyson, who waspampered and flattered by his managers, "eventually came to believe . (1994). 48). Leo notes, for example, that "one of the less-publicizedskills in the [NBA] is how to hit an opponent so that he falls in anawkward way, causing an injury" (1993, p. In thisrespect, Charles Barkley's famous refusal to be a role model is ethicallyjustified. Dudley (Ed.), Sports in America: Opposing Viewpoints (pp. Nor does the entitled person conceive of hisbehavior, and its effects on others, as being a matter of personalresponsibility. But, in this case, the athletes are acting, and are seen to beacting, on the assumption that their special talents, or their enormouswealth, somehow exempt them from the rules and laws that govern everyoneelse's conduct. Today,athletes are better paid, owners make bigger profits, television andmerchandising revenues increase, and fans have not yet rebelled againsthigh prices. 37.Malone, K. Tyson, increasingly aware of the extent to which he was beingexploited, repeatedly reacted with confusion and violence. (1994). But, such finesamount to very little in the case of high-paid players. (1993, June 14). 88). ReferencesFarber, M. Yet, in a worldwhere the public actions of team owners demonstrate that players, ratherthan coaches or managers, have the last word, the possibility of anyonegaining greater authority over players is slight. Dudley (Ed.), Sports in America: Opposing Viewpoints (pp. 92). Acting on this assumption is unethical because the safety,welfare, and rights of others are subordinated to the wishes of theseindividuals. As Schaap(1994) notes, in the pursuit of the dollar, the old combinations havedisappeared. 46-49). Theprivileges they enjoy throughout their careers, often, as in Tyson's case,begin to be perceived as entitlements. Even a winning coach isexpendable, because, if he stayed, the pouting players would simply refuseto listen to him. 1 9). The prevailing failure of the sportssystem is indicated by the results of a recent University of Idaho study inwhich researchers found that "in the area of moral reasoning, athletesinvariably score lower than non-athletes--and that they grow worse thelonger they participate in athletics" (Goodman, 1994, p. And, off the field, this type of behavior is supplemented by"drug abuse by athletes, arrests for drunken driving, betting andrecruiting scandals, and, most disturbingly, rape and other sex-relatedcrimes" (Goodman, 1994, p. When he is on the basketball court, Barkley has an obligation toperform in an ethical manner. A good example is the recent firing of Brian Hill, coach ofthe Orlando Magic. This is partly because children learn how toplay the game by observing athletes. Some may argue that, as far as the manner of play goes, professionalsport is a business, and it can be conducted as the participants see fit.The counter-argument is that, whether they seek it or not, professionalathletes' actions have an impact on the rest of society. S. Yet, the NBA and other organizations and leagues, have as littleinterest in upsetting the status quo as owners and players do. A good example of the lack of stringent rules regarding ethicalinfractions is the case of Mike Tyson. In the case of blatant violations,however, fines and suspensions are regularly invoked. Monetary penalties,and other sanctions, are weak, and inconsistently applied. If a few athletes play thisway, most will follow--if only out of self-defense. Certainly there are few methods of curtailing unethical behavior byathletes. Itmeans, "'we won,' it doesn't mean we worry about each other, bolster eachother, counsel each other" (Schaap, 1994, p. 92.Schaap, D. For many professional athletes, unethical behavior has become thenorm. In professional sports, such behavioris, increasingly, rewarded, applauded, and expected. 49). . They are placed inthe difficult position of competing in a setting that considers only thebottom line, and they are encouraged in the kind of behavior that--whilemany deplore it--wins games and gets public attention. Yet, in so far as young people might emulate their poor example, theathletes cannot really be held ethically responsible. Just as athletes develop their unusualphysical skills over the course of time, their ethical skills need time togrow as well. As Goodman observes,though athletes play an important social role, "it is probably misguidedfor society to look to athletes for its heroes--any more than we look amongthe ranks of, say, actors or lawyers or pipefitters" (1994, p. Owners have taken to catering to the players that they perceive ashaving the greatest drawing power--regardless of the quality of theirperformance. Throughout their careers, spoiled and indulgedathletes are faced with few expectations regarding any aspect of theirbehavior other than performance. 43). As Farber (1997) notes, a superb player such as tennischampion Pete Sampras is not valued very highly by the public, or byadvertisers. If fans expect physical brutality, and a complete lack of respect forfellow-players, then this is what they get. Yet, theenormous pressures associated with getting, and keeping, their hugesalaries, and lucrative endorsements, has shifted players' focus from theirrole as athletes to their ability to command a great deal of money. "Who da man?: Sadly, the apple of the public's eye is rarely an admirable champion like Pete Sampras." Sports Illustrated, p. "Athletes' greed has marred professional sports." In W. And,this is especially true in view of the warped world of commercial sports,where accepted values are often inverted in the pursuit of money. They prefer,of course, a player like André Agassi, because, "too often they choose theglitz and not the gifts, the bizarre image rather than the ideals" (Farber,1997, p. Malone says, for example, that a trulypositive role model would, in his personal life, give "of himself, in timeor in money, to help people" and "display the values--like honesty anddetermination--that are part of being a good person" (1994, p. 48-49). First, young people tend to emulate those people they admire--inpersonal, as well as sports-related, behavior. In regard to their off-the-field behavior, some athletes viewtheir role as an active one. San Diego: Greenhaven.Hoffer, R. Norm Van Exel of the Lakers slammed his elbow into areferee. But, the truly important impact of athletes, and the area in whichthey have a duty to be positive models, is in the performance of theirjobs. The most common use of the term "role model," refers to the impactthat athletes have on young people. With its need to fill somuch air time, television looks for spectacular performance. In thisrespect, the medium is completely indifferent to values such as fair play,honesty, and respect for other people. Despite the gravity of hisbehavior, the fallout, in terms of his earning ability, has been slight."He can still fight--and apparently wants to, as his profuse apology"showed (Hoffer, 1997, p. "Athletes should be role models." In W. (1997, March 3). 42-45). Lapses insportsmanship, misbehavior off the field, and any tendency to exemptthemselves from normal social rules, have to be treated as severeinfractions from the beginning. And, it is seldomdiscouraged in any effective manner. Hill, with an excellent record, over 3 complete seasons,was ousted simply because Penny Hardaway, who becomes a free agent in the1998-99 season "held a Hill-or-me hammer over the franchise" (McCallum,1997, p. The earlierconviction for rape, and the recent explosion of rage in the Holyfieldfight, were, largely, symptoms of his frustration on finding that the worlddid not match his distorted picture of his own value. 38). .that all he saw belonged to him" (Goodman, 1994, pp. News and World Report, p. 1 6-11). Tennis stars, such as André Agassi and John McEnroe, got moreattention for throwing tantrums and arguing with referees than they did forwinning. 47). This growing problem stems, in large part, from the overwhelmingcommercialization of professional sports in the last few decades. But indifference to such values is endemic in the business ofprofessional sports. Hoffer claims that "no one wants to see this kind of miserymade public," and hopes that Tyson will not fight again (1997, p. (1994). (1997, July 14). Sampras is "gifted, honorable, humble, handsome--which is whythe citizenry doesn't like him much" (Farber, 1997, p. As McCallum (1997) explains, because the financialstakes have become so high--and are so tightly tied to the drawing power ofparticular athletes--owners now tend to allow certain players their own wayon everything. Behaviorin which the individual's interests are placed before everyone else's,behavior that violates the rules by which the game (or business orprofession) is to be conducted, and behavior that violates the rights andinterests of others, is unethical. The job of educating athletes in ethical behavior has to begin at anearly stage of their careers, when they are not earning 2 times as much asthose who attempt to assert some authority over them. Thus, for many,their own interest always come first, they are incapable of fair play, theyhave little regard for the knowledge or authority of anyone who makes lessmoney than they do, and, generally, regard their own will (and whims) asthe only criterion for behavior. "Pro sports' brat pack." U. 88.Goodman, M. Thus, general misbehavior, and unethical playing, are more oftenrewarded than they are punished.
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