Cheaters Never Prosper...Or Do They?

The New York Times reports that an independent review of professional tennis matches over the last five years, found 45 of the matches played "gave a strong indication that gamblers were profiting from inside information." The overall report emphasized that professional tennis is not "systematically nor institutionally corrupt" but nonetheless recommended that these particular matches "gave little room for complacency."

To its credit, the governing bodies of the sport, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP and the WTA Tour, all "embraced" the recommendations of the independent review and created a global tennis integrity unit to continue to provide oversight in the sport. But how will they make sure their oversight is heeded?

The NFL has closed its investigation into the alleged secret videotaping of sideline signals of opponents by the New England Patriots although Senator Arlen Spector is not satisfied with the conclusions that merely fined the team and docked the head coach a practice. Spector want to see Coach Bill Belichick brought before Congress.

And down in Kentucky, the state has hired a an equine medical director, Dr. Mary Scollay, to help advise the state on whether and how it should impose a ban on steroids in racing. The issue seems to be twofold: not only whether or not to ban steroids but also how to enforce that ban. Foster Northrup, a member of the states racing authority sums it up: "The amount of trouble we have convicting people now is only going to be manifested if we pass this ban too early."

That seems to be the problem in most sports. Even if there is a national authority that governs a professional sport, the issue is not the creation of rules, but rather their enforcement. You can uphold sportsmanship all you want, on the surface, but who makes sure the concept actually means something in practice?

I would suggest that when money enters the picture, especially lots of money as it does in professional sports, integrity, honesty and "winning one for the Gipper" become secondary to salaries, bonuses and stud fees. But then I remember the numerous drug and gambling violations in college sports, the little league fathers battling it out on the sidelines and pee wee hockey parents punching each other out, and I wonder what has happened to the concept of competitive fair play.

The apple never falls far from the tree and professional sports role models, or the lack thereof, trickle down pretty quickly. Cheating goes on at every level but its time to start teaching our kids that its not about what you can get away with, but about walking away with your integrity intact.

I don't have any magic bullets for instilling this kind of moral code, but maybe you do. Let me know what you think.