Integrity and Cheating in Sports: Where has Roy Hobbs gone?

Why do we play sports? To make millions of dollars? Maybe at some point that is what crosses our minds if we are good enough to play professionally, but originally when we are kids, why did we start playing the game? It’s fun! Games are meant to be fun. Or in the case of Roy Hobbs in The Natural,  ”to be the best there ever was in the game”.

 I know it may sound like a cliché, but its true, and somewhere along the way some start to lose that and blur the lines on how to go about the game the right way. In light of the media the last few years, and most notably this year, I am going to bring to you a discussion that I believe makes a mockery out of our professional athletic system. I want to start by talking about The Natural, one of my favorite sports books and movies of all time.

There are several reasons I admire the story. The first is the ideals that Roy Hobbs, the main character, embodies. Roy Hobbs was raised on a farm and learned at an early age the values that his dad instilled in him; integrity, hard work and doing things the right way. Roy’s life was not easy, he lost his father tragically.  But I recall one of the lines his Dad left Roy before he passed was: “You have a gift Roy, but it’s not enough, you have to develop that gift, you rely too much on your gift, and you’ll fail.”

That couldn’t be truer in sports or in life.  But why is it that the lessons we are taught at young age start to fly out the window and not matter as much when million dollar contracts are at stake?  This simple phrase Roy’s dad shared while playing catch with Roy one day could be the building block to a successful life. In essence, Roy’s father was warning him not to look for the easy way versus the right. 

Why would I teach my son or daughter about integrity, character, fundamentals, fair play and hard work if that principal didn’t apply to them as adults? If it is not okay to cheat when you are learning how to play the game then why is it okay when you are at the top of your game or when the next step means millions of dollars? I pose these questions so that we consider what we are communicating when we teach our kids to admire athletes even after those athletes cheat to win or get ahead. Is money that important? I am reminded of something in my faith when I think about this topic. In Mark 8: 36-37, Jesus says, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but lose his own soul?” I believe it is only by our actions that we reveal our true answer.

                When I was young, I dreamed, (as did most of my friends, of becoming a professional athlete. I got to realize that dream on a small scale after playing Jr. Hockey and College hockey, I didn’t get to step out in an NHL game, but I got to play on a minor league team briefly and the journey was fun, even though my result wasn’t a hall of fame ticket to Toronto. In college I worked out harder off ice than I could ever imagine in order to enhance my performance. I also remember that I had an opportunity, if I wanted to take it, to find ways to enhance my performance through illegal performance enhancers or through steroids.  I knew who to turn to if I wanted to travel down that route, but I decided not to and I never knew of any of my teammates heading down that path either.  Still, it makes  you wonder, if you had that extra step, if you were just a bit stronger, would it get you noticed enough to  start moving on to the next level? Is getting to the NHL, at all costs, something that I or anyone is willing to do, even if it may be through cheating?

I didn’t go down that path, so I will never know, but I didn’t because I was taught at an early age, that you work hard and play the game to the best of your ability and try and do things the right way. Thankfully some of what I learned stuck.  Every athlete wants an advantage, why wouldn’t we, we are competitive and want to win.  But not at the cost of one’s character, and integrity. So, why is that we allow this behavior in professional sports? Baseball has been a topic in 2013 with some high profile players being caught using banned enhancement drugs and suspended, Should players be suspended and fined if they cheat? Yes of course, but I think it should go beyond that.

                My issue: Why is ok for pro athletes to cheat, deny they cheated, get caught, apologize, get suspended and then still get to go back to their million dollar contracts and lifestyle? If they cheated they might not ever have achieved anything close to what they achieved during their career. It is an issue for me because in professional sports, the difference between average and hall of fame is so small. If your batting average goes up by .50 for your career and you were a .250 batter before that, you are now a hall of fame contender and worth millions. A .250 average might not get you a very long career in the MLB. If you hit 10 more home runs during your contract year and sign for 10 million more than you would have, now what? You have achieved what you wanted. You wanted to make millions playing the game you love. Then you get tested positive for a performance enhancing drugs, now what? Give the one time apology to your fans and your club and your family for cheating when you get caught. Do the ones who got caught have to give any of the money back? NO. This is the main issue because that player wouldn’t have gotten the large financial contract if not for cheating because the normal statistics were not that good.

To further my issue with illegal performance enhancing drugs and cheating, look at Lance Armstrong. The hero of the Tour de France for the United States, went through a great battle with cancer, made it through and created a brand from it. Livestrong may be one of the biggest brands out on the market up until recently when it was found that he cheated to win the Tour de France championships. Do you think that Lance Armstrong and Livestrong become a household name if he doesn’t win? Does anyone remember the guy who finished 35th? How about 10th? Even 5th? I know I don’t. Armstorng has made millions off of those wins and endorsements. If he doesn’t cheat, he doesn’t win, and he doesn’t become a multi-millionaire.

So what is the solution? I am not quite sure, but I sure we could start by having them give some portion, if not all of the contract, back if  they were found to be cheating, and give that money to charity. What kind of example are we setting when guys are suspended but not really affected financially? Every kid coming up in the system that wants an advantage and needs one to make it to the PRO’s is going to definitely think about it. For many, that don’t come from much, maybe it’s not a hard decision. Maybe though, just maybe, if we had harsh enough punishment that these athletes would know the risks don’t outweigh the reward then maybe we can start having some guys like Roy Hobbs we can look up to again and who I would want my kids to look up to.