Behind the Mic: Cheating — Even in the Little League

It is not unusual for me to spout off to anyone who will listen about the value of athletics.  I like to point out that you learn to be a part of a team; you learn to sacrifice your time for the greater good; you learn that hard work and dedication leads to success; you learn that individual accomplishment is often aided by others; and you learn that competition makes you stronger.  That has always been my mantra and, I would like to think that over the years, the young people I have watched garner success have done so the right way and for the right reasons.

And then you get hit with some old-fashioned reality – too many people in sports these days are cheating.  Whether it is illegal recruiting, deflating footballs, using performance-enhancing drugs, offering phantom grades to athletes to keep them in college, shifting residence requirements, etc., the ultimate goal now seems to be to win at all costs.

That lesson was dramatically demonstrated again this week.   This was a particularly bad seven days.  A scandal hit the Little League!  As I’m sure you know by now, the Jackie Robinson West Little League team was stripped of its US title for changing the boundaries for its roster.  It seemed shocking; and we all felt badly for the kids who had nothing to do with the scandal.  Some adults decided that it would be best to create a Little League all-star team in order to have a better chance to win the national title, despite the fact that it was against the rules.  Disgusting, right?  Alarming, right?  But, should we have really been shocked at all?

If kids and coaches are learning anything about athletics these days, it’s that winning is pretty much everything!  Pro athletes take illegal substances in order to perform better.  Colleges allow athletes to forego the academic part of attending their institution by allowing them access to their athletic teams, but not requiring them to meet the standards of the academic institution.  Deflating footballs, illegally taping practices, recruiting athletes for college with promises that can’t be kept – this is the landscape today.

And even worse, so many current day athletes are proud and happy to demonstrate their huge egos, their sense of entitlement, and self-importance over all else.

That is not what sports are to be about.  I want to continue to announce games where kids play for the love of the game, the love of competition, and for their fellow teammates.  Fortunately, at the high school and college-level environment I work in, those attributes seem to still exist. I continue to hope that, for the most part, the glass is still half full.  But it is becoming harder and harder to keep the blinders on and not see what could be a harsh reality – winners cheat!

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)

1. Remember Diana Taurasi who played for Connecticut and won three national championships. That was 11 years ago.  Well, she went on to win three WNBA titles, three Olympic gold medals, and four Euroleague titles.  She announced this week that she will not play in the WNBA this year.  Her body needs a rest.  She will get paid, however, to sit out by her European team from Russia.  They will pay her $107,000 salary to rest.  It is said she makes $1.5 million to play for the Russian team. They want her healthy.
2. Pitchers and catchers report this week for spring training. That means Alex Rodriguez is back soon with the Yankees.  It will be interesting to watch how the Yankees handle him and how Rodriguez handles himself.  Is anyone rooting for him to succeed?
3. There were 321 points scored in the NBA All-Star game on Sunday; it was 122-122 after three periods! Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City scored 41 points, one shy of the All-Star record held by Wilt Chamberlain.  I guess no one told either team that defense wins games.
4. It’s hard enough to win money when you are legally betting on a sporting event. This past weekend at Churchill Downs, it was so muddy that the wrong horse was incorrectly awarded the victory.  All the horses were caked in mud at the end; the winners were announced; and the bets paid.  Then the horses were hosed down revealing a different winner!  Officials asked that the people who were incorrectly paid return their winnings.  I’m sure that will happen.
5. District basketball starts its two-week run this week, crowning champions on the 27^th and 28^th. With no AA and A boys’ teams in the field from our viewing area, the field is narrowed considerably.  Enjoy the next two weeks.