On the TunneySide of Sports March 2, 2020 #785 Up next… Is it a Pandemic?
After further review… No, this is not about the Coronavirus. It’s about cheating in sports. Has that become pandemic? Has winning become so vital that people overlook what their parents/guardians instilled in them as children?
“You play to win the game,” said Coach Herm Edwards to a group of reporters when he was head coach of the New York Jets. After a blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns on October 30, a reporter asked Coach Edwards, in only his second year as head coach, if he would consider allowing his players to just play and not be concerned about winning in order to finish low in the standings ensuring a higher draft choice.
“Hello,” said Coach Edwards, his voice rising to a high pitch, “You play to win the game, you just don’t go out and play. You play to win the game,” he repeated. Was Edwards emphasizing winning at all costs? Never! If you follow the ‘Edwards Code’, you will know that he places a high value on integrity and respect for the game. Has that long-standing philosophy vanished?
The former men’s tennis coach at the University of Texas at Austin recently received a 6-month prison sentence for taking a $100,000 bribe in the college admission scandal. Several Hollywood celebrities (avoiding the word stars) also had paid money to several universities to get their “non-qualified” adult children into those schools. Some of those parents received fines as well as jail sentences. What lessons are we sending about winning?
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is still being questioned by players, coaches, managers, and fans about the cheating that the Houston Astros did in sign-stealing from opponents. Such questioning may last throughout the 2020 season. It was interesting to note that many have said Manfred used his authority because he is in charge of integrity for MLB. I disagree! The commissioner is ‘the sheriff-in-town’ to enforce rules that are broken. Integrity belongs to all those involved! When did we lose sight of that?
The need to win has brought many a person to their knees – a fall from grace as it were. As I reflect on the number of games I played in high school and college, I don’t remember how many were won or lost. What I do remember are the friendships I made and the lessons I learned from those games. They have been invaluable.
Will you place integrity and respect for the game ahead of winning at all costs?
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