Sports Blog

At what point in Sports – Amateur or Professional – am I supposed to look the other way when athletes cheat?

I have a message for the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and All Amateur Sports programs – cheating is not okay. It is not okay to continue moving the line because a certain amount of cheating is expected. At the risk of sounding self-righteous, what message are we sending kids who watch these sports? And what kind of a sham am I wasting my time watching?

If Kenny Rogers had a foreign substance on his hand in Game 2 of the World Series, then he should have been kicked out of the game and out of the Series. That substance didn’t look like dirt – and was washed off pretty quickly. And why didn’t Tony La Russa have a hairy fit over the whole incident? Is it because his pitchers are just as guilty of using some form of illegal means to get an edge? Is there an unwritten code in Major League Baseball that a certain amount of cheating is acceptable and expected? This is the World Series! Shouldn’t umpires be even more vigilant to ensure cheaters don’t prosper?

So why the cone of silence? Are things going so well for Major League Baseball that no one dare rock the boat? Not even the Umpires?

Over the years, we’ve had many pitchers who were suspected of cheating – Phil and Joe Niekro and the Sandpaper; Gaylord Perry and his famous spit ball. Perry titled his autobiography “Me and the Spitter”. There is even a story out there that he approached the makers of Vaseline to endorse their product! He was apparently unceremoniously turned down. Although joining the Majors in 1962, he wasn’t ejected from a game for cheating until 1982! And yes, he’s in the Hall of Fame. Not only am I expected to look the other way when an athlete cheats, but I’m supposed to visit him in Cooperstown too!

Bottom line – don’t fans, whether we pay for a ticket or tune in at home, deserve the right to expect that what we are watching is at least ethical and honest? Or is it okay for a cheating pitcher to throw a ball to a batter who hopes his bat doesn’t splinter in all the wrong places? Really – is it all just a farce?

It’s not okay to cheat. Whether it’s performance enhancing drugs, doctoring the baseball, or corking the bat - whatever – it’s not okay. Tell me - when did we become such an accepting public?

So back to my original question – where do we draw the line? Maybe it will take another “Black Sox” scandal to finally shake the foundation of professional baseball. We and Major League Baseball didn’t waste any time putting Pete Rose in his place.

I’ll still watch the rest of the Series - but it’s lost some of its lustre.