Eoding Sport Ethics

…Eroding Sports Ethics: Scott Soshnick
By Scott Soshnick

Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) — At the core of what athletes do, of why we watch and cheer and admire, is the notion of a just outcome.
Above all else, a level playing field is required to determine which team or individual is superior on that particular day. May the better team win.

That is the essence of competition and fair play. Sports are supposed to be about skill and smarts. And, of course, preparation and execution.

There’s no room for cheats. Or is there?

…Let’s take a spin through the sordid side of sports.

Nascar: There’s a saying around the racetrack — If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying. Whatever it is that a restrictor plate is supposed to restrict, you can bet a crew chief will find a way to make it less restrictive.

Formula One: Talk about espionage. Last week McLaren Mercedes, the leading team in the Formula One championship, was fined $100 million for spying. The International Automobile Federation, the sport’s governing body, found McLaren guilty of cheating by using data improperly obtained from rival Ferrari.

Basketball: Stung by a referee betting scandal.

Baseball, track & field and cycling: Plagued by the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Tennis: Investigating possible match-fixing.

Chess: Yes, chess. In July, two players at the World Open in Philadelphia were suspected of cheating. One was found with a wireless receiver in his ear and was banned from tournament play for three years by the United States Chess Federation.

Good grief. Even chess.

Here is the full story.