The definition of "sportsmanship" has taken a terrible beating this summer.
Whatever happened to moraility and ethics in sports? Barry Bonds breaking Henry Aaron's home run record while loaded with steroids.
Eight NASCAR crews have been suspended this year for cheating in separate incidents.
In Formula-One, McLaren is fined 100 million dollars for receiving stolen technical documents.
The leader of the Tour de France removed from the race for ducking doping tests.
And of course, Bill Belichick.
What is troubling is the absolute lack of remorse on the part of the guilty and the defenses thrown up by fans of their sports.
I grew up with the idea that sports was about the rulebook and sportsmanship. Somewhere in that mix was "gamesmanship". But the line between gamesmanship and cheating has been erased.
there was a time when cheating was a rare occurance. Now it's an everyday part of sporting life.
And sadly, the word "ethical" is becoming an anachronism. In today's society the sin is getting caught. Winning is the only important thing even if the winning comes illegally.
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