I understood where she was coming from...and what she meant. No one has to dig very deep to find out the good, the bad and the ugly of any given professional athlete. Opinions abound. Stories of their generosity, kindness and character are just as common as their entitlement. I've wondered if the depth chart speaks to their talent, or popular media's perception of an athlete. To this point, Kevin Kennedy of USS Sports Machine, has scribed a response to my mom's quagmire. I hope you find it helpful, I hope you enjoy.
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| Honestly, I'm surprised the Niners even had a depth chart this year... |
How to Balance Rooting
For Your Favorite Players Who Have Moral Issues by Kevin Kennedy
With the continued development of technology and the
advancement of social media, information from around the world often becomes
available instantly. That’s good news in many cases, but what if it’s something
you might not want to know such as a member of your favorite sports team
engaging in questionable or downright morally negative behavior? Can you
separate a player’s personal life from his role as a member of your favorite
team?
Basically, you have three choices when it comes to balancing
morality and team support:
●
Voice your displeasure, whether it’s on social media or
at the park, stadium or court.
●
Don’t root for the guilty player, but support the team
as a whole. Stay quiet when he or she is on, but cheer on good efforts by other
team members.
●
You can ignore their personal life and focus on what he
or she does for the sport, as long as they perform well and helps the team win.
While there is no set formula of how to reconcile your mixed
feelings, you can evaluate numerous factors. These include the nature of the
offense, involvement in charity work, and whether the player has actually been
convicted or just accused of a crime. Of course this whole scenario of morals
versus loyalty comes with unpredictability. For example, fans have been known
to cheer for one player while booing another, even if the athletes had offenses
that didn’t seem to warrant one or the other.
For example, MVP Ryan Braun led the Milwaukee Brewers to a division
title after a three-decade drought, but he fell from favor quickly when a cheating and lying scandal that involved
performance-enhancing drugs took over. Compare that to Aroldis Chapman who was
accused of domestic abuse. He was traded from the New York Yankees to the
Chicago Cubs just before the trade deadline. While Chapman was never arrested
nor charged, Cub fans expressed mixed feelings on social media about this
controversial acquisition. However, Chapman was applauded with cheers during
games as he helped the long-suffering franchise end the longest championship
drought in sports history. Chapman pitched 7.2 innings in five World Series
appearances, helping the Cubs defeat the Cleveland Indians in an epic seven
game series.
However, once Chapman won his 2016 World Series ring with the
Chicago Cubs, the Yankees seemed eager enough to have him back, despite his
domestic violence background. They signed him to a record contract this December,
inking him to a record $86 million deal. In this case, it seems that his
performance on the field overrode his alleged transgressions.
Unpredictability is further enhanced by how the governing
bodies in sports and the networks react. For example, some athletes get
suspended by the corresponding leagues while others don’t. Additionally, the
passage of time seems to ease some transgressions. Some big names with scandals
tied to them even make it into the broadcasting booth. Such
is the case with Pete Rose and Alex Rodriguez. If the network endorses them,
does that mean they did not violate any ethics or morals? Only you can decide
that.
Visit Kevin's other articles on USS Sports Machine's Website
Photo Credits
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
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