As "Deflategate" continues to consume the national media, I find myself actually chuckling over the bizarre reaction of the athletic purists among us. Sports commentators, political advisors, editorialists, common folk--the reaction has been brutal. "The integrity of the game is being threatened," If the rules are not enforced, then the game will crumble," "Tom Brady should be suspended for a year," "The Patriots should be severely punished," . . . all the aforementioned have been bombarding us for a few days. Again, I chuckle . . . most of the critics probably have forgotten a few of the "unspoken," yet hypocritical "rules" of sports. Please allow me to share just a sample:
*Coaches, players, franchises--all try to get away with whatever they can . . . nothing new about that. "Gaining a competitive edge" is what we who have played athletics call it; others, of course, will refer to it as "cheating." Whatever the term, try these examples on for size and see if any of them ring a bell:
**Beginning as far back as I can remember, basketball coaches have taught various methods of "gaining an edge" ranging from sending the wrong foul shooter to the free throw line "in case the official forgot" who was to go there; to nudging an opposing jumper during a jump ball with the inside arm as the jumper was going up in the air; to immediately jumping out of bounds when the ball went out of bounds to indicate that the other team knocked the ball out of play "in case the official wasn't sure." In the stands, of course, we applaud the heads up play of the athlete . . . as long as he is on our side!
***Offensive line coaches in football are notorious for teaching kids how to clandestinely hold without the officials noticing; sometimes the offenders get caught, but more often than not they avoid being penalized. In simple terms, as football fans know, holding is part of the game. Illegal, yes, but, again, it's part of the game, isn't it?
****As a Browns' fan, I clearly remember last year when Coach Mike Pettine ran a play where it appeared that Johnny Manziel ran off the field but instead stood on the sideline apparently discussing something with Coach Kyle Shanahan. Soon thereafter the ball was thrown to Manziel and a significant yardage gain was made; unfortunately, if I remember correctly, a penalty was called for either that trick or for something else that negated the call. We Browns' fans, thought it was a great play because it "almost" worked in our favor. Opponents, of course, thought it was a distinct violation of the rule's intent, but we in this part of Ohio thought it was ingenious!
*****In baseball, the "code" is if a batter is hugging the plate, a high hard one right at his body may solve the problem. Ethical? Probably not, but as a player, we understand that it could happen. I could elaborate about the "spitter," the hidden ball ploy, and other rules violations, but they are simply part of the game, aren't they?
******UCLA is renown for its long-running tenure of NCAA Men's Basketball Championships; as a result, the program and Coach John Wooden are heralded as great teams and a great coach. Many times I have heard "that's how a program should be run" because of the high regard by which they are held. Sorry, I don't buy that argument. As history and research have proven, UCLA cheated like crazy; former players have attested that they were given cars, money, and gifts as rewards for their performances. Sam Gilbert, an extremely devoted fan and a quite wealthy man, I might add, was notorious for his subtle performance as a sugar-daddy. Of course, Coach Wooden escaped the scrutiny because his program was UCLA--a dynasty--and because the NCAA was (or acted) so unaware of what was going on during that time. I strongly doubt that UCLA fans cared whether the "integrity of the game" was being challenged--they were winning, so what if a little action came the way of the players?
******As a longtime follower of automobile racing, particularly NASCAR, I recognize that seeking the competitive edge is part of the racing game. NASCAR's history is dotted with improper equipment, unapproved fuel additives, unsanctioned weight distribution methods . . . the list goes on. In truth, part of me admires the ingenuity of the participants for their desire to "bend the rules." Most recently, Ryan Newman's team was fined and certain crew members suspended for putting pinholes in the rear tires to alter the tires' grip on the track . . . my take was "why didn't the other teams try that?"
So, Tom Brady is accused of being "at least partially aware" of knowing that air was taken out of his footballs--that's a big deal? Are you kidding me? Again, part of me admires him for continuing the tradition of gaining an edge. (I must add that if I flip the words "at least partially aware" what I truly see is "we cannot prove it, but we think that is what happened"--the Wells' Report sounds to me like the word choice has found Brady guilty even though he truly has not! Sensationalism, perhaps?) If the integrity of the game is now ruined because of air in a football, I surrender . . . get me off the athletic train! (I should add in the event that a reader sees me as a loyal Patriots' supporter, he or she would be wrong--that is not the case.)
Sports are games--anyone who has played, coached, or watched closely probably understands my perspective. For the naysayers who are convinced that all sports need to be pure, I have to agree with them . . . if only that were so. Viewing sports from a naïve perspective can only lead to negative perceptions; opening our eyes and occasionally appreciating the quirks can be quite enlightening. The reality is that sports are not wholly pure--the "wiggle room" is half the fun!
mag.gunther@gmail.com
guntherm@roadrunner.com
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