Where have all the real athletes gone? People who were once looked up to are no longer concerned with the glory of being a role model, but are just in it for the money. These past few months have shown us, yet again, the dark side of the sports world.
Michael Vick has pled guilty to running a dog-fighting ring, Barry Bonds’ career home run record is under speculation, and a NBA referee was caught gambling on games he was working. Is there any sport left that isn’t tainted by a few individuals’ actions?
In our fast-paced business oriented world, some people can never have enough money. According to USA Today, Michael Vick made over eight million dollars in salary and bonuses, yet ran a dog-fighting ring where he gambled a few thousand dollars at a time to make a little extra cash.
I think there are better things you can do with your time and money when you are worth that much. Whatever happened to playing a little basketball on the side or having a weekly poker game?
And that brings me to Barry “The Human Steroid” Bonds. He undoubtedly is one of the most talented hitters in the game, but that wasn’t good enough for him. He probably would have gotten the record without the steroids because whether the ball goes 420 feet or 520 feet, a home run is a home run, and steroids don’t help you see the ball better. But, until someone breaks his record there will forever be an asterisk next to his name.
With the amount of money many of these athletes make they can afford to spend a little extra time in the gym instead of buying illegal substances.
Everyone is just doing it for the money and don’t seem to care about winning anymore. Our sports world is slowly being taken over by the corporate attitude infecting most aspects of our lives.
NBA referee Tim Donaghy placed bets on games. Is there no better example of a guy who is just in it for the money?
In the gambling world, they say that there is no sure thing, but in this case it’s pretty close. I remember when sports were fun to watch but now it just seems you never know if you can believe what you are actually seeing.