A Question of Integrity

In a former life, I was a football fan. And by fan, I mean that I went to high school and college games for the social interaction and watched a little football by default. It should come as no surprise that Deflate Gate escaped me for awhile. What is probably more surprising is that I actually watched the game in question. My first impression was-really-is this story the same caliber as potential presidential candidates or a measles resurgence? But after giving it a second thought, it is a topic that does seriously deserves some consideration.

We are told that sports build character. We put our young children in sports to teach them to be good team players, to try hard and give it their all; to win and lose with equal grace and to teach integrity. In my opinion, integrity is the talking point in Deflate Gate. Young children look up to college and professional athletes. They want to emulate their behavior and that goes beyond what they produce on the court or the field. Sometimes I think that we have lost the point of athletic competition with our kids. We travel and pay to play. We invest in the best equipment and pay the best coaches. We only take the fastest and strongest in their positions on our teams. All to make sure that our eight-and-ten-year-olds have a shot at the gold. If we do not insist that integrity is a part of the rules of the game, then what values are we promoting?

Granted, professional sports mean big bucks. And, in the world of news, controversy means money. I suppose the conspiracy theorist in me wonders what Deflate Gate will mean in numbers to the Super Bowl. At the end of the day, deflating the football, throwing an intentional elbow, or giving the golf ball a little toss are chinks in the armor of the sports empire that we have built in this Country. I concede that the days of kick ball are long gone and in their place are private instructors and two a day practices. If we do not insist that integrity is a part of what is a driving point in our children’s lives, then I have to wonder what waits for us at the end of the road. Regardless of how hard we push or how much we pay, the most that most kids are going to get out of sports are the lessons learned and integrity should be at the top of the list. Because most of us simply can’t be Tom Brady. Inflated football or not.