TheSequitur.com Editorial Board
August 19, 2007 

The world of sports has been rocked by several high-profile stories about what lengths some will go to be at the top of their games.

Four Tour-de-France cyclists were forced out because of failed drug tests. Michael Rasmussen, of Denmark, failed to appear for his drug test, prompting his dismissal from the tour. Floyd Landis is still appealing drug tests of higher than normal testosterone. Barry Bonds – who just recently surpassed Hank Aaron’s home run record – has become the poster child for the steroids scandal in baseball although he never has tested positive for a banned substance. There is wide debate on if Bonds is tarnishing the home run record, considered by some to be baseball’s most hallowed record. Even golf, often considered a sport requiring great skill, but little athletic prowess relative to other sports, has not been left unscathed by steroids.

Even the referees are getting in on the action: the NBA’s Tim Donaghy faced indictment in federal court for his role in a point-shaving and game-fixing operation for the Mafia, presumably to pad a modest six-figure salary that pales in comparison of that of the athletes he officiated.

Shock is not an appropriate reaction to such allegations—the appropriate reaction is shame...Fans and commentators alike have expressed shock at these revelations. It seems that when athletes, who are respected and venerated as role models, take such drastic steps to be top dog in the arena they occupy, it is an out of this world event requiring media fanfare and immediate vindication. Not so.

In fact, these athletes are simply behaving as everyone else does in one way or another. They are taking shortcuts to get ahead in the world. Shock is not an appropriate reaction to such allegations—the appropriate reaction is shame, and not shame in our athletes, but shame in ourselves.

Let's face it—athletes are not alone in taking these kinds of shortcuts. Politicians have historically been caught up in bribes and lascivious acts that served only to make them a little bit richer or to win support from influential constituents. Celebrities use their status to gain access to clubs, restaurants and even rehab programs that a majority of the population can only dream about. And while being in the public spotlight can magnify the intensity and seriousness of such acts, the fact of the matter is that everyone in this country takes shortcuts to get ahead in the world. No matter how seemingly small those shortcuts are, no matter whether it seems like they don't effect another living soul, the propensity for people to feel entitled to them is indicative of larger problems.

But just because taking shortcuts is commonplace doesn't mean it should be condoned, but we also need to be cautious about throwing stones at those in the spotlight.When is the last time you took a few packets of sugar from the office break room, knowing nobody would notice? What about cutting someone off in traffic, only so you could feel more confident in your ability to make your doctor's appointment on time? Ever fudge on your taxes, take an extra thirty minutes off of work for lunch, or delegate work responsibilities to someone else so you could take the afternoon off? Examples are limitless. We’re all guilty.

The shortcut problem doesn't begin or end with athletes, politicians, or celebrities. It begins and ends with our society as a whole. We too often feel a sense of entitlement to our place at the top of the food chain, and in many cases, believe we are entitled do whatever we need to get there.

But just because taking shortcuts is commonplace doesn't mean it should be condoned, but we also need to be cautious about throwing stones at those in the spotlight. After all, those on the stage are thought of as the easiest targets for tomatoes. Take a look at the person seated next to you. Take a look at yourself.

Maybe we can't stop steroids in sports. Maybe we can't keep our politicians from making unscrupulous deals behind the scenes. What we can do, however, is take small steps to change the culture that fosters this kind of behavior. Let's use this opportunity not to try to change the world, but to change ourselves.
[Slate, NYTimes, CNBC]