Good vs. Evil
“It's the only game you can call penalty on yourself. If you're honest, which most people are. There just ain't no other game like it.”
-Hardy in The Legend of Bagger Vance
"If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying."
-Every NASCAR Crew Chief ever.
A few weeks ago, golfer JP Hayes did what, to many of us, may be the unthinkable. Because of what he did that day, you should have already heard this story. But if you haven't heard it yet, it isn't your fault. There's a reason why you don't hear about athletes like JP Hayes very often.
In the day and age of the corrupt athlete, including Adam “Pacman” Jones, Barry Bonds, Stephan Marbury, Marion Jones, Tyler Hamilton, it's pretty darn refreshing to see there is still some decency left in the sports. All those cheaters aren't even the worst athletes we've seen in the past year. Let's not forget about Roger Clemens, the man who won the Cy Young seven times. Nearly a year after all the the controversy and finger-pointing due to the Mitchell Report, charities still want to associate themselves with Clemens.
Even in the Olympics, where athletes represent their countries while being watched by the entire world, bad apples can be spotted. Bad apples like Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian, who disagreed with an official's judgment and protested it by throwing away his bronze medal. Even badder apples like Angel Matos, the Taekwondo fighter from Cuba who was disqualified by a referee and then proceeded to kick said referee in the face on his way out. Maybe it's a cultural difference that I'm unaware of, but I don't think that's the accepted way of saying goodbye in Cuba.
Every coach I've ever had has told me to play sports like a good role model, to carry myself with respect. It was Thomas Jefferson who said, “Whenever you do a thing, act as if the whole world is watching.” I try and tell the kids I coach the same thing. More and more though, I ask myself if its even worth it to coach sportsmanship. When you think about it, the people who get the face-time aren't the gentleman of society. No, the people who you see more than anyone else, are the ones who break the rules. And the more attention they get, the less attention there is give to the upstanding citizens who act the way our parents always told us to. All of a sudden, the athletes who refuse to play, skip out on practice, bend the rules, and bloat their ego, those are the guys who we can't get enough of.
But why do we even give them the time of day? It bothers me that I can't check sports headlines or watch Sportscenter without hearing about some thug who feels like he's better than his team. It's even worse when it's someone that straight up cheats. As if with all the exposure athletes get, cheaters and dopers still think they can get away with it. Instead of idolizing them by watching every adverse move they make, we really should be ignoring them. It's the JP Hayes' and even the Andy Pettite's (who was accused of doping and came clean about it rather than dodging the issue) who we need to be promoting to the youth of our nation.
Fact: the media love the dissenters, and turn the blind eye to the righteous sportsperson. It's the reason why Kim Kardashian has her own show, why tabloids with pictures of an anorexic Olsen twin on the cover, sell more copies, and why local news ratings have never been higher than when they showed OJ driving off in his white Bronco. And it's not just the media. We love watching and critiquing the bad guy, because it makes us look better. Think about it. Anyone can look good compared to someone who cheats, lies, and steals on a daily basis. So we plaster images of those who have wronged society and say, “Shame on you!”, all the while we can take solace in knowing that we aren't as bad as these villains. And even if we are just as bad, the spotlight isn't on us, and we can sneak by without anyone paying notice. The flip side of this is that when we hear about people who do the right thing, we can't help but compare ourselves to them and see if we fall short. I can't even watch the first 15 minutes of Extreme Home Makeover because all the families are better people than I am.
Think about it. If instead of the evil-doers, the media decided to promote the do-gooders, people would get sick of it faster than seeing the Superman dance in public. Imagine being put in the situation JP Hayes found himself in. With a very good shot at earning his Tour card for next year, he realized he broke the rules. Problem is, no one else knew broke those rules. How many of us can honestly, and honesty is key, say that we would've done what he did? I know I'd have a tough time making that phone call. But Hayes did what every golfer should, played by the gentleman's rules that the game was established on, and DQ'd himself. It's just America's insecurities in play here. I mean, we all tell white lies and bend the rules every now and then. And sure we feel bad about it. But what better way to get over it than to point out the bigger flaws in others. If the people who are supposed to be our public figures make better mistakes than we do, how bad could ours be?
So where is JP Hayes now? Last word is that he lost his PGA Tour card, but is being given sponsor exemptions for the U.S. Bank Championship and the John Deere Classic. So maybe the lesson to be learned here is that what goes around, comes around. And the next time you find yourself with a bad lie, perhaps you won't kick it a few feet to get a bette shot. And when a ref decides to disqualify you in the medal round of your local tournament, maybe you'll hold back and not give him a roundhouse to the noggin.
