For the love of sport – let us set aside our differences

This post appeared on Crikey Sports 21/7/10

There comes a point in every normal person's life when they stop looking at athletes as models for living.

Why we look the other way – Chuck Klosterman

In a 2007 piece for ESPN The Magazine, essayist and self-avowed sporting atheist Chuck Klosterman sketched out the fluid ethical dilemmas facing a modern sporting fanatic.

Why does the contemporary sports fan turn a blind eye to the deceptive behaviours of an athlete he or she chooses to admire? How can that fan reconcile such a judgment with the creeds he or she abides by in other realms of their life?

Consider a daily commute – a commuter who discovers that their bus driver has a drinking problem may seriously consider taking an alternative route. Yet if that same commuter is tipped off that the driver has been unfaithful to his or her spouse; I doubt the commuter gives an alternative route a second thought.

So what is it about sporting performance that makes fans and scribes demand absolute morality from athletes?

An argument can be made that the narratives of sport satisfy the divergent impulses of many: achievement, character, competition, escapism, fitness, health and social development.

Stepping into the headspace of an economist, let us consider a protagonist’s attempt to reach excellence in a nonspecific field. In order to achieve excellence the protagonist has a choice – abide by the conventions of the relevant field or attempt to gain an advantage by unscrupulous means. The economist will say that the benefit gained in achieving excellence outweighs the cost of the unscrupulous behaviour.

So, should we insinuate that the only satisfied modern sports fan moonlights as an economist? Of course not, but the average fan in 2010 has witnessed numerous cases of unscrupulous behaviour: unprecedented salary cap rorts, continued innuendo surrounding illegal performance enhancers, racial discrimination, incredulous egos and absurd actions of greed – it’s enough to crush the spirit of the most strident freakonomicist.

Despite copping a battering fans continue to invest both financially and emotionally in their favourite sports. What is it about sport that obliges fans continue to embrace despite their ideals continually being crushed?

In the 90s Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley almost caused a riot when he quipped that he was not a role model and that it was the responsibility of parents to educate their children on the dos and don’ts of society.

In his 2007 piece Klosterman mused that ‘any thinking adult who follows pro sports understands that some people are corrupt and the games are just games and money drives everything. It would be strange if they did not realize these things. But what's equally strange is the way so many fans (and sportswriters, myself included) revert back to their 10-year-old selves whenever an issue like steroids shatters the surface.’

Sport is just one of many sub-cultures that make up modern society. And fans of sport face many ethical dilemmas in various fields on a daily basis. The challenge for the modern sports fan is how to negotiate the fluid and distinctive moral judgements in way that ultimately leads to a satisfying sporting experience.

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