Sports Ethics
Vince Lombardi, most likely the best coach to ever lead a team to victory or multiple ones on a football field. His ethics sometimes questionable, but never misunderstood, were always meant to lead and encourage his team to be nothing but the best, and the best was achieved in 1967. After nine incredible winning seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi decided to retire as head coach. The Packers had dominated professional football under his direction, collecting six division titles, five NFL championships, two Super Bowls and acquiring a record of 98-30-4. After less than a year, however, he realized that he still wanted to coach. He accepted the head coaching position for the Washington Redskins in 1969. During that season, he kept what had become the Lombardi tradition and led the Redskins to their first winning record in 14 years. In January of 1970, his professional coaching record stood at a remarkable 105-35-6, and the NFL named him their acclaimed "1960s Man of the Decade."
His statement that “winning is the only thing that matters in sport”, is one of the truths that is still inherent in today’s world of sports. Athletes are willing to cheat to guarantee success, either through the use of performance-enhancing drugs, or through the act of injuring others. These days, drugs, blood doping, corruption, injuring others and the consequences of winning and more importantly losing is all evident. Lombardi’s statement is not only applicable to athletes, but it also applies to the countries that the athletes are representing. Events such as the Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey, are a source of national pride and some countries are willing, and fully wanting to try and do anything to bring prestige back, many of them resorting to unethical tactics. Lombardi’s statement does not only affect players, or athletes, it also affects coaches, owners, and managers. They too place winning as their number one concern. In many cases, fair play generally takes a back seat to the desire for winning. The truth of the matter is that, some will bend rules, while others will outright cheat. The corruptness of sports today has lead to the endless methods and desires of unethical behaviour.
In the history of ethics there are three principal standards of conduct, each of which has been proposed as the highest good: happiness or pleasure; du...
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...n the world of sports today.
Although many people put a huge influence on winning, many if not more put more of an influence on losing, or trying not to. Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing –Vince Lombardi –.
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In the speech “What it takes to be number One” by Vince Lombardi was a motivational speech given to his team the Green Bay Packers which he was coaching during the time. Vince Lombardi was a hall of fame coach who had a habit of winning and never lost too many games as a coach. Vince started out as a offensive coordinator with the New york Giants in the years of 1954-1958, then became head coach for the for Green Bay in 1959-1967. “What it takes to be number one” was taken in place in the Green Bay Packers football locker room before the super bowl game in 1967. The reason this speech was given was because Vince wanted to show what it takes to be number one and at the top. It was a motivational speech as well because he didn't want to lose
Taylor, Hopkins. Substance abuse issues to Offending Athletes. Miami: Beachwood Press, pages 35-37. 2009. Print.
The use of illegal substances in sports is a trendy topic in today’s society. In the last few years a copious amount of players have been under the spotlight of substance abuse, which led to a punishment for their actions. Andrew Sullivan wrote an article in the year 2004 called “In a Drugged-up Nation, the Steroid Sports Star is King”, in which he illustrates how these “pharmaceuticals” have revolutionized sports around the world but mostly in America. These drugs have had a large influence in the overall performance of the players, even if it the use of drugs is “often denied or simply overlooked”(Sullivan 1), it will lead to a lack of judgment in what is right and what is wrong.
"Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.
Joe Paterno was a coach of modesty but was still very stern and very competitive. Paterno’s philosophy was “Make an Impact”, whether that meant on or off the field. He harped on the fact of his players being “student-athletes”, “balancing academic excellence with athletic prowess.” Scott Shirley, former player on the Nittany Lions says, “ Paterno’s insistence that his players succeed off the field was the driving force behind the cancer fundraiser Lift for Life, which is run each year by the team.” Not only was Paterno a great coach but he was a great teacher, and that’s exactly was former ABC sports announcer said,” Great Coaches are Great Teachers.” Paterno made up what he called the “Grand Experiment”, this was a decision made by Paterno to have a team that would
The role of physicians employed by professional sports teams creates conflicts of interest and raises ethical concerns. The team physicians have a moral obligation to promote the health of their patients, but their actions are heavily influenced by outside variables and by the patient’s susceptibility to influence and personal characteristics. The opposing need to protect the athlete’s health and the player’s desire to succeed interferes with the physician’s ability to make ethical decisions and impedes promises to commitments and adopted health care virtues. In this paper, I will discuss how the conflict between moral obligation to individual health and the stress of achievement threatens autonomy and
Earvin “Magic” Johnson shocked the sports world when he revealed his HIV-positive status and continued to participate in professional basketball games. He faced varying reactions including scrutiny and acceptance. With rising fears of contracting HIV during sports games that turn bloody, the dilemma exists of requiring athletes to be subject to more testing. With this comes an ethical dilemma due to the stigmatization of individuals with HIV. Considering that HIV is a potentially deadly and dangerous virus, some argue that it should be part of the regular routine testing that athletes already go through. So now the question that exists in the sports world today is: should all professional athletes be subject to regular mandatory
The Health and fitness industry have many ethical issues involved which was very interesting to me. I have never purchased a membership at a health club, but from the reading I learned a lot about how they operate. It amazed me that health clubs push their sales representatives to get 200-300 new members a month (Amend, 1992). This is a large amount of people for such a short amount a time, which means some members are not fully aware of the fine print of the membership agreement. Also the reading mentions that more than half of instructors at these clubs do not have valid certification (Copeland et al, 1988),. This is unethical because the members pay each month for the service of a qualified staff member to assist them in exercise and fitness. Safety of the members could also be at risk working out with a non-qualified trainer. Learning how these companies do business make me want to hold off as long as possible to join a gym.
Bender, David, and Bruno Leone. Sports in America: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven press, 1994.
When Lombardi coached, he portrayed himself as a teacher rather than a coach. As he incorporated teaching in his style, he motivated and encouraged his players to be the best they can be. He knew his players were capable of being great and had the capacity to win every time they were on the field. Since he was a hard worker, he demanded hard work from his players. By being hard workers on the field, the players were given a chance to dream and believe in themselves. The players all had a role on the team and they knew they would be working as one. Lombardi was setting a foundation for his players as a leader, coach, and teacher. He valued the importance of motivating his players. Him believing in them meant a lot to players; they were able to gain confidence in themselves. It's a big deal when someone believes in
Tricker, R., Cook, D. L., & McGuire, R. (1989). Issues Related to Drug Abuse in College Athletics: Athletes at Risk. Sport Psychologist, 3(2), 155-165.
Keeping drugs out of athletic competition has only become more difficult for sports authorities since drug testing was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1968. Changing social norms and technology, which spurred the initial drive to ban drugs in sports, may end up settling the debate. Western societies have shown increasing tolerance for using drugs to enhance performance in areas of life outside of athletics. Drugs such as Viagra, Prozac, and Ritalin are now regularly prescribed to improve sexual, social, and academic performance. It may simply be a matter of time before the “integrity” of athletics no longer appears threatened by performanceenhancing drugs, particularly if safer drugs are developed. The ethical debate over whether or not athletes should use performance-enhancing drugs is one of the issues discussed in At Issue: Performance-Enhancing Drugs. Other issues include the effectiveness of drug testing, the rise of steroid use among teenage athletes, and the dangers of dietary supplements.
The author believes that the Panthers coach Ron Rivera is an inspirational and encouraging leader, which would be crucial during the Super Bowl. The reason is relevant (connected) because if the Panthers have an encouraging and reliable coach, it will be crucial that he plans out how the Panthers will win the Super Bowl since he had experienced before. According to “he [Ron Rivera] was a linebacker for the 1985 Chicago Bears team that won the championship. He was the defensive coordinator in Chicago in 2006 when the Bears reached the title game. He has a unique ability to keep players focused on the moment. In part because of what he experienced with the "Super Bowl Shuffle" Bears in '85, he understands the importance of letting players be who they are. That in turn helps the Panthers play loose. That 'll be particularly crucial during the media circus; the Super Bowl”, The evidence is valid with the reason, because since Ron Rivera is experienced and knows what to do, he will be helpful in guiding the Panthers into victory during the Super Bowl. The evidence is cited because the reader can see the information of Riviera 's past experiences with his previous team the Chicago Bears. The evidence is credible because Rivera’s past times from working with previous teams are from his own experiences and views, so they are true
Doping is a practice that has been going on since the time of "ancient Greek athletes, who supposedly ate herbs, sesame seeds, dried figs, and mushrooms for this purpose" (Hoberman, 1992, 104). Likewise, athletes have readily consumed such drugs as caffeine and alcohol to improve performa...
There is need for ethics in sports within athletic competition today. Without ethics, there are no moral grounds or rules with which to lead a healthy, competitive athletic lifestyle today. Whether young or old, all athletes struggle creating a strong foundation within a world of winning and losing. Where does this foundation originate from? Ethics and sports go hand-in-hand.