A report was just issued stating that many renown players working for professional baseball teams in America have used steroids and other muscle-building drugs to enhance their natural ability and win out over other players.
Here is an instance of moral grand corruption.
The ethic of sport - going back to Greek Olympics - was supposed to be in the character of the athlete - in his or her mental effort, self-discipline, skill and courage. Winning was only icing on the cake.
Now winning seems to be all and at any price. A winning record leads to more money, lots more money, in the business of professional sports.
Just like winning in the stock market - to get the most out of it for ourselves, why not take a few performance enhancing drugs? In the world of finance, such drugs are misleading information about a company's prospects. See Enron, WorldCom, et. al.
Misleading information gives a company unfair advantages in the competition for investor interest.
Professional sports in the United States provide moral and ethical standards for a large number of Americans. The behavior - noble or vile - of sports celebrities triggers imitation among the young and, thus, has a public good quality about it. The behavior of such role-models cannot be overlooked by society.
What surprises me is the lack of programs in business ethics for professional sports companies and their employees.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Cheating in American Baseball
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2 comments:
Sadly, this outrageous behavior says as much about the American public as it does about the athletes.
By merely sloughing off outrageous behavior, we provide no incentive for change - and, in fact, passively validate that which should not be tolerated.
What does it say about our society that it prevents us from holding our public figures - be they athletes, entertainers, or elected officials to a higher standard?
We have seen the power of stakeholders to drive change when businesses respond to issues like climate change and ethical lapses. It is likely, then, that professional baseball will not learn that lesson unless or until the fans (or advertisers) insist.
By our attendance at games, purchasing of memorabilia and tv-watching we deliver either a wake-up call or a validation of 'business as usual.'
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