Published 2005-03-23T00:00:00Z”/>

Michael Esser<br>Staff Writer

Professional sports suck. Athletes, once role models for younger generations, are now common faces in court. The accusations are abundant and diverse: using drugs or steroids, abusing women, fighting in public, betting on their own games or fights and the list goes on. However, one thing prevails: the lack of morality.

Starting with baseball, the consumption of illegal substances to enhance the athletes’ performance is common practice. Possibly more players use steroids than those who don’t, changing the focus of the game. Baseball is no longer about the more talented, stronger or faster guy anymore but about the player who cheated the most by using a higher dose of steroids. Surprisingly, fans don’t mind.

While anabolic steroids bring baseball players to court, other issues damage the reputation of basketball players. The accusation of rape against Kobe Bryant and the fight between the Indiana Pacers players and fans in Detroit deteriorate the image of the athletes and the game. The dilemma is whether these young, immature but overwhelmingly rich players are mentally prepared to handle their success without breaking the law. I don’t think so.

Although some of the most well-known cases of misconduct happen in the United States, the problem is not concentrated exclusively in the nation but affects most areas around the globe.

In Europe and South America, things aren’t much different than in the U.S. and immoral cheating practices spread from players to referees, organizing committees and sponsors.

In Germany, two referees were imprisoned in February for accepting bribes from a Croatian betting house and fixing results in the Bundesliga, the national soccer league.

In England, many athletes admit every year to receiving medical treatment to fight alcoholism and addiction to drugs such as cocaine.

An extremely embarrassing case happened some time ago in Spain. The national basketball team taking part in the Special Olympics was disqualified after winning the gold medal. The reason: three players were not disabled.

Moving on to South America, the charges vary, but the immorality persists.

In Argentina, soccer players pay hooligans to intimidate the members of the opposing teams while sponsors determine the starting lineup for teams in Brazil.

Nike, for instance, forced soccer star Ronaldo to play in the 1998 World Cup final despite having suffered an epileptic attack several hours before the game. Nike did not want to miss its opportunity to expose the company’s most important and expensive marketing symbol to a global audience. Nike did not care about the health of its investment.

The list of unethical behavior is long. Other sports that are not mentioned are not necessarily better off. Boxers bet on their on fights — or even worse, bite off the opponents’ ear. Swimmers enhance their performance with male hormones.

Unfortunately, athletes, leagues, sponsors and almost everybody involved in professional sports chooses success over sportsmanship and economic profit over fair play. However, the saddest thing is that fans don’t care.

Despite the prices of tickets rising year after year, most stadiums and arenas across the globe are frequently or even permanently sold out. As a result, professional sports are a mere business that has lost its essence — the fair play and the competitiveness among mankind.

This is not my idea of sportsmanship or of fair play. I love sports, but I am tired of professional sports. I am tired of a competition that focuses predominantly on dollars and records. I am tired of a competition that focuses on audiences more than on athletes. I am tired of a competition that allows steroids and ignores the health of athletes.

In other words, I am tired of this professional bullshit.

Michael Esser can be reached at

<a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a>