Skewed vision: The False Ethics That Are Prevalent American Athletics Every morning, I get up at seven o'clock and turn on my television so I can watch Sports Center. From time to time, there is a report about a college coach that called a press conference to comment on either the actions of one of the members of his team (coach included), or the actions of the program which he is a part of. I intentionally say he, because I have never seen a coach of a female program called on to defend his/her actions. The funny thing is, that after these coaches make the claims that they have no idea how this incident happened, they are called on again in a few years to make the same speech about another incident. I've come to the conclusion that there is a problem with athletics in America. Either there is something wrong with the individual athletic programs, or there is something wrong with the body that governs those programs. Many people believe, including me, that the problem is not with the programs, but with the bodies that govern them. The problem that persist, is the fact that major organizations such as the NCAA, NBA, NFL, or NHL, are more concerned with the money that the athletes generate than with the moral standards that all of these groups promise to uphold.The simple truth is that these standards pale in comparison to the almighty dollar. In division three athletics, money is not an issue, you play for the love of the game and that's all. No scholarships, not much press, and a slim chance of playing on any higher level. Once you reach the level of division two though, those high standards that are preached to all high school students begin to lose there meaning. A coach fighting to keep his/her job might try anything to win. How many movies have been made about the illegal practices of college coaches and "friends" of the programs? How many times have we heard about a gifted athlete who can barley read? If the public ...
