Should athletic
organizations punish players for acts of deviance and violence?
Athletes should be liable for deviance
and violence. The punishment should not be based on whether the violence and
deviance were against the organization or an individual from outside the
sports. All deviances by the athletes should be treated the same way as a
person outside the sports environment would be punished.
Why?
The main reason why the athletes should
get punishment is that sports are supposed to promote a great deal of socially
desirable characteristics. Some of the characteristics include compliance to
the authority, fair play, hard work and dedication towards achieving the
desired goals (Delaney and Madigan 174). An athlete could violate
the fair play by using performance enhancement drugs. The act is usually
punished by suspension or any other punishment stipulated by the organization
they work. Deviance on compliance with the authority is punished within the
organization, and if the violation goes against the rule of the law of the
land, the punishment is taken up by the department of justice (Delaney
and Madigan 217). A breach like that of Ray Rice runs counter to the
regulations of the law of the land hence the reason why it was taken up by the
department of justice. Deviance puts the efforts and the good name of sports
industry at jeopardy which should not be allowed.
The other reason is that some deviances
are a violation of human rights. For example, the case of Joe Mixon and that of
Ray Rice, the two women were violated, which is against the fundamental human
right ("Football
Star Punches Woman In The Head - CNN Video"). The cases are an example of
domestic violence which the country is fighting. Letting the violators off the
hook on cases like this only shows unfairness in the society and special
treatment of people just because they participate in the sports. The act would
also breed a bad behavior among the sports men. Punishment prevents future happenings
of the same hence cultivating the good reputation of sportsmanship.
Does it depend on the
specific act?
As at the moment, the punishments of
deviance are dependent on the deviance itself. For example, when Ray Rice
violated his then fiancé, the organization he was working with was reluctant
punishing him because he did not do anything that affected his relationship
with the team. It is, in fact, the media that forced the hand of the NFL into
suspending him indefinitely. The same could also be seen in the case of Joe
Mixon. However, when the player violates anything that puts the team in
jeopardy of losing the game, the organizations are quick to punish the player
as it affects the organization directly. The act was seen when Josh Gordon
failed the drug test. The discussion on whether to trade him begin (Should
Browns Keep Or Trade Josh Gordon?). It is a double standard that the sports
organization are quick to respond to a defiance against the organization than
those against the environment outside the sports. The response to deviance
should always be the same. The act should not matter because the individual has
committed a violation. What should matter is the punishment one receives.
The determiners of
punishment and its severity.
The department of justice should
determine the punishment. In the past, organizations running the sports have
opted to resolve the issues internally. However, in some cases, the situation
has gotten out of hand hence forcing them to involve the department of justice.
It is general knowledge that violation of the law of the land is also a
violation of the rules of the sport and vice versa (Delaney
and Madigan 217). Therefore, it would be only prudent to allow the department
of justice to handle the situation, rather than making it the last resort when
the organizations can not contain the situation.
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