Read the opposing argument from Bleacher Fan.
Ben Roethlisberger has opened Pandora’s Box and he doesn’t even know it. No, I am not referring to the NFL quarterback attending the grand opening of a seedy strip club in a drunken blackout state. I am referring to the fact that Roethlisberger’s conduct has sparked a huge controversy that is larger than one might imagine. The allegations against Big Ben are so deplorable that he is being discussed in the same category as Pacman Jones and Michael Vick. In fact, the public backlash against the Steelers’ QB has actually drawn some of the attention off of Tiger Woods, which is saying a lot here lately. The controversy over Roethlisberger’s behavior has prompted many to question whether sports leagues should attempt to crackdown on player misconduct in their personal lives by enforcing moral regulations. This may come as a shock to those who know me, as I am generally seen as a person of high moral character, but I actually do not support this stance that leagues should be involved in regulating the morality of players’ off-field behaviors.
I want to make it clear that in no way do I support the infamous actions of players like Ben Roethlisberger, Tiger Woods, or Pacman Jones. I find the behavior that these stars are accused of reprehensible and hugely irresponsible. I do, however, think that they have a right to a personal life. I take issue with the notion that somehow fans, sports media, and league officials are in a position to pass judgment on stars for actions in their personal lives. Whatever happened to the philosophy of “judge not, lest ye be judged yourselves.” Some of you may be saying “Listen Babe Ruthless, I never did any of the stuff those guys did,” and perhaps you are right. But I am willing to bet there is some mistake in your personal life, large or small, that you would not want plastered on the cover of the tabloids, discussed over the airwaves, and streaming across the bottom line of ESPN. The only reason the public is aware or even cares about these players’ behavior is because they are famous. If Tiger Woods wasn’t Tiger Woods the golfer, but Eldrick Woods the certified public accountant, would you really care that he cheated on his wife? I am guessing not, and I do not think there are many people out there that would feel comfortable with the level of exposure that professional athletes’ personal lives endure.
Similarly, I doubt many people would want their compensation tied to their personal conduct like professional athletes. When professional athletes do something stupid in their private lives they may be fined, suspended, and/or lose sponsors, but when the average person makes a bad personal decision the consequences do not necessarily carry a financial impact. That is a double standard, my friends, and while I do not support their immoral behavior, I think athletes get the short end of the stick on this one. When the average person cheats on their wife the consequences may include losing one’s house, half their possessions, alimony, or child support, but they usually do not get suspended from work or lose their job because of it. Tiger Woods’ extramarital affairs caused him to lose millions in endorsement deals because of his highly publicized personal indiscretions. Athletes’ lives are scrutinized enough without their every action having to pass before a moral police that wields power over their playing time and wallets.
Athletes have every right to be act like jerks. It is practically constitutional. Citizens are entitled to lives free of excessive government entanglement, and their rights are enumerated in the Constitution. Freedoms are granted to the good and bad, the moral and immoral just the same. So long as an athlete’s behavior is neither illegal nor in violation of a league rule, then they should be free to engage in that action regardless of whether it is popular or “moral”. Attempting to micromanage someone’s legal personal behavior is not reasonable for a sports league to attempt, and it is certainly not in keeping with the principles of our democratic government. If we allow the NFL, NBA, and MLB to decide what’s right and wrong, moral or immoral, where does it end? Will they one day get to fine players for not showing hustle? Will they be empowered to dock players for not displaying enough heart? That is a slippery slope that I do not want to see sports go down.
In the end, if off-field conduct is not illegal or directly impacting a player’s on-field performance then it should not be regulated. One day people like Big Ben, and everyone for that matter, will have to answer to The Man Upstairs, and I don’t mean Roger Goodell. Until that time, let’s leave the judgment to the Big Guy because He is qualified and we are not.
