Read the opposing argument from Bleacher Fan and Babe Ruthless.
Morality is not just an issue in marriages and in real life. It has also become an issue in sports, and unfortunately it has been at the forefront of late.
Unless you’ve been under a rock the past six weeks you know the trouble that Ben Roethlisberger has had recently, so I won’t waste any of your time recounting that story. Though no charges were filed against him for his alleged shenanigans in Milledgeville, Georgia, the damage had been done to his already shaky image. It was not proven that Big Ben did anything wrong, but the NFL and Roger Goodell decided that he violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and as of yesterday was suspended for six games.
This, however, is not a debate on whether or not Roethlisberger deserved to be suspended.
This is instead a debate on morality and whether leagues should have some type of moral code in their respective by-laws, whatever that may be. Just look back at the past few years and you will see all types of behavior that is damaging to both the image of both the player and that particular league.
Like Roethlisberger’s highly publicized situation, we also know all about the incidents involving Tiger Woods and his mistresses. After a staged reading of a statement, two arranged interviews, and a press conference at Augusta, Tiger was back on the course to the delight of many and the agitation of many others. Unlike Big Ben’s situation, though, no type of punishment or public reprimand was handed down by the PGA Tour.
Or flash back to the summer of 2003 (has it really been seven years since this happened?). Kobe Bryant was arrested for sexual assault and though the charges were later dropped the damage had been done, both to his marriage (which was eventually repaired) and to his image (which arguably has been repaired also). But again, he received no type of suspension or public reprimand from the league office.
All of that leads to the focus of today’s debate, which is centered on moral conduct policies in sports. Some leagues, like the NFL, may already have personal conduct policies, but it is questionable how much they are enforced. The question for today’s debate is – Should leagues take a stronger stance on moral issues by defining and enforcing a moral conduct policy?
Babe Ruthless will argue that players are grown men and that they can behave however they want as long as it is not proven that any laws have been broken. Bleacher Fan will argue that the players have a responsibility to behave, and that the league should enforce some type of moral conduct policy for its players
Your behavior in this debate will be monitored and I hold the right to enforce The Sports Debates’ moral conduct policy!
