Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Roland Martin - CNN Commentary

This morning CNN commentator Roland Martin published an article relating to the recent Mitchell Report. This report on steroids in baseball has caused a flurry of attention directed towards the negative aspects of baseball and other American sports.

Personally I am not a huge fan of baseball, but this negativity is not good for sports in general. Furthermore, what does it say about Americans when our athletes are seemingly continuously "under the gun" for steroids? More importantly, how does this high publicized cheating affect both my peers as well as those younger than us?

Martin contends that we as Americans should view athletes as everyday people that make mistakes just like all of us. On that I have to agree and disagree. I contend that athletes have never been anything more than everyday people, and everyone we have ever or will ever look up to is irreversibly human, and that is a great thing. The military has the proper definition of a hero, someone that goes above and beyond the call of duty. And that is why we look up to athletes, because when faced with the opposition, they find a way to win, through hard work and perseverance.

But Mr. Martin's commentary goes further to talk of how a love of the game has turned into a lust. "Lust for fame. Lust for glory. Lust for more Benjamins." In reality our sports have fallen victim to a form of supercapitalism. That supercapitalism evolves when ambition meets deregulation or lack of regulation. Baseball players make more than athletes in any other sport because baseball doesn't have a salary cap. So my question is, does baseball open itself to more scandals because of a lacking steroid policy?

Baseball and the rest of our sports continue to lose battles based on integrity. Athletes deny and deny these claims, but when the truth comes out those who supported and believed are left with "black eyes." These black eyes have to stop; athletes have to hold themselves and each other to higher standards. As a collegiate athlete myself, it is our integrity that is on the line, as well as the morals and integrity of the future generation.

"So in the end, what's truly been lost? Home run and strikeout records? Memorabilia earned through less than truthful means? No. Their word; the one thing that we all should count on and that which is more important in life."


Roland Martin CNN Commentary

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