From steroid abusers to dirty referees, there is no shortage of cheating in sports. And those who cheat face severe consequences, including suspensions, lifetime bans, and a constant stream of hate from their former fans.
We hate cheaters, but without them, would sports be as popular as they are today?
Later this week, I plan to introduce a series on the things I hate most in the world of sports. While creating a full list of 10 things to discuss in the series, cheating crossed my mind. I thought about how fans have lost trust in athletes and how we as sports fans have to question if an athlete is truly great or just cheating.
While there will be several topics related to cheating on my list, as a whole, I believe we need cheating in the world of sports. Before you exit this article in frustration, give me a moment to explain how sports and cheating go hand-in-hand, and we should accept that cheating will always be an important part of athletics on every level.
The History of Cheating in Sports
When there's something to gain from a victory, there will always be people willing to do whatever it takes to win. In sports, winning is everything. From coaches keeping their jobs to athletes earning a massive payday -- winning is what helps them reach their goals.
Cheating in sports dates back thousands of years. In 388 B.C., Eupolus of Thessaly, a boxer, convinced three of his rivals to let him win through bribery. All four were caught and fined, and future statues erected of Zeus detailed this incident.
Cheating has only improved with technology, allowing performance enhancing drugs and stimulants to enter the picture. In 1886, cyclist Arthur Linton died at the age of 24 after allegedly using trimethyl to get an edge on his opponents. This was one of the first of many similar incidents.
After being invented by German scientists in the 1930's and later tested on prisoners, anabolic steroids were used by Soviet powerlifters throughout the 1950's, and they dominated the sport. For decades, steroids have been used by gifted athletes to conquer their sport.
Birbery and steroids are just two of thousands of ways to cheat in sports, and we can expect to see innovation in cheating just as we will in sports. We've witnessed viscious attacks on Olympians, our heroes reduced to cheaters and liars, and our favorite pasttimes suffer because of it.
So how in the world is cheating good for sports? Why is this a love story?
Why Sports Need Cheaters
Not only have sports and cheating been synonymous for thousands of years, they have helped them become universally popular. Cheating has two primary positive outcomes:
Every sport needs "heels"
In wrestling, a "heel" is bad guy who creates a rivalry with an opponent who becomes the hero. Heels are important outside of wrestling as well.
Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Tonya Harding, Lance Armstrong, Tom Brady -- people love to hate cheaters and they bring attention and intrigue to a sport.
Now you can argue that we will find athletes and teams to hate regardless of cheating, but who better to target with our sports hatred than those who are breaking the rules to gain an advantage over our hardworking heroes (supposedly) trying their hardest to honestly and ethically become the best in their craft.
Cheaters increase the level of competition and push what was thought to be possible
There is no denying that cheating pushes the level of competition to new heights. When the level of competition rises, we as fans and the sports themselves benefit.
Lance Armstrong riding to 7 Tour de France victories, Mark McGwire hitting 70 home runs, Diego Maradona's World Cup "Hand of God" goal -- cheating drives the competition to improve. Athletes are pushing themselves to beat cheaters, and we have a front row seat to watch them do it.
Despite the many downsides of cheating, it's important to understand that in general, cheating improves our experience as fans and encourages us to get better, faster, and stronger to put those cheaters in their place. Sports and cheating is a match made in sports heaven, and while we hate cheaters, there are at least a few things to love about cheating in sports.
I want to hear from you! What do you think about the connection between sports and cheating? Comment below!
Comments