Ethics Issues Figure in Sports Coverage
Feb 25th, 2008 • Posted in: NewsThere’s a new allegation of spying by the New England Patriots; NFL weighs an electronic system that proponents say could cut signal stealing; ethics questions complicate plans for the Olympics
VARIOUS DATELINES
Sports, often regarded as a microcosm of conflict in life, lived up to that description last week as issues related to cheating and human rights dominated coverage. Among the stories:
- The New England Patriots, the U.S. football team caught up in a spying scandal after it was revealed that a team photographer surreptitiously taped opposing teams’ signals, began stealing signals much earlier than initially suspected, according to an allegation by a former Patriots player, UPI reports. The player, who was not identified, raised the claim as NFL coaches and executives gathered for a scouting meeting in Indianapolis, according to a report from the Baltimore Sun. The Patriots and coach Bill Belichick were sanctioned for the illicit signal stealing, which is prohibited by the NFL.
- In a related story, members of the NFL’s competition committee have floated a proposal to allow one defensive player to be fitted with a helmet radio receiver connected to the coaching staff. The Washington Post reports that backers say the radio channel would eliminate the need for hand signals — and reduce the likelihood of signal theft. Currently, the team’s quarterback, the lead offensive player, is connected to the coach with a closely monitored radio helmet receiver. Proposals to have the defensive team connected have been turned down by team owners in past years.
- Sports and ethics issues are an uneasy mix this year, as a variety of activists have waged various protests about China, the nation hosting the Olympic Games in August. Among the protests, according to a report from the Western Mail of Cardiff, Wales, are complaints that China trades with Sudan, whose regime is blamed for human rights violations in Darfur. A letter of protest, signed by a group of Nobel Peace laureates, demands that China stop trading with Sudan. Film director Stephen Spielberg recently resigned as artistic director for the event. In a Sunday editorial, the Dallas Morning News noted that protests by Spielberg and others have raised questions about how actively participants and sponsors should make their human rights views known. While coming out against a government boycott, the Morning News did call on private citizens to deliver “plenty of strong messages” about China’s behavior.
- A doping scandal led to some awkward reverberations last week as former sprinter Linford Christie was invited — and then uninvited — to carry the Olympic torch through London. The Independent reports that Christie, who has a lifetime Olympics ban after testing positive for steroids in 1999, received an invitation from the office of London mayor Ken Livingston. A spokesman for the mayor later said the letter had been sent by mistake. Christie repeatedly has denied taking steroids, according to the Guardian.
Sources: Dallas Morning News, Feb. 24 — UPI, Feb. 22 — Washington Post, Feb. 22 — Baltimore Sun, Feb. 22 — Guardian, Feb. 22 — Western Mail, Feb. 22.
For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Feb. 18 — Related Newsline story, Jan. 22 — Related Newsline story, Nov. 19, 2007 — Related Newsline story, Sep. 17, 2007 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 5, 2007.
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