From a Catholic perspective, we should want and demand that our sports organizations and athletic heroes demonstrate strong virtues.
While we understand that each of us is flawed, we should reward leagues that support virtuous behaviour and help correct those who blatantly disregard these values.
Reshaping sports will take time, but the need for leagues to stand up for strong values rather than greedily chasing money is long overdue.
Here is a look at a couple of the most prominent vices in sports today and what our Catholic response should be.
Gambling
I have a good friend in tennis named Roger Jarret, whose brother, Andrew, was the tournament referee at Wimbledon for 14 years, retiring in 2019. By the end of his term, Andrew felt that one of the biggest challenges facing pro tennis (and all sports) was gambling.
It had become so widespread that Scotland Yard needed to be involved in the constant monitoring of matches worldwide to help spot irregular activity within matches (one can bet on many things within a match) and very unusual results. Some players have been caught throwing matches, or parts of matches, because they were being paid to do so by people in the gambling industry.
At the medium to lower levels, the players don’t make as much money and are more tempted by payoffs. This is the first problem with gambling in any sport: match-fixing. A basic foundational belief for sports fans is that the game must be competed for in good faith. Without confidence in a genuine battle, why should any fan support any sports event?
After all, the definition of competition is “a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal or prize.” If there is a lack of trust between the fans and athletes in this respect, the whole sport may collapse. Athletes in these cases are guilty of greed and untrustworthiness, but it is brought on by gambling. Most major sports leagues (NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL, MLS) are now partners with the gambling industry.
Another issue with gambling is online bullying. Honest athletes who may have had a disappointing loss, especially in individual sports, often receive online threats and insults from those who have lost money on them. This can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Some players choose to retire earlier than expected due to this pressure.
A third issue with gambling in sports is addiction. It is well documented that gambling becomes an addiction for many, which can bankrupt individuals and lead to depression and desperate actions.
Sports gambling has now become a bloated money machine with countless options right at your fingertips. Once those behind the apps know a bettor’s algorithm, they know how to hook them even more. Shame on all the sporting leagues that permit gambling because they rake in millions of dollars from vulnerable individuals who lack prudence and self-discipline.
As Catholic sports fans, we should communicate with the sports leagues and associations we follow and express our feelings about gambling. If necessary, we should withdraw our support.
Parents, warn your kids (especially boys) about the dangers of betting. Even recreational betting is harmful. Stay away from online betting, be careful about hanging around friends who are gambling, and consider avoiding casinos. God has provided us with the opportunity to make money, and we must be good stewards of this money. Pray always to avoid temptation and confess anytime you have given in.
The virtues needed here are prudence, self-control, and good stewardship.
Violence and disrespectful behaviour
Whether on Instagram or sports highlights on television, it is very easy to find clips of fights between opponents, not just in hockey but in almost any sport. Be it basketball, soccer, or even baseball, there is no shortage of brawls, partly because league owners and managers think this behaviour is exciting and will bring attention to the league.
Another factor is that young athletes (like all of society) are often not being taught virtues like self-control, forgiveness, and humility. Teams or personal coaches often fail to emphasize that sportsmanship is absolutely necessary and that breaking this rule will have serious consequences.
Thankfully, in most sports, athletes who have the best self-control and patience are the most successful. Allowing violence in sports sets a dangerous precedent for young fans or aspiring high-performance athletes. If their heroes are doing it, then why shouldn’t they?
Leagues should suspend players for significant periods for fighting and other dangerous play. Similarly, parents, if your child is unsportsmanlike, fights, uses obscene language, or disrespects officials, you should pull them out until they understand the issue. The virtues needed here are patience, forgiveness, sportsmanship, and respect.
Greed
Both owners and athletes are guilty of always wanting more money. Some teams are now worth over a billion dollars, and athletes are receiving astronomical contracts. Naturally, athletes should be paid well for their world-class talents, but when they hold out for even more money while already making far more than most people, they often show disloyalty to their fans and teammates. When is it enough?
Tell the teams that you are staying away because you cannot afford games. Long ago, I decided that I would rather spend all that money on things that the family, the poor, or the Church need.
For all of us, there is a lesson here: appreciate what you have, and don’t put money before values. Pope Francis recently stated, “Greed is a sickness, an illness that destroys people” (Catholic News Service, Aug. 1, 2022). The virtues needed here are gratitude, humility, loyalty, and generosity.
Pope St. John Paul II once said, “If athletic competition builds virtue, it can be a means to total and harmonious physical, moral, and social development” (National Catholic Register, Oct. 22, 2021).
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