不正行為 (fusei koi) is the word for
cheating at games in Japanese. A big issue in the media in recent years has
been cheating in sports. The big one is “steroids” or PEDs (performance
enhancing drugs), which pervades all sports but has been the subject of
congressional hearings, federal investigations, and criminal sentences in the
last few years, with suspensions being handed to some of the biggest all-stars
for various banned substances. The NFL has had issues with this that has been
somewhat swept under the rug
But what really constitutes cheating at a game? The
black-letter definition is obviously to do something that is prohibited by the rules,
but the rules don’t cover everything
I recently read a really good article regarding “doctoring the
baseball” by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, with real insights from major league
pictures who used the practice. It talks about all sorts of ways pitchers try
to get a better grip on the ball, get more spin on the ball, basically do
anything they can to get a leg up on the hitter. Amazingly, though, the article
mentions that SOME OF THESE PRACTICES ARE NOT FROWNED UPON! Apparently umpires
know that it happens but let it happen anyway. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pitchers--guide-to-cheating--how-to-do-it-right-061959306.html
To me, “doctoring the baseball,” or the practice of putting
dirt on the ball, scratching the ball with fake fingernails, putting hair gel
on the ball, etc., is just as egregious of a practice as “juicing” in the MLB, in
that the hitters get an advantage. Why do hitters use human growth hormone or steroids?
To get an advantage on the competition! To me, the distinction between these
practices is very thin and should not end just because a rule forbids or does
not forbid these practices. There have been no studies done to test whether
pitchers statistically do better using these practices or not, so I guess there’s
nothing to scientifically prove that this is cheating, but if players are doing
it, there must be something about it that is beneficial.
This might upset some people who play dodgeball, but I don’t
wear gloves during dodgeball even though many “catchers” who try to do a lot of
catching of the ball (as opposed to dodging the ball or blocking with a ball)
do wear gloves. I’ve never worn gloves and don’t know what affect it has first-hand,
but I’ve heard from other players that it does help with catching, for almost
the same reason that baseball pitchers “doctor” the ball: to get a better grip
on the ball, in dodgeball’s case to get a better grip on the ball upon first
contact of it flying into your hands and having it rest calmly into the palm of
your hand, as opposed to flying away. (It’s hard to catch a rubber ball thrown
at a high velocity with your bare hands). Many glove users will say that gloves protect their
fingers, and it’s not banned in most leagues, so it’s totally within the rules.
But for me, it just seems artificial and
I’m just not comfortable using them just because of the similarities to
a performance-enhancing drug (or device), in this case. It’s an interesting
issue that I think goes unnoticed in most sports because it’s not a huge
problem and doesn’t draw viewers attention like a “FEDERAL INDICTMENT OF ROGER
CLEMENS” headline does, but I feel the impact of it.
Then again, I mean, I eat a banana before dodgeball games
because I actually do feel it gives me a leg up and enhances my performance.
Does it make it wrong? No. Wearing gloves or “doctoring the baseball” lies somewhere
between eating a banana between games and blatantly using steroids, but the
argument lies in where it is in that fringe.
In fantasy baseball, ironically, I take the opposite stance:
I do everything and anything within the rules (and sometimes outside of the
rules, as my leaguemates will attest) to give myself a leg up, including but
not limited to picking up kickers the day before a fantasy football Sunday to
prevent my opponent from getting one, making gentlemen’s agreements for trades,
and numerous other little techniques that I’ve picked up over the years. I think
my views are evolving on this, but I’m still trying to think of a justification
why this “performance enhancement” is ok in fantasy sports for me but why I’m
so all about integrity in physical sports.
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