Shame of the NBA

The headline on the New York Post on August 18 proclaimed, as the Post always proclaims, that a referee for the National Basketball Association shamed the league with his involvement in illegal gambling. His actions compromised his position as an impartial arbiter of the rules of the game, and thereby made such a scandal of the NBA that the organization is now "shamed." Or it should be, according to the Post. This latest development in sporting news suggests that this referee has ruined the integrity of the NBA, and has cast a shadow of doubt on the professionalism of sporting officials. And this is a source of shame.

Really? This is what the NBA and sports fans are angry about? That the integrity of an organization who overpays its employees while hiding their indiscretions has been dismantled because of this one referee that no one even talks about anymore. I sincerely doubt that he alone is the "shame of the NBA." In fact the NBA, and all professional or high-profile sports, is guilty of far worse than allowing its officials to become tainted.

My personal vote for shame of the NBA is for L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who was accused of sexual assault in 2003. Not only did Bryant escape a formal trial for his charges, but the case was eventually dropped because of the accuser's refusal to testify. His exceptional ability and his star power created such a media firestorm that the public's attention zoomed like a laser beam onto the identity and respectablity of his accuser. Suddenly, she was on trial, and millions wondered why a woman would accuse darling Kobe of rape. He couldn't have raped her; who wouldn't have wanted to have sex with him? His accuser became a money-grubbing slut, and although Bryant lost his endorsement deals and the sales of his team jersey fell slightly, he still got to keep his job, his millions of dollars, and his wife. Who knows what happened to the woman whom he raped? He said, ""Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did." (Samuels, Allison [October 11, 2003]. Kobe Off the Court. MSNBC.) This was as close as he ever came to an actual apology or even a recognition of the fact that he comitted a gross violation of another person. Four years later, do people even think about this incident, or are we too busy crying out the indiginities of Michael Vick's illegal dogfighting? Would people be making the same fuss if he had raped a woman, as Bryant had done?

There is something foul in the state of professional and high-profile sports. Murder, sexual assault, doping/drug use, gambling, fraud, cheating, animal cruelty, and the ever-inflating pro athlete salary - these are the plagues of professional and high-profile sports. Some might argue that sports are a kind of microcosm for society at large. Then why are all the salaries so much more "macro" than the rest of the world? The money the Boston Red Sox spent on their 2007 line-up is upwards of $126 million - $50 million alone for Daisuke Matsuzaka, to be spread out over six years. That same amount, channeled into Boston public schools and infrastructure could have provided thousands of students with new classrooms, computers, and provided the city with better support for green spaces, recycling and social outreach programs. Clubs are even paying top dollar for less than stellar athletes. Witness David Beckham's $250 million with the L.A. Galaxy soccer team - quite a big check for someone who is more a hairstyle than an athlete.

So while that referee may be the "shame of the NBA" for the moment, the league and professional/high-profile sports have a lot more to answer for, and even more work to do.