The State of Professional Sports

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have heard about the recent controversies happening to the “Big 3” in sports.

In the NFL, there are a few trouble spots for the league. First, there was the issue with the ever problematic Pacman Jones and Chris Henry. These repeat offenders of the NFL’s personal conduct policy landed them both suspensions from the league for the upcoming year, with Pacman getting hit the hardest being suspended the entire season.

In MLB, there is the on-going steroid controversy which has landed a dark cloud over Barry Bond’s chase to break Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record. Seeing a momentous event like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but to have this feat performed by the biggest jerks in the business with obvious involvement in trying to cheat the game really makes me wish something happen to the man so that he is unable to play for the rest of the season, leaving the hallowed mark in good, HONEST hands. Should all the blame be pointed to Bonds? Definitely not as MLB didn’t have a drug policy in place while Bonds allegedly was involved with steroids, in a sense not breaking any rules that didn’t exist.

Then of course, there is the NBA and the biggest controversy of all: The betting scandal involving an NBA referee and his betting on games, including those he was officiating. This scandal is HUGE. This brings back the days of the Black Sox scandal and the lifetime ban of Pete Rose for his gambling on games.

With the Big 3 being hit hard with these issues, the NHL must be sitting pretty. Not a chance in hell. It may not be in the headlines as much the others, but the NHL has had it’s fair share of recent problems from the issue with Ted Saskin and the NHLPA, to allegations of Bettman’s meddling with the purchase of the Nashville Predators.

I don’t know what it is with all these on-going issues, but one thing’s for sure, pro sports has never been more in the public limelight than it has over the last little while…. and unfortunately for them, it’s for all the wrong reasons.