Deviant Behavior in Sports
Deviant Behavior in Sports
Nature always has a way of balancing itself out, and in my opinion, deviant behavior is no exception. For every report we read about how playing in a sports program has kept someone off the streets and out of a life of crime, we come across another about excessive violence or drug use by an athlete. Sports definitely discourage off the field problems, but they also bring about a whole new set of on the field problems.
Playing sports brings out the competitive sides of many athletes. To most athletes, winning is everything, and they will do absolutely anything to make sure they win, including the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The idea of athletes using drugs has always been a hot topic, and will probably remain that way. In a recent article, Matt Bernard summed it up best – “We expect our athletes to celebrate nature and the body beautiful, but we also demand that they win competitions. What’s a jock to do?” (Bernard, 1998) World class athletes are pushed harder than anyone in the world, by fans, by coaches, by themselves. To succeed at a top level today, you almost have to use some type of performance-enhancing drug.
According to the conflict theory, everything in sports begins with the financial aspect. The drive professional athletes have, despite what they may say about their love of the game, is usually their astronomical salaries. In most of the professional sports leagues, the salary you are given is based solely on how well you perform. The players with the highest stats are always the highest paid, and most athletes will do anything it takes to improve their personal game. Since so many players are using drugs today to be bigger, faster, and stronger, more up and coming athletes are forced into using supplements just to keep up. People today accept moderate drug use as “just part of the game,” while only 20 years ago it was a scandal to even be mentioned in the same breath with drugs.
According to the interactionist theory, people play sports as a means to develop their own personality and identity. They use the opinions of their teammates, opponents, coaches, and fans as a way to discover themselves. This type of thinking can often lead players to succumb to peer...