Integrity vs. Winning

[SlushyBOB]

This isn't an attack on Sammy Sosa or any one player. I'm just curious about which is more important. Personally, I think integrity is more important. Cheating only takes away from the game, the stats, and those people that honor and revere the game.

What are your thoughts?

[rockin500]

well, integrity is important. obviously that is more important than winning, BUT we all know that baseball has never had much integrity. if you think so, you are naive.

i love baseball, but i am not blind to its faults. as they say, if you aint cheatin, you aint trying. at least thats the way its been in the pros since the beginning.

[Tigers#1]

I'd sure as Hell cheat, if it meant keeping millions of baseball fans off my back, and earned me a few extra million bucks.

[SlushyBOB]

Originally posted by Tigers#1
I'd sure as Hell cheat, if it meant keeping millions of baseball fans off my back, and earned me a few extra million bucks.


Personally, I think that's kind of sad. You still have to look at yourself in the mirror. What good are the stats or the money if you know the only reason you got it is because you didn't have the integrity and ethics to play by the rules?


Rockin-I know that the cheating happens in every sport, not just baseball. The issue is whether it's ok to do or not. Just because it has been done doesn't mean it should be accepted as ok. IMO

[GiveHyzduashot]

I can see this thread could cause some problems ... so let's try to keep it civil (not that it isn't civil already, just that it could become heated).

Me personally, if I'm a player, I would try to win with integrity to have the best of both worlds ... but if I'm not getting it done, and I fear my job could be taken by someone else who absolutely is cheating, I'd have to think about keeping or losing integrity ... I can't say for certain that I wouldn't try to get some edge, but not to the point of corking a bat .. probably more along the lines of taking the legal supplements.

But as a fan watching the game ... I'll prefer winning over integrity. Every team has "cheaters" on it ... but it's only those caught lose their integrity ... and in time, that integrity will build back up again. We won't forget what happened to Sosa, but years from now, I don't think we'll be as hard on him since he was honest about it, as opposed to what Guerrero and Canseco did. Whether the team I pull for has cheaters on it isn't my concern ... I root for a team that hopefully wins. Plus, I can still root against the known cheaters and pull that much harder for the ones who play with integrity .. I'd rather have one or two cheaters on a consistent winner than have a roster full of forthright guys who lose.

That's just my opinion on it.

[WestsideHimself]

In paintball I said at a tourny after we found out the team we were playing had cheated 2 time sduring the day I said " There cheating just makes me play harder and smarter" We won and found out later they cheated...felt so damnn good!

[Tigers#1]

Originally posted by SlushyBOB
Personally, I think that's kind of sad. You still have to look at yourself in the mirror. What good are the stats or the money if you know the only reason you got it is because you didn't have the integrity and ethics to play by the rules?
I'm not saying it's right, but i'd rather loose a little integrity, than having millions of people pissed off at me for not playing well, which isn't right either. Thats just how i feel.

[SlushyBOB]

I guess my problem with the whole thing (and of course this is coming from a high school teacher) is what does this teach our children? It's ok as long as you don't get caught? If there is a lot of money involved then go ahead? When does the line get drawn about following the rules and cheating to win? How can we teach our children to play the game for the love of it if the baseball "heros" take shortcuts? Once again, IMO.

[Tigers#1]

Of course it's terribly wrong, especially for our kids to learn from. But, also don't forget, we can't get mad at him because he's hispanic.

[SlushyBOB]

Originally posted by Tigers#1
Of course it's terribly wrong, especially for our kids to learn from. But, also don't forget, we can't get mad at him because he's hispanic.


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