In a Catch-22

You would think as the leaves start to turn shades of red, and yellow, that a diehard sports fan like me would be jumping for joy. After all, the playoff race for a chance at playing in October is heating up. College and pro football are underway, and as usual have not disappointed. The dog days of summer are long forgotten, and now we can spend sundays debating over whether we want to watch a crucial baseball game where one error could cost a team a playoff spot, or if we want to watch to see what celebration Chad Johnson is going to come up with next. This is the beauty of sports in the fall, but this year is different. What started with the NBA referee allegations of assisting gamblers in fixing some NBA games, got me a bit skeptical. Recently, it was found out that the Patriots were videotaping the Jets in sunday's blowout victory, stealing their signals. What is going to come out next? Is an umpire going to randomly eject a pitcher if a ball brushes the inside of the plate, because he has a side wager? The integrity in sports leaves the fans and the players in a powerless situation. From a player's perspective, at least they are making millions of dollars, but from a competitive standpoint you have to wonder. These guys are the most physically gifted athletes in the world, as well as some of the most competitive by nature. No matter how much money a guy makes, when everything is said and done he wants to win the game. This isn't possible if the outcome is already decided by an outward source. How about us fans? We pay endless amounts of dollars for going to games and paying for parking, as well as buying all the sports packages on directv so we can follow our passion, and route hard for a team, with the hope that our cheering is making the difference. Ignorance is bliss, and I just wish I was a young kid again so I could watch a game without having to think about any of this tainted world anymore.