Two weeks. That’s all it took for the relationship between player and fan to be ruined forever. Two tumultuous, ugly weeks.
Before that time, the relationship between fan and athlete was something out of an episode of Married with Children: dysfunctional and contradictory, but generally harmonious. The masses complained about Sharpie pen touchdown celebrations, jocks in rape cases and unfair treatment by superstars to their supporters, but still came out to the games. Dennis Rodman head-butted a referee and kicked a camera operator in the groin, but no one boycotted the Chicago Bulls (a man they called Michael may have had something to do with it). Barry Bonds is infamous for his treatment of the public, but people still come to see him hit 500-foot bombs. We whine, pout and find fault with each other, but always end up being the best of bedfellows.
That all changed on Nov. 19. There is no need to go into the logistics; all the facts you need for this story can be found in any newspaper, and on any radio station, television station or Web site. On that day, Ben Wallace took exception to a not-so-hard foul by Ron Artest. What ensued next would cause my 96-year-old grandmother to take exception. Several fans were displeased with the hack, and began throwing objects onto the court. This provoked the visitors, as several Pacers jumped into the stands to fight with fans. When Artest threw down that first fan, and Stephen Jackson flew into the fray with several haymakers, a line of respect by both parties was eternally erased. What separated the NBA from other sports was the intimate seating location available to the sport’s many fans. Now one must question their well being when attending a sporting event. That warning extends to both parties: the fans, who must be apprehensive about fully engaging themselves in the contest (for fear of risking physical harm); and the athletes, who now must concern themselves with the opposition, a hostile environment and the wrath of a displeased audience.
Two weeks later, on successive days (Dec. 2 and 3), another scarlet letter was placed on the broad chest of sport. First, the testimony of Yankees slugger Jason Giambi revealed that he used steroids, and began using them early in his baseball career. The next day, information came out that stated Bonds unknowingly used a steroid cream provided by his trainer, Greg Anderson. Information like this really starts to make the mind wander. After all, outside of Cal Ripken, it was the homerun race of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire that brought baseball back to prominence. In this age of watered-down pitching and inflated homerun figures, it becomes more difficult for observers to trust what they are seeing on a daily basis. All this did was confirm the worst fears of the masses: These athletes are cheating to gain our good graces. Do we subject them to high-pressure situations? Of course … a little pressure is worth it if you’re going to cash in on a $100 million contract. Nevertheless, it is difficult to take joy in watching something that was once so pure become the subject of the most ignoble activity possible.
Where you stand on each issue is totally for your own debate. Some feel Artest and co.’s punishment fit the crime, and Commissioner David Stern had to lay a heavy hand to prevent something like this from happening again; others feel the players received excessive reprimand.
In the case of Bonds and Giambi, you could argue one didn’t know, while the other did it to meet the demands of the environment that surrounded him. You could even argue that taking the drugs are worth it; after all, a few years cut from your life is worth the price of an extra $5 million.
That is not the issue, however. The problem is that the same public who has built up today’s athlete to its current supernatural status now wants to strip those same athletes of that power. Naturally, the forces that be have not stood for it. The permanent results are yet to be determined, but it would be foolish to predict anything but an ominous outcome.
– Evans Erilus can be reached at [email protected]
