4.3 - Blog 4: Ethical Issues in the News| Superbowl XLIX

    This coming Sunday is probably America's most unofficial, official holiday. It's known around the country as Superbowl Sunday, but the difference between years past and this one is certain ethical events leading up to it.

   If you watch sports news at all, or listen to it on the radio; you will have heard something about the "deflate-gate" as they're calling it. By them I mean the sports media and the NFL. There is an investigation going on right now about whether or not the New England Patriots purposefully deflated 11 of their 12 footballs (which makes them easier to grip) in the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. While the score (45-7) is pretty appalling, this development seems to have made more headlines than the actual game.

   While most people focus on the "who done it" aspect, I would like to examine it through the eyes of an ethics student. Ethically we find that there are probably three universal values (as suggested by James Rachels). They are: A policy of caring for small children and infants, a rule against lying, and a rule against murder. The Patriots deflate-gate falls into the second category (based on what the media is portraying). A person is innocent until proven guilty; however, some opposing fans have seemed to forget that. Now that I'm off topic let me do an about-face back to my ethics topic. I found it interesting that no matter who the fans are; whether they be Patriots fans, Colts fans, or Seahawks fans, they all want to know the truth, What is the truth concerning this NFL predicament? Some want it to jaunt the other rivals, but most people are just curious as to what really happened. This whole scenario just seems to back up the idea that universally there is some form of goodness and ethics in people. The unspoken rule against lying goes a long way, even in today's world.

   Whatever the outcome is, I know they will get to the bottom of this dilemma. Either way I'll be enjoying the superbowl with friends and family, and I hope you'll be doing the same.




References used:

Alesia, M. (2014, January 22). Sports ethics experts analyze Belichick, 'DeflateGate'. [Web log]. Retrieved from http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2015/01/22/sports-ethics-deflategate-bill-belichick-new-england-patriots-indianapolis-colts/22153199/.

Rosenstand, N. (2013). The Moral of the Story: An Introduction to Ethics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.