Allie McDavitt
Cristiano Ronaldo may be punished
for his famous “calm down” celebration after scoring agaisnt Barcelona in a
game. LFP president, Javier Tebas reported he believed players must be
responsible for their actions, including celebrations or gestures that may
provoke a negative reaction or even violence from opposing fans, stating that
punishment could be anything from a fine or even suspension (Akerman, 2015). In his article, Akerman reported Ronaldo’s
celebration could be viewed as a reaction to the taunts from the stand. Spanish football has been working to “clean
up” the game after a history of violent fighting, investigations of possible
match-fixing and players being suspected of tax evasion (Akerman, 2015).
Athlete’s celebrations after scoring are often
considered just part of the game, however Tebas’ view is that if these actions
frustrate or anger spectators, then it should be eliminated (Akerman, 2015).
Many athletes, including Ronaldo, occasionally engage in “overzealous”
celebrations which could aggrivate or even stir up voilence in the fan
sections. Many fans dislike the celebration tactics that athletes often engage
in. It can be viewed as arrogant or conceited. Conversely, who is to blame
someone for reveling in a victory or accomplishment? Yes, athletes are paid to
perform at an elite level and some may think they should just do their job, but
is it wrong for them to enjoy and celebrate their achievments “at work?” I
agree that taunting the crowd, especially opposing fans, should be discouraged
at all times but is there an ethical way to monitor and control the amount or
type of celebration? Tebas stated he believed athletes should be leaders when
it comes to their reactions to taunts or riducle from fans (Akerman, 2015). I
agree with this statement. Cristicism is something we all encoutner at some
point in our lives and it is important for those who experience it publically
act and react in an ethical maner to pave the way for future athletes or even
those who look up to them, not only based on their athletic ability, but also
value similar morals.
References:
Akerman, N. (2015, March 25). Cristiano Ronaldo Potentially
Facing La Liga Sanction over Clasico Celebration. Bleacher Report. Retrieved from http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2408457-cristiano-ronaldo-facing-la-liga-sanction-over-real-madrid-clasico-celebration
I agree with Allie in that taunting the crowd should be discouraged at all times. If an athlete celebrates in a way that hassles the opposing fans, that could lead to a series of events that are potentially dangerous or would stir up emotions. Overall, I believe that athletes have a right to express their excitement over a touchdown or goal. Although they are being paid to play professional sports, their job may also be a hobby that the athlete feels personal enjoyment by participating in and wants to succeed in for reasons other than to make more money or get more notoriety. When playing in a game, athletes’ adrenaline presumably spikes so significantly that many emotions and actions they express are difficult to control in the heat of the moment. While there are gestures that should absolutely be restricted when an athlete celebrates a success, I think it is impossible to tell them to refrain from acting or expressing their excitement after scoring or making a game-changing play. Seeing the raw emotion from athletes also helps the crowd to feel more connected to the game; therefore restricting celebration would subtract from the intensity and devotion athletes and spectators possess for sport.
ReplyDeleteKali Morgenstern
I wouldn’t consider myself a soccer fan, but I personally enjoy the player celebrations. There is a difference between celebrating and taunting. Often times, soccer matches are low scoring affairs, so I understand why players love to celebrate. Imagine if NBA players did a celebration after every made basket. As I mentioned in class, I play a lot of the sport video games. EA Sports’s FIFA 15 video game has over 100 player celebrations, and the celebrations is the part of the game that I enjoy the most. In your post you mentioned how players’ celebrations or gestures may provoke a negative reaction and/or violence from opposing fans. This raises issues within ethical theory. The Utilitarian Theory asks what decision brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number? In this situation the fans out number the players. Lets see there are 20 players on each team and each team has 100 fans. When a player scores 120 (fans + players) people will be excited by a player’s celebration. In a 10 team league, there will be more people negatively affected by a players celebration. Every time a player scores, 9 other teams and their fans will not be happy. Therefore, according to the utilitarian theory the elimination of celebrations would bring greater happiness to the greatest number. Players wouldn’t be happy, but the fans would be.
ReplyDelete-David Sims