Final Blog

This class for me this semester was one of the ones that I enjoyed the most. It was really nice to talk about events within the sports worlds and how ethical issues can arise within the day to day loves of people that work in sports. As an Athletic Trainer I have always been aware of how important it is to make ethical decisions and as I climb the ladder and work in different levels of sports I really see how different issues can arise at each level. I never really looked deeply into my Code of Ethics and this class really made me analyze it and improve my knowledge on it. Also interviewing Daniel Fischer helped me get a different perspective on Code of Ethics and how he deals with certain dilemmas. I really have not had any ethical issues that I have had to take care of myself but highlighting different issues in Athletic Training really made me aware of different things that could possible happen when it comes to caring for my athletes. I really found the blogs about concussions really reinforce my thinking on how important it is to care for those athletes that do have concussions as coaches may have a tendency to overstep their boundaries and try to push an athlete back into play way sooner than they should be. I found that this discussion was very helpful and will help me to make more ethical decisions if that ever should arise when I am working in my career. This class really helped me to reinforce my own personal code of ethics and the NATA’s code of ethics and it made a huge impact on how I will handle things in the future.

Amanda Notley

Final Entry

From the classes this semester I have gained a lot of insight into ethical issues in sports. The most valuable take away for me is looking at each ethical situation from multiple angles.  Prior to this class I might read an article or watch an interview and just formulate my own opinion on the matter. Having various discussions in class, and hearing different points of view has expanded my awareness of these contemporary ethical issues.  My take away and application from this class will be to make a code of ethics for my Track and Field team for training room behavior.  I think that there are specific rules that obviously need to be in place.  A joint code of ethics will allow my track athletes to know what to expect from me, as well as give them a chance to conduct themselves appropriately.

The interview in our class was valuable to me because it gave me an idea of some ethical based questions that I may want to ask in a future job interview.  I want to work in a job setting where ethical practice is held in high regard. I will be taking a couple of questions from this interview to apply to those situations.

Another piece that I will take away from this class is going to ESPN’s Outside The Lines on a regular basis. Reading up on current ethical issues interests me, and I have found this site to be a good starting point when discovering contemporary topics.  

Matthias E. Reiber

Final Blog Entry

We covered many different issues in class this semester. Many dealt with behavioral decisions that had repercussions and consequences. One of the main learning points I can say I really took on this semester was asking myself how I would respond to each scenario if I were in charge of it.

Whether it be a Kentucky administrator dealing with the comments made by Andrew Harrison, the Red's front office dealing with Brian Price or anyone from FSU to the NFL handling Jameis Winston's character and behavioral issues, I have learned how to set up my own ethical policies and procedures on what I would do if facing those circumstances. We now have shed some light on all of the ethical dilemmas going on in the sports world currently. We all can now know what the current issues and discussions are on and what we may face as we go on to have jobs in the sport's world.

The 2 biggest lessons I learned were to find out the ethical code of conduct for whoever you are working for and understand it completely front to back. Once you have a grasp on your employer's code of conduct, the next step in my mind is to see how it aligns with your own personal code of conduct. That may be the biggest talking point of the class; establishing your own personal code of conduct. The only way to feel comfortable and confident in making high-stakes decisions is if you know that morally you are doing what is right from your standpoint.

We must always ask ourselves if what we are doing is right. If there's any doubt in our mind that we may be doing something that goes against the ethical code of conduct set forth by ourselves or for those we work for or/with, we must seek guidance in our decisions. Time and time again, we see the mistakes made by those in sports who call their own number and act without the consent of others and 9/10 times it backfires.


By Eric Vendemia

Final Blog: Question #2

Out of all the topics posted on the blog, the topic that was most interesting to me was Britt McHenry’s outburst. The reason Britt’s video that was posted on TMZ caught my attention the most is because all semester we talked about how to behave in situations and how ethics plays a role in our daily lives. Britt is a public figure. Her presence must be monitored at all times because she represents ESPN both on and off camera. Seeing her reaction to getting her car towed was not only slightly comical, but disgraceful. 

The woman who was working at the tow shop had zero control over the tow truck towing Britt’s car, yet Britt took all of her anger and frustration out on this woman. A major lesson I took away from our class this semester is that ethics needs to be applied in all situations. While we focused on ethics in sport, ethics needs to be maintained in daily life. Making the right decisions, handling situations properly, and interacting with other people are such crucial aspects of life both professionally and socially. Britt’s outburst consists of her demeaning the woman’s education, appearance, and job. Who is Britt to judge this woman? Maybe this woman was unable to afford a college education and this is the only job she was able to get. This woman could be college educated and decided she wanted to operate a tow truck company. Whatever the reason may be, this woman should not be degraded by Britt for reasons that did not at all correlate with Britt’s car getting towed. 

The way ESPN handled this situation is also a major ethical issue. Britt should have been let go from her position on this highly publicized station. ESPN has set an example now that sports anchors, athletes, etc. can behave inappropriately but still reap the benefits of being employed by EPSN.  Seeing as there are many beautiful, talented anchors that would die to work for ESPN, it’s not like they would have had a hard time replacing Britt for an anchor that possesses class and an ethical demeanor.

By: Kali Morgenstern

Final Blog Wrap Up

By Alexx Klein

There were many topics presented in the blog entries that I found especially interesting, and through reading them I learned a lot about ethical values and decision-making. Being in the sports journalism field since high school, I have always been exposed to ethics. I took a mandatory ethics class my senior year at Indiana University in the journalism school, which initially opened my eyes to how gray the topic was. This class really solidified for me the idea that every person views ethics with a different lens. This could be innate or because of the way someone was raised, but regardless of the reason, the truth is that there are many ways to view an (un)ethical situation.

It is hard to choose just one blog topic to focus my attention. With having a class of 20+ people, it was interesting to see some of the articles and topics people found to post about. I tended to concentrate on articles and issues close to my field of work, so seeing entries on personal training, recruiting and law, for example, was refreshing to look at in my eyes. Take a look at some of the topics of past blog entries…

The Reds manager’s outburst… was it ethical?

The wrestler who let a kid with downs syndrome win a match… was it ethical?

Kentucky’s Andrew Harrison’s comment to Frank Kaminsky… was it ethical?

The quick firing of former BGSU basketball coach Chris Jans… was it ethical?

The list can go on and on from the topics students discussed in the blogs and in class, but the one thing that remains clear to me is that there is no right answer. Everyone has their own opinion of what is moral and what is ethical. Who I am to tell someone what they think and feel is right or wrong. It takes a patient, understanding person to ultimately respect someone else’s opinions on a controversial topic. I truly believe this course pushed us to do just that; be respectful of others’ views.

Thanks for an interesting semester, Dr. Spencer.

Guidelines for Final Blog Entry and Comments - posted by Dr. Spencer

HMSL 6340 – Critically Evaluating Ethical Issues in HMSLS

Guidelines for posting a Final Blog Entry and Comments are the same as those that were in effect for writing previous entries (i.e., for Blog entries, length should be at least 250 words; entries will be graded on the basis of content, grammar, spelling, and flow. The maximum points you can receive will be 10 pts. for an entry and 5 pts. for comments (you can either do one longer comment in response to someone’s blog entry or you can do multiple shorter comments). Thus, you can receive a maximum of 15 points for this week’s entries. Below is an outline of what you might include in your Final Blog entry and comments. You do not need to address every point.

Final Blog Entry

1.      What did you find useful and/or most interesting to read about and/or discuss in class? How did the readings and/or discussions (in-class or online) make you think differently about an issue? What did you learn specifically about ethical values, Codes of ethics, and/or ethical decision-making in or through sports?

2.      Which of the topic(s) presented in Blog entries did you find especially interesting? What did you learn about ethical values and/or decision-making as a result of reading about a given topic that someone presented in a blog entry?

3.      What will you take with you from this class (readings and/or discussions) that you will be able to use in your future career(s)? How did interviewing a professional in your field help you to understand ethical dilemmas you might face and how to address them?

4.      Since you may also be working with people who need to develop guidelines for ethical decision-making, what are some of the ways that you might instill ethical values in those with whom you work? What are specific ways that you (or someone in your profession) could work to convey ethical values through sport?

5.      Is there anything else that you would like to add about an ethical issue that we discussed (or that you would like to have discussed more) in class or online? Perhaps your thoughts have evolved and you have gained new insights in thinking further about this issue.

Comments:

·         In responding to Final blog entries, you may want to agree or disagree with what someone wrote. Try to develop additional ideas about how you were influenced by a reading and/or discussion that was raised in a person’s final blog entry.

Final Blog Entries should be posted no later than 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 5.

Comments should be posted no later than 6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 7.

100 MPH Fastball, Aiming for the Head

by Joey Durant

Last weekend, the MLB saw an extreme case of retaliation and temperament in one of their generally calm baseball games. The Oakland Athletics and the Kansas City Royals played a in a very heated matchup on April 19th, which ended with five ejections. The teams were already tense after Brett Lawrie, of the A's, slid hard into second base and collided with Royals' shortstop Alcides Escobar the day before. Lawrie was hit in the elbow by a pitch later in that game from Yordano Ventura, who was ejected immediately. Late in the Saturday game, Brett Lawrie was targeted again, this time by Kelvin Herrera. Herrera flung a 100 mph fastball past Lawrie's head, leading to another ejection. As he was leaving the field, Herrera pointed towards his head and was seen shouting something to Lawrie who had walked to first base (SI Wire, 2015). The pitch was viewed as a clearly intentional action, meaning to hit Lawrie in the head with what would have been a brutal pitch in retaliation for Lawrie injuring Escobar the day before. A's reliever Sean Doolittle took to Twitter to voice his opinions of the incident, calling Herrera's actions "bush league" and "hot garbage" in reference to the pitch and to Herrera pointing at his head (SI Wire, 2015; para. 4).

Retaliation like this is not new to baseball, but the fact that Herrera aimed for the head of Lawrie with a 100 mph pitch is disturbing. Getting hit with a baseball at any speed can be dangerous, but that type of intent could legitimately end a players career. Pitchers typically will pitch inside on a batter that they want to send a message to, and will usually pitch to their abdomen area. That retaliation may not be right, but at least it won't send a guy to the hospital. Herrera, in my opinion, acted with malice and a true intent to injure Lawrie. He used the baseball as a weapon, aimed at Lawrie's head and luckily missed. Herrera should be suspended for his actions, but even then I don't think he should be put in against the A's in the future in order to avoid any similar incidents.

Do you think that Herrera should be punished by the league, either in the form of a suspension or fine? What ethical considerations are in play when a pitcher decides to retaliate against an opposing batter? Is there a difference in intentionally throwing at a batters body, rather than their head? Should intentional throws like Herrera's be more strictly policed by the MLB?

References

SI Wire. (2015, April 19). Five Royals ejected in win over Athletics. Retrieved from http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/04/19/kansas-city-royals-ejections-oakland-athletics-kelvin-herrera-brett-lawrie