In A Word: Tolerance
Gerald Eisman
May 04, 2006
Tolerance 1. The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others. 2. Leeway for variation from a standard.
We the people, as a nation, have developed a most selective tolerance level in all aspects of our lives. Words, deeds, and activities that used to be taboo to the average citizen are now an accepted norm.
There is, however, one area of our lives, a most important and sensitive area, where our tolerance level stands inviolable and immutable, and that is in our sports. We will never deign anything to interfere with our concept of fair play on or off the playing fields nor to our athletic figures. The flip side of that coin is, we will never allow our sports figures to do anything that would besmirch the good name and reputation of the sport in which they participate.
One example of this rather strange dichotomy is the case of Bobby Bonds. Mr. Bonds is a marvel with his bat, standing today only two home runs short of tying and three short of overtaking the legendary Babe Ruth for second place in the home-run record book. He is also within striking distance of catching and passing number one, Henry Aron. His stature as one of the most prolific hitters in the game was legendary. That's right, I said was.
It appears a cloud has descended over Mr. Bonds and his records just as one obliterated another hitting great, Pete Rose. Pete, you see, was a gambler. Gambling is a disease afflicting a great number of people, a debilitating malady that has destroyed uncounted millions of individuals and their families throughout the years. It afflicted Mr. Rose, the baseball player called Charlie Hustle.
For his feats on the playing field, Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. Is he there? Of course not, for he was afflicted by the gaming disease and in so being violated the first rule of sports. Charlie Hustle was human. Did he personally do harm to the game? Not by a long shot, but he insulted the sensitivity of those in power, those who had dominion over the rules. Their verdict, ban Pete Rose for life from the one prize he earned legitimately.
Now Mr. Bonds stands accused of using steroids to enhance his strength and endurance. If I had a dollar for every athlete who used a drug or stamina enhancer to further their sports acumen and agility I would likely retire to a tropical island and laze away the rest of my natural life. Unfortunately, Mr. Bonds, like Mr. Rose was a nationally renowned and revered player and as such, vulnerable to the attacks of those who stand far lower on the ladder rungs of fame.
This brings us back to the word tolerance. We, as a nation, have seen our youth, in every level of academia, cheat. We see it, hear about it, even experience it but do we do anything about it? Rarely. Teachers in every grade level complain about the conduct of their pupils, but are tacitly restrained from taking action against the practice. Should a student who cheats on an exam be punished or should we continue to look the other way when such infractions are observed?
One Florida politician, who grew to prominence through questionable practices and decisions, once spoke of great activities by our homeland security people. It was stated that our people thwarted many plots in pursuit of our safety. Unfortunately, nothing was, at the time, further from the truth. The words were a concoction of fabrications. Did the public chastise the politician? Not hardly.
Why, we even tolerate deceit at the top levels of our government, overlooking half-truths and sometimes flat-out lies, but we are all right there in the forefront of castigation when it comes to punishing our sports heroes. We have learned to look away when the president of the greatest nation in the world utters words that have as much foundation as a bed of quicksand, but will destroy the work of a lifetime from a athlete who may, or may not have done a thing that we frown upon. It need not even be illegal, but if it offends the sensitivities of sports fans?
Perhaps Mr. Bonds did use steroids and they did enhance his stamina and strength. I submit, the distance to home run territory in today's stadiums is greater than in the older stadiums. If Mr. Bonds were playing in those older, shorter stadiums and hadn't been taking anything to enhance his strength, wouldn't he be just as prodigious a slugger? Wouldn't Mr. Rose still have sprayed his multitude of hits all over the older outfields in those days had he gambled, or not?
Isn't it time we stopped being tolerant of things that harm America and brought some common sense back into play? If we, as a nation, do not want to have things a certain way, shouldn't we set standards based on what offends us as a nation and enforce those standards on every person in every walk of life and every calling. Selectivity in our tolerances is about as fair as shooting the messenger who brings us a distasteful message.
We the people, as a nation, have developed a most selective tolerance level in all aspects of our lives. Words, deeds, and activities that used to be taboo to the average citizen are now an accepted norm.
There is, however, one area of our lives, a most important and sensitive area, where our tolerance level stands inviolable and immutable, and that is in our sports. We will never deign anything to interfere with our concept of fair play on or off the playing fields nor to our athletic figures. The flip side of that coin is, we will never allow our sports figures to do anything that would besmirch the good name and reputation of the sport in which they participate.
One example of this rather strange dichotomy is the case of Bobby Bonds. Mr. Bonds is a marvel with his bat, standing today only two home runs short of tying and three short of overtaking the legendary Babe Ruth for second place in the home-run record book. He is also within striking distance of catching and passing number one, Henry Aron. His stature as one of the most prolific hitters in the game was legendary. That's right, I said was.
It appears a cloud has descended over Mr. Bonds and his records just as one obliterated another hitting great, Pete Rose. Pete, you see, was a gambler. Gambling is a disease afflicting a great number of people, a debilitating malady that has destroyed uncounted millions of individuals and their families throughout the years. It afflicted Mr. Rose, the baseball player called Charlie Hustle.
For his feats on the playing field, Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. Is he there? Of course not, for he was afflicted by the gaming disease and in so being violated the first rule of sports. Charlie Hustle was human. Did he personally do harm to the game? Not by a long shot, but he insulted the sensitivity of those in power, those who had dominion over the rules. Their verdict, ban Pete Rose for life from the one prize he earned legitimately.
Now Mr. Bonds stands accused of using steroids to enhance his strength and endurance. If I had a dollar for every athlete who used a drug or stamina enhancer to further their sports acumen and agility I would likely retire to a tropical island and laze away the rest of my natural life. Unfortunately, Mr. Bonds, like Mr. Rose was a nationally renowned and revered player and as such, vulnerable to the attacks of those who stand far lower on the ladder rungs of fame.
This brings us back to the word tolerance. We, as a nation, have seen our youth, in every level of academia, cheat. We see it, hear about it, even experience it but do we do anything about it? Rarely. Teachers in every grade level complain about the conduct of their pupils, but are tacitly restrained from taking action against the practice. Should a student who cheats on an exam be punished or should we continue to look the other way when such infractions are observed?
One Florida politician, who grew to prominence through questionable practices and decisions, once spoke of great activities by our homeland security people. It was stated that our people thwarted many plots in pursuit of our safety. Unfortunately, nothing was, at the time, further from the truth. The words were a concoction of fabrications. Did the public chastise the politician? Not hardly.
Why, we even tolerate deceit at the top levels of our government, overlooking half-truths and sometimes flat-out lies, but we are all right there in the forefront of castigation when it comes to punishing our sports heroes. We have learned to look away when the president of the greatest nation in the world utters words that have as much foundation as a bed of quicksand, but will destroy the work of a lifetime from a athlete who may, or may not have done a thing that we frown upon. It need not even be illegal, but if it offends the sensitivities of sports fans?
Perhaps Mr. Bonds did use steroids and they did enhance his stamina and strength. I submit, the distance to home run territory in today's stadiums is greater than in the older stadiums. If Mr. Bonds were playing in those older, shorter stadiums and hadn't been taking anything to enhance his strength, wouldn't he be just as prodigious a slugger? Wouldn't Mr. Rose still have sprayed his multitude of hits all over the older outfields in those days had he gambled, or not?
Isn't it time we stopped being tolerant of things that harm America and brought some common sense back into play? If we, as a nation, do not want to have things a certain way, shouldn't we set standards based on what offends us as a nation and enforce those standards on every person in every walk of life and every calling. Selectivity in our tolerances is about as fair as shooting the messenger who brings us a distasteful message.
Print
Email
