The Value of Sports

Dr. Jennifer Murphy
CEO, QIC

Last week, the head coach of the Louisville men's basketball team, Rick Pitino, was implicated as a key player in a federal investigation of bribing recruits by paying their families large sums of money. This is almost certainly the end of his coaching career, especially given his suspension for that whole prostitute episode earlier this year. Collegiate and professional sports have been the topic of emotionally charged debate over the past few days, and not for the reasons people usually get worked up over sports. From NBA star Stephen Curry to the NFL's leadership, our focus has turned from winning and losing games to a discussion of the values expressed by these athletes, coaches, and owners through their actions. Sports are a big part of many Americans' lives, and when our feelings for our sports teams are combined with our feelings about politics, these discussions can get emotional. But of all of these headlines, I have to admit, the college basketball scandal hit me the hardest. It's not just that college hoops have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It's that these scandals fly in the face of why we hold sports so dear in the first place.

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