Sports & Situational Ethics

Helsinki-Google Images

Helsinki-Google Images

Helsinki

Helsinki-Google Images

Former Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy is now the head coach of the Avalanche. This event above occurred in his first game Wednesday evening. In my view, and this is a deduction, his reaction may not have just been from the actual event but may actually be somewhat theatrical. The reason being the Avalanche have not been a contender the last few years and by the coach publicly standing up for his players, this supposedly and quite possibly creates a team environment which is considered more beneficial for winning.

Perhaps taking advantage of the situation?

I played ball hockey for many years and may play again one day, but one of the reasons I focus on martial arts, walking, light jogging and weights now is the ethical and moral issues in regard to theatre connected with ball hockey, and likely often connected with team sports.

There was also personal mental fatigue in being involved in such.

By mental fatigue I mean I would grow tired of the culture and environment and how it effected me.

I am intellectually in support of one doing the best one can do for the team, and for one to be the best player he/she can be, but I found even when playing ball hockey, even with Christians, there was often the danger of abandoning Christian ethics and morality.

The culture and emotions of the game seem to often rule and because it is seemingly often considered in a sense not 'real life' but just a game, many persons will act in ways playing ball hockey that he/she would not act in 'real life'.

However, from a Biblical perspective particular actions coming from thoughts and the paradigms allowed in the situation can demonstrate a failure to follow the great commandments from the gospels and failure to love fellow Christians as one should (John 15).

This often takes place in forms of theatre.

This could be an example of 'situational ethics' which was a concept I was introduced to at Columbia Bible College.

In other words from what I was taught at the College, applying different ethics in the theatre of sport, while playing ball hockey, that one would not usually ethically live by in real life, outside of the field of play.

Blackburn on situational ethics:

The view that ethical judgments apply to whole situations, rather in a similar way that aesthetic judgments are applied to works of art. Blackburn (1996: 352). A difficulty being with the view that ethics is not only a matter of responding to ethical situations but is a practical subject where 'future options have to be ranked in the light of different features'. Blackburn (1996: 352).

The Cambridge Dictionary on 'situation ethics':

It states it is an anti-theoretical case-by-case applied ethics that became popular in some European and American religious circles after World War II. Becker (1996: 738). Each moral choice must be determined by a particular context and situation. Becker (1996: 738). It rejects the idea that ethical principles are universal, and the same for moral principles, and these ethics and principles do not go beyond 'indeterminate commitments or ideals' Becker (1996: 738). It rejects attempts to develop general ethical and moral guidelines from a case. Becker (1996: 738).

I reason that consistent Biblical, Christian ethics and morality should be and needs to be applied in all life situations. Biblical commands do not supply and allow for theatrical exceptions and exemptions.

That is not to state that one could not be an actor as that would actually be presenting fiction. I am discussing actual real life situations such as sports, team sports, and ball hockey that are often not ethically and morally treated as real life, but rather as just a game.

BECKER, LAWRENCE C. (1996) Situation Ethics, in Robert Audi (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

From

Mail Online October 2012:Rugby league star has to have testicle removed

citations:

'Rugby league star has to have testicle removed after refusing to come off with rupture injury during Grand Final Heroic Paul Wood, 31, played through the pain barrier for Warrington

He was joking about the incident on Twitter just hours later

But the father-of-two may now have to quit playing'

 'One of his tweets read: 'Ruptured my right testicle, got a knee 1 minute into the second half, had to have it removed.''

This morning I heard this story on Talk Sport from the United Kingdom.

This player is still playing. 

Philosophically...I would have quit. Why take further risks?

BBC Sun

From the BBC:

citations:

'It concerns a 10-year-old-boy who was banned from turning up at his school's World War II costume day. Pupils were urged to "dress in the style of the era" as "an evacuee, soldier etc". William Gahasemi went one stage further. He turned up in an Adolf Hitler costume. His mum, Davina, who brushed his hair to the side, drew a toothbrush moustache below his nose and fashioned him a swastika armband, was told by teachers that the outfit was "extremely inappropriate". She defends the decision in an unimprovable quote: "I wasn't sure at first, but William said Hitler was kind of the lead character in the whole war and someone should play him."'

The Sun has the photo of the boy in costume which I am not going to post here.

I also heard this story on Talk Sport this morning. I agree with the radio commenters that the Mother should have used more common sense and had her child dress differently. Dressing as such creates unnecessary controversy, due to the horrific nature of World War II, much of it connected to Nazi Germany and Britain was at war with Nazi Germany, which in my mind means the social negatives of wearing such a costume in context outweigh the rights of personal freedom to dress as such.

Talk Sport:Wenger criticises Wilshere after Arsenal ace pictured smoking

citations:

'The England midfielder was dropped for Tuesday night's win over Napoli, but was expected to be recalled for this weekend's trip to West Brom. But he is not in the good books of Highbury boss Arsene Wenger, who said: "You damage your reputation if you do it out socially. "I disagree completely with that behaviour. I don't know really what happened, so I will need to have a chat with him about that. "There are two things - first of all when you are a football player you are an example and as well you don't do what damages your health. "The fact is that you can damage your health at home, you can smoke at home and you can drink at home, and nobody sees it, but when you go out socially you also damage your reputation as an example."'

The Mail Online October 4

'Wilshere then took to Twitter appearing to defend his actions, posting a picture of former France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane smoking a cigarette before writing: 'But for the record... I don't smoke.'''

I had a laugh when the Talk Sport commenters were stating that perhaps he was holding the cigarette for a friend...