Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing

I don’t remember who said that, I think it might have been the legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi. With that in mind, does it come as any surprise that we hear about the accusations of Lance Armstrongs doping during his Tour de France wins, the resignation of Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel for cheating, and the many other, numerous allegations against colleges such as Auburn, Oregon, and many others?

Is it really any surprise that players use steroids to win, or hit more home runs, run faster, run farther, get bigger and stronger, or ride a bike faster than anyone else? If it is, it shouldn’t be. From the beginning we’ve been in love with winners. No, not the ones who came close, not the ones who got the moral victory. Nope, we love the ones who come in first place, who win the game. Oh sure, we give polite respect for the runners-up, those gritty second place finishers who gave their all. But for all that respect, it’s about the winners baby. Very simply put, winners win, losers lose.

With that mentality, it shouldn’t come as any surprise when players see other players cheating, or otherwise performing feats that a few years ago were outside of their talents. These players are now setting records, and more importantly, making a whole lot more money. Big money.

Money is at the root of all of this. Coaches need to win to keep alumni happy, which means they get to keep their jobs. Keeping asses in seats is like a bank deposit for the school and a steady paycheck for a coach. Nowadays, a coach who ‘does it the right way’ probably won’t be coaching for long. The deck is now stacked against that guy because he knows that right or wrong, most of his contemporaries are doing whatever they can to win.

I could go on and on about this, but won’t bore you or myself with continued examples of what people will do to win. We’ve helped to create this environment. We want winners. We associate with winners, because who wants to be associated with a loser? Think about that next time. Players don’t have to cheat. Coaches don’t have to cheat. It’s a choice they make. You might think that’s not much of a choice all things considered, and you’re probably right, but we own much of this.

Next time you see or hear of an opposing player or coach accused of cheating, and you get some sort of satisfaction from this revelation, just wait.

What goes around, comes around, and nobody is innocent. Your team, your player is next, it’s just a matter of time.

The ability of your glass house to withstand a stone thrown at it, is only as good as the glass.