A Balance of Probability

As a cyclist, I've been wanting to write about the issue of doping culture in modern professional sports. I have to admit that the topic that has proven difficult for me to broach for a variety of reasons. Primary among them is that, as a cyclist, my writing tends to become defensive rather than constructive. I would prefer that this not be the case. I would love to discuss the issues surrounding doping in order to address and correct the underlying challenges, rather than simply condemning those guilty. This conversation shouldn't be about finding out who has done what, but rather, how do we prevent it in the future.

In future blogs, I want to touch on what I feel sets cycling apart from other sports in regard to the handling of performance enhancing substances, and how I would propose addressing some of the shortcomings if I were ever to find myself in a position where my opinion on such things mattered. For now though, in light of the record setting performance of Mr. Barry Lamar Bonds, I want to ask a different question.

When did we allow our sports and our athletes meet only the standards of our judicial system? When did "innocent until proven guilty" and all the weighty semantics that come with it, jump off of the Constitution and into the professional sports arena? What happened to the higher standard our athletes are supposed to live up to?

If my memory serves me correctly, the very same day I was introduced to organized sports, oh, say, 20 years ago, I was also taught the principles of teamwork and fair play. These two pillars of sport are really just the foundation of what I was taught about sports growing up. I seem to remember the virtues of hard work and dedication, and the notion that you were rewarded for your effort on the field both in games and in practice. I was also lucky enough to grow up watching Call Ripken Jr. roam the infield at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, and even more fortunate to have the chance to witness his induction into the Hall of Fame last week. Guys like that show you what it means to respect the game, respect the fans, and take pride in what you do.

So consider me jaded when I consider what has become of sports seemingly overnight. It's certainly possible that this summer has been the worst of all time in regard to scandals and disappointments from the athletes in our favorite sports. These are guys who, like it or not, used to be held to a higher standard. They were people we looked up to, not for the money they made playing a game, but for their ability to play it, and the respect they had for those who played it with them, and before them.

Now that I've waxed rather poetic, let me get back to the meat of this discussion and return to my original question. I want to address a somewhat simple notion: the burden of proof. Let's look at the wording of the World Anti-Doping Administration's code which all sports, er, most sports -American professional leagues excluded- follow.

"The standard of proof in all cases is greater than a mere balance of probability but less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Where the Code places the burden of proof upon the of other Athlete or other Person alleged to have commited and anti-doping rule violation to rebut a presumption or establish specified facts or circumstances, the standard of proof shall the by a balance of probablity." (World Anti-Doping Code, Section 3.1)

Okay. Let's start with this: Barry Bonds has not (officially) committed a doping violation in so far as he has never tested positive for steroids. However, what I want to point to here is that, in sports, unlike in criminal court, the standard of proof lies between probability and reasonable doubt. In other words, there is no "innocent until proven guilty" in sports, because, hey it's sports and we expect more from athletes. As fans we expect and deserve clean sports, fair play, and athletes who respect the game and it's history enough to compete on talent, hard work, and determination. Mostly, we ask that, within the context of the game, you do your part to uphold the credibility and integrity of the game. In short, keep your ass out of trouble.

Essentially, sports are based on this very premise. Consider that the night Bonds broke the record, Roger Clemens was thrown out of a game for hitting a batter. Thrown out because the umpire felt he threw at Alex Rios intentionally. No proof needed, just the balance of probability. Think about it, players are thrown out of games all the time based on a balance of probability.

Look at the Tim Donaghy situation in the NBA. We all want to know how Donaghy got away with potentially fixing games over the past 10 years. How could we not have figured out that he was making calls that affected the outcomes of games?

He got away with it because the act of officiating is a series of judgment calls, based upon a necessarily limited understanding of a situation. It's essentially a situation where, through training, referees are trained to make determinations that fall beyond a balance of probability but are unavoidably short of being beyond reasonable doubt.

The system works as long as we can trust that out athletes and officials are playing fairly and respecting the rules of the game to the extent possible. When this trust is violated, we have to question the credibility of our games. Tim Donaghy made us question the credibility of the NBA. Barry Bonds has caused us to question the credibility of the sport of baseball and the sinlge most hallowed record in professional sports.

In my opinion, Barry Bonds is a disgrace. He has torn down the pillars of fair play that sports are founded on. As a fan I'm disappointed. But I don't blame Barry. I blame baseball.

I blame baseball for lowering their standards, for sweeping the evidence of cheating under the rug for the past 15 years in order to provide a greater spectacle. After all, that's what this has become, isn't it? Major professional sports in America are no longer anything greater than a mere spectacle. Something to watch, but not something to aspire to. We no longer expect a higher standard of integrity and respect from our athletes; we simply ask for the best show money and chemistry can buy.

As a final note, I want to say that I applaud Roger Goodell for the work he's doing in the NFL. His handling of players and their off-the-field indiscretions sends a clear message: "clean up your act--we expect more from you."

Barry Bonds is major league baseball's all-time home run king. No asterisk and no erasing can change that fact, because our expectations have changed, and the rules have been interpreted to match. But in my opinion, Barry Bonds should not be playing major league baseball. I think the grand jury testimony and personal accounts of the BALCO employees has pushed his case beyond a balance of probability. We know he did it, knowingly or otherwise, and if we truly wanted a clean sport that would be enough. In other sports and other countries around the world it is. Just not in baseball. Not anymore.