What About Deflategate and the US Courts?

Yesterday afternoon the Second Circuit United States Court of Appeals ruled that quarterback Tom Brady will serve his 4 game suspension as discipline handed down by the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. This came about because of the circumstantial evidence surrounding the less footballs discovered being used by New England Patriots in the 2015 AFC Championship Game. 

This whole episode is very sad indeed. It is evidence of greed and the unsatisfactory feeling wealth brings to a person. 

What I mean is this:  

During the 1990s and early 2000s baseball players reset the home-run records. Three players broke Roger Maris season record of 61, on more than one occasion, and Hank Aarons career record. But since MLB has gotten much tougher on performance enhancing drug usage by testing the players randomly, the home-run numbers have dropped dramatically. No one has even come close to Roger Maris' record for a season in the last decade (2006 Ryan Howard had 58 making that the highest total since 73 by Barry Bonds in 2002). Do PED's have an impact?

Football has drug testing also. But their rules are slightly different. But they too realize players will try to gain an advantage. But other things have occurred like illegal filming of practices, tampering with players in order to win them as free agents before they are allowed to, and now tampering with footballs.  

Even the fine game of Tennis has been hit with scandal. One of its top stars was caught using a banned drug (even if used for health reasons) due to its performance enhancing abilities. I won't even go into the Sport of Cycling (see Tour do France for many years of performance drug problems) or swimming or numerous others.   

Why do players and teams do these things?  I mean they make at least hundreds of thousands of dollars and most make millions over their careers above an beyond their salaries. You would think they would be satisfied and not feel the need to break the rules. But some still do. Why?  

Well, no one knows their heart and motivation except themselves and God. But this passage from the Bible (among others) might shed some light ... 

1 Timothy 6:9-11 (NIV):

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness."

In life one may be tempted to play outside the rules or to stretch them to ones advantage. But in the process some great athletes have tarnished their names and reputations. And they did so for what reason?  To gain just a little more than what 99% of us do not have nor will likely ever come have on this earth.  Am I judging them? No. I am only looking at decisions already made. I do not know their hearts. I only know what happens to athletes when they are caught breaking the rules of their sport and wonder why they do it ...  

It is a great gift from God to learn to be content with what we have (See Philippians 4).  We should strive and give our best always, but also be content with what you have so you do not pierce yourself with griefs you do not have to endure.    

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