Issue Date: March 21, 2004

Sports

What would you do?

Shady activities aren't confined to the pros. We asked ethicist David Batstone to judge three hypothetical cases that may hit close to your home.

Ethical lapses in sports are grabbing headlines, what with coaches showing up in strip clubs, more than 5% of baseball players juiced on steroids and NFL stars getting suspended for badmouthing their bosses. But the pros aren't the only ones who get into sticky situations: So do amateur players and the fans in the stands. From scalping tickets to fixing scores to fudging eligibility requirements, unethical behavior is under scrutiny.

To resolve such dilemmas, USA WEEKEND Magazine has again called on corporate ethics guru David Batstone. A year ago, Batstone -- a professor of ethics at the University of San Francisco and the author of "Saving the Corporate Soul & (Who Knows?) Maybe Your Own" -- weighed in on the ethics of money matters at home, stirring up much reader debate. We're sure his solutions to these hypothetical family sports cases will do the same.

Case #1: Ticket scalping
Months in advance, Tom, 41, works his speed dial feverishly to get tickets to the NBA finals. But Tom, a father of three, is laid off a month before the games, and he could use quick cash. He wants to sell the tickets for more than face value, because he invested considerable time in getting them and paid non-refundable travel expenses in advance. In this case, is it right to overcharge a potential buyer?

Our ethicist's ruling: Sorry, Tom, but take your lumps. Most states do allow a ticket buyer to resell a ticket, but only for a marginal price above the stated value. Sell the tickets, then eat the travel costs. Most of us do not consider scalping a serious violation of the law. We treat scalping like a speeding violation -- it's wrong only when you get caught. Our understanding of Tom's dilemma helps us empathize with the company executive who is tempted to bend and even break accounting rules to put his company's performance in a better light. Nevertheless, in the end, unexpected circumstances do not justify breaking the law. If the rules don't make sense, work to change the law. Don't create your own moral universe.

Case #2: Team jumping
Dennis, 14, an eighth-grader, wants to play lacrosse on his buddy Leon's school team. Dennis doesn't live in Leon's school district, but he can claim residence because he spends two weekends a month there, at his aunt and uncle's house. In Dennis' district, the team is so bad that the school board is considering cutting off funding. Dennis is a good player who could bring the team to a .500 level and ensure that it doesn't get dropped. He's torn: If he plays on Leon's more competitive team, he has a better chance of attracting the attention of private high schools offering scholarships. But his home team is pressuring him to stay. What should he do?

Our ethicist's ruling: Dennis can play for either team within the rules. The choice he makes, however, will lead him down one of two distinct paths.

If Dennis plays for the more competitive team, he may grab a coveted scholarship. Shooting for the stars is a good thing. Then again, he may find he's just one more good player among many and fail to stand out.

If he stays with his present team, he may help the team grow in stature and become the go-to guy for his teammates and coaches. It's important not to underestimate the privilege of being in that position. A scholarship may be less likely; then again, being the big fish in a small pond often attracts attention.

Dennis may be selling his own potential and the potential of his home school short. Although he obviously needs to evaluate how badly he wants to play with his friend and possibly win a championship, I personally would rather demonstrate loyalty to my school and maybe even help build it into a power.

This sort of integrity merits rewards in the workplace, too. Despite our cynicism that no one these days is loyal to anything or anyone, in truth most companies still put a high premium on commitment. Workers who prove their loyalty usually are considered first for leadership and promotion. They become the people that senior managers trust. As Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, said long ago, "Character is destiny."

Case #3: Score padding
Brenda, 10, needs to bowl a 200 score in one of five games to make the traveling team. The computer scoring system for the alley is always messed up, and she gets a sixth game during her session that is recorded as her fifth game. That's when she gets the needed 200. She and her mom, Amelia, feel the sixth game should be included because, on the third game, a toddler wandered into Brenda's lane and ruined a crucial shot at a spare (she rolled a gutter ball). Is it OK to report the sixth game as the fifth?

Our ethicist's ruling: No. If they think Brenda's chances were damaged by the intrusion of the toddler, they should make an honest appeal to the travel-team coach. Brenda has shown she is capable of bowling 200, so the coach may be sympathetic to her appeal and realize she is worthy.

It may seem like only a white lie, but what lesson does Brenda learn if they go ahead with their deception? That it's OK to lie to get where you want to go? It's not always easy for us to see that "honesty is the best policy" -- just as we underestimate the likelihood that "the truth will find you out."

After the Enron scandal, I interviewed several of the company's senior managers to investigate how such a corporate culture was allowed to grow. I discovered that once managers who lead the company start telling white lies, deception cascades throughout the company. Employees will lie back to managers and to each other. One senior manager said to me, "Once you stop telling the truth, you spend as much of your time covering up for the lies as you do creating real value."

Brenda, lead with the truth. Good things will follow -- even if you don't make the bowling team.