Reference no: EM131842801

1. It was argued that the ban on drugs in sport actually increases athletes' freedom. Do you think the same would be true of a ban on dietary supplements such as creatine? Why or why not?
2. How do you explain Jacques Rogge's claim that amateur athletes are more likely to dope than professionals? Is a more serious athlete more or less likely to dope than a less serious one?
3. If you were a coach and one of your athletes told you he wanted to take a drug that could guarantee victory, even if it would cause his death a short time later, what would be your reaction?
4. What are some of the social benefits of sport that might justify our taking it seriously according to the "wide theory"? Does doping negate any of these benefits? How?
5. Do you think there was anything morally wrong wth Besbes's refusal to compete in a fencing match? If so, how might the fencing federation discourage such behavior in the future?
6. Use an example to illustrate the difference between the following versions of Lombardi's statement: "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing" and "Winning isn't everything, but making the effort to win is."
7. Do you think there is a moral difference between an advantage gained through equipment, such as a hydrodynamic swimsuit, and an advantage gained through nature, such as height or talent?
8. It was argued that attempts to interfere with an opponent's demonstration of skills (intentional walks or running out the clock) go against the spirit of the game. Can you make an argument for the opposing view--that such actions are consistent with the spirit of the game?
9. Contrast self-called penalties in golf with the tendency in many sports to deceive officials. Do you think golfers would be less likely than other athletes to engage in deception outside of sports, such as understating income on one's tax return?
10. Have you ever been on a team that ran up the score against an inferior opponent? Have you ever been on the losing side of a blowout? How did your team react to the situation? Do you think that sports should have mercy rules to prevent the practice?
11. Overconfidence is the vice corresponding to courage on Aristotle's scheme. Can you think of an example--similar to the boxing example of Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran--that shows how sport penalizes overconfidence, thereby encouraging true courage?
12. Why do you think that schools and colleges tend to encourage excellence in either athletics or academics but make it difficult to achieve both? How do you think they could change to promote a more integrated idea of virtue?
13. Ugly athlete behavior, such as fighting in hockey, is caused partly by lack of knowledge and low moral expectations among spectators. How might audiences be educated to better appreciate games like hockey and to have higher moral expectations of athletes?
14. Identify an athlete who fits Morgan's definition of hyperindividualism--caring only for one's market share and not for the values and excellence of the sport. Now imagine that your child looked up to this athlete as a role model. What would be your response? Can you identify an example of positive individualism that you would encourage your child to emulate?
15. Do you think it is fair for the sporting press to subject athletes to moral scrutiny outside the game? Can you think of an example where such scrutiny crossed the line and became part of the sensationalist "outrage industry" rather than legitimate journalism?
16. Recently, a fan was ejected from a basketball game for loudly criticizing officials' calls from his seat behind the scorer's table. What does his ejection say about the sport's moral expectations of spectators? Do you think it was fair?