Athlete scandals: Public or Private?

I was lecturing a college class the other day on the subject of covering the personal lives of athletes.

That led to discussions of whether a line should be drawn between what is public and what is personal for celebrity athletes. Should Tiger Woods’ love life be out in the open? How about Barry Bonds and steroids (as well as lovers)? Miguel Cabrera’s alcohol problems?

Is it a story when an athlete cheats on his or her spouse?

There was no set answer, but some things came from the discussion. First was that once criminal behavior is involved, and it is on the police report, all bets are off. Police reports are public records, and hence available to anyone who wants to see them.

Another issue discussed was that in most cases, it should have relevance to the fan. If a player’s performance suffers due to outside behavior, it could be construed as the fan’s business. After all, it’s the fan who is buying the ticket.

With marital infidelity common in pro sports, how much of it should get reported? Most of the class felt that it should only be reported if it affects the player’s performance.

That led to a discussion of ex-Jazz player Luther Wright’s struggle with bipolar and drug problems. He ended up in the Tooele County jail one night in 1994. Was that news? The class agreed it was, on two counts. First, there was a police report. Second, fans are entitled to see quality work for their ticket-buying dollar. When a player messes up, his performance won’t be up to par. Hence, the fan has a right to know.

Still, there are gray areas. What about the children Karl Malone fathered when he was still in college? Was that story — which broke back in the 1990s –relevant, or drudging up old dirt? The story was prompted when Malone came on TV during the playoffs, talking a lot about family values, yet here were two kids he had fathered as a young man, but he hadn’t stayed in touch.

I thought the story was borderline. On one hand, it was something that happened when he was young and impetuous. On the other hand, the fact that he had kids that he (to that point) had no relationship with was pretty newsy. Overall, I still think that story is one that probably didn’t need to be reported.

Should there be a “zone of privacy” around athletes?

I say yes, to the extent that it doesn’t affect their performance, or doesn’t break the law. Otherwise, it’s everyone’s business. Do you agree?