Whatever Happened to DISQUALIFYING CHEATERS?

There was a time when cheaters caught in competitions were "Disqualified," or "Suspended" from future competitions. And if a cheater won the competition they were 'Stripped" of the championship medal. So, what has changed over the years? Why is it we make so little of cheating today, letting them off the hook with a slap on the wrist? Do we expect embarrassment of being caught cheating enough to deter future cheating by them or others? 

In politics we need look no further than George Santos, an incessant lying and cheating republican Congressman from New York, who is facing possible expulsion from Congress. Better yet, how about former president trump who's been caught lying and cheating over and over, and yet continues to lie while facing conspiracy charges for promoting the "Big Lie" during and after the 2020 Election.

Here’s Every Single Lie Told by George Santos (nymag.com) 11/28/2023

We expect lying in politics, it seems to come with the territory. But sports we somehow hold to a higher standard. Sure, there's the old saying "if you ain't cheating you ain't trying," but that's a motto usually used as an excuse when caught cheating, and not as a winning motto. 

This year's sports cheating scandal has the spotlight on one of the country's darling college football programs, the Michigan Wolverines. Under coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan has been caught cheating not in one game or one season, but over multiple seasons. 

“these were not isolated or haphazard incidents. The violations were pervasive, systemic, and occurred over multiple years.”   yahoo.com sports

Harbaugh was suspended for three of the final regular season games, however, he is allowed to coach in the upcoming College Football Playoffs of which Michigan currently holds the #2 ranking. I don't think a three-game suspension for gaining advantage over opponents by cheating is a fair-minded punishment. We must conclude that lucrative NCAA earnings from college football are simply too influential, causing the organization to choose profit over principle. 

One of my favorite biblical verses shows contentment with competing in life: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  This verse is not stating he won the fight or the race, but clearly states he finished the race while keeping true to his faith. In other words, more important than winning is finishing with Christian principles still intact. 

Here's a biblical breakdown on cheating by renown pastor-teacher Charles R. Swindoll,

from the book "Living the Proverbs":

Better is a little with righteousness

Than great income with injustice. (Proverbs 16:8)

In the 1980 Boston Marathon, a previously unknown amateur runner named Rosie Ruiz stunned the running world by completing the 26.2-mile race in a remarkable time, just under 2 hours and 32 minutes - then, the fastest woman's time in the race's history. She labored the last several hundred yards looking visibly fatigued, crossed the finish line, and then collapsed into the arms of race officials. The media swarmed around the unexpected winner, who acknowledged training hard on her own to prepare for the historic event.

Unfortunately, Rosie didn't run the entire course. She started, ran a portion of the first few miles, hopped a subway, waited a couple of hours, and then rejoined the race half a mile from the finish. Race officials became suspicious because of her dramatic improvement on her time in the New York Marathon (2 hours, 56 minutes, 33 seconds) just one year earlier. As it turned out, however, she hadn't run that course either. She had taken the bus.

I simply don't understand what one gains from cheating! How can anyone possibly enjoy the spoils of victory knowing he or she could - and probably would - get caught? Rosie Ruiz will always be known among runners as "the marathon cheater."

Nothing obtained by injustice will bring satisfaction. The sage declared that his honest gain, meager though it might be, gave him greater satisfaction than ill-gotten riches ever could.

note: story of a winner forgiving a cheater

John Madden Thanksgiving Day Honors

NFL Teams wore a John Madden Thanksgiving Day jersey patch to commemorate the late, great coach/commentator who paced the sidelines for 10 years as head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Madden, who passed away two years ago, was known for accomplishing many great things.  

Whether it was on the sideline coaching like a mad scientist, or up in the broadcaster's booth commentating games with gusto, Madden was a visual/audible lightning rod of entertainment. 

EA Sports Madden NFL video game, now in its twenty-fourth series annual release, continues to entertain and inspire young football fans. What young'uns coming up with today's football will sadly miss however, are traditional Thanksgiving Day football games broadcast with John Madden in the booth.  He was an original to say the least.

If a young'un is reading this, just google "NFL Turducken!"

All six teams competing in NFL games this Thanksgiving Day wore the symbolic Madden Patch on their jersey. One game's half-time show (not starring Dolly Parton) featured a very touching segment on Darryl Stingley, who suffered a spinal cord injury on the field in 1978, leaving him a paraplegic. 

After the injury, John became close with Stingley and his family, privately giving support when and wherever it was needed. The feature highlights a recent meeting between John and Daryl's sons. Daryl's grandson, Derek Stingley, Jr., currently plays for the Houston Texans.

John Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Raider Nation will always be proud of what coach John Madden stood for in life; Commitment to Excellence!

Thanks Coach!

 

Scuffle at Chase Center

 

It got ugly early. And after all the excitement and ejections the Warriors lost a close game without Klay, Dray, and Curry. But the good news is coach Steve Kerr got to experiment with lineups that might benefit the Warriors moving forward.

Final Score

Timberwolves 104

Warriors 101

Raiders Riding Jetstream to Miami

After defeating the New York Jets 16-12 Sunday, the (5-5) Raiders believe they can compete against anyone. Their offense, led by rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell, weathered what many say is one of the best defenses in the league, while the Raiders defense played lights out with drive stopping tackles and takeaways. 

We are watching a Raiders team awakening from a slumber, learning how best to attack an opponent while limiting their own mistakes.

Raiders had 3 penalties for 25 yards, reflecting mistake-free football.

Watching this teams' infusion of energy translate to productive execution on the field is a beautiful thing to see. They may not be on the NFL top 10 list for any team statistics, but their enthusiasm and "Will to Win" makes this unit a threat to all opponents come gameday. 

They carry their two-game winning streak into Miami this Sunday to put the 6-3 Dolphins to the test. None of the experts are picking the Raiders to win. The betting spread favoring the Dolphins was a whopping (-12) Monday. But the oddsmakers had the Jets favored against the Raiders too. There's no stat for the fight in a dog. Especially a dog fighting for respect in the pack.

So, damn the odds Raiders, just play with that dog mentality and let the chips fall where they may. "The Fire that Burns Brightest .  .  . "

Win, Lose or Tie

 

Michigan Wolverines Cheated! (allegedly)

Michigan college football is right up there with all American sports pastimes. They play football in "The Big House" underneath the lights. I personally own a Wolverines football jersey along with two Michigan t-shirts just for the nostalgia of it all. And I've never set foot in the state. From the stadium, to the fans, to the uniforms and players, Michigan Football has been a classy part of American lore. And then it wasn't.

The Big Ten decided that Michigan conducted "an impermissible, in-person scouting operation over multiple years, resulting in an unfair competitive advantage that compromised the integrity of competition." It stated that such activities compromised sportsmanship and affected the "integrity of the competition" cbssports ncaafb

The Michigan football team is being investigated for cheating, and though its "alleged" at this time, the evidence appears to be .  .  .  Damning! Upon arrival at their opponent's regional airport on Friday, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was informed of his suspension pending an NCAA investigation. 

Michigan won the game today, 24-15 over their Big Ten rival #10 Penn State, without coach Harbaugh on the sideline.  They are currently ranked #2 on the AP college football poll, with two games left in the regular season. One of those games is against division rival, #3 Ohio State. They must topple the Buckeyes in order to win their division and have a shot at the College Football Playoffs #1 seed. 

The Bigger hill the Michigan Wolverines face is whether they will be allowed to participate in the CFP this season, or seasons down the road. Many will see a three-game suspension of Harbaugh as a slap on the wrist. Fasten your seatbelts college football fans, this cheating scandal has just taxied up to the runway and is ready for takeoff. Based on the weather forecast, it's gonna be a bumpy ride. 

@stevepipenger4651

2 weeks ago

It strikes me they are missing what’s going on here. This is not about a team stealing signals in a game. This is about a team sending people to other stadiums to record what those teams are doing, to steal signals. That seems to take it to a different level.

Raider Down

 

Former Raiders #1 draft pick D.J. Hayden has died in a car accident that claimed six lives. Hayden spent four seasons playing cornerback for the Raiders. He also played for the Lions, Jaguars, and Redskins. He was 33 years old.

Rest in Peace Raider!

"So Let It Be Written, So Let It Be Done!"

Final Score

Giants 6

Raiders 30

Congratulations Coach!

Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterNov 5, 2023, 10:34 PM ET

LAS VEGAS -- Antonio Pierce said he has had "butterflies" only three times in his professional football life -- before his first game as an NFL player in 2001, before the Super Bowl he played in for the New York Giants in 2008, and on Sunday, before his first game as interim coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

So he went back to basics.

At the beginning of the work week, hours after he was promoted from linebackers coach in the wake of Josh McDaniels' Halloween night firing, Pierce handed out blank sheets of paper to Raiders players.

The thinking? To symbolize a fresh start. The result? The Raiders could use their finest penmanship to write "30-6," the final score of their win Sunday against the Giants, the NFL's largest margin of victory immediately following a midseason coaching change since 2015.

And as Pierce noted, the Raiders made history with a Black interim coach, a Black interim general manager in Champ Kelly and a Black female team president in Sandra Douglass Morgan.  Cont'd

Raiders-Reset-2023

The Autumn winds have blown the Raiders Flagship toward unchartered territory. With a mid-season reset, the raiders field a new Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and General Manager come week 9. 

The changes were desperately needed. The replacements are committed, hungering to lead our Silver & Black soldiers on their first mission. Eastern Giants are planning to storm the gates of Allegiant Stadium come Sunday. The Raiders mission is clear, repel the attack, protect homefield. 

Quarterbacking the Raiders offensive battalion will be #4, young rookie Aidan O'Connell. He's got the strongest arm in the QB corps., replacing oft-injured, ineffective Jimmy Garoppolo. The rest of the battalion are confident in young O'Connell's abilities and backing him 100%. 

New head coach Antonio Pierce has set the battle tone, bringing a jolting, much needed energy to the helm. The soldiers appear to be taking to his lead, welcoming the loose comradery and brotherhood infecting practices this week. We will see if the changes have an instant impact Sunday on the battlefield.  

Shields Up Men!