Controversy riddles the world of sports, but despite steroids, criminal charges, and other disputes, professional athletes remain role models for thousands of American children and diehard fans. The question then arises: do the recent scandals involving Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and NBA referee Tim Donaghy undermine the very reason that Americans cheer for their professional sports teams?
Vick pled guilty to federal dogfighting charges on Aug. 27 and admitted to helping co-defendants Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace kill six to eight dogs and funding the Bad Newz Kennels operation. The gruesome details of Vick's crime - the indictment alleges the dogs were shot, drowned, and electrocuted - has made his case particularly emotional.
Most will admit that Vick's actions were wrong and are skeptical that he will ever be allowed to play in the NFL again. Still, some fans believe the former No. 1 pick deserves a second chance.
"What Vick did was bad, but guys in the NFL have done worse things and been allowed to play again," sophomore Scott Janes said. "I think that after he serves his jail time and proves that he has changed, he should be allowed back on the field."
Part of the reason football fans want Vick to return is that he was a unique athlete, showcasing lightning speed and elusiveness, traits rarely seen in an NFL quarterback. For Atlanta's fans, his arrival in 2001 made the fledgling franchise significant.
"Definitely there was a lot of excitement," said sophomore Alex Akhavan, a George native and a Falcons fan. "We thought we were going to the Super Bowl."
Though Vick's impact on the Falcons was monumental, the team's fans are ready to move on without him.
"I'd like to see him play some more because he's so good, but I understand if he can't because he's a criminal," Akhavan said. "I do think it's a very serious crime that's been committed."
At the same time, fans do not put any blame on the Falcons organization and owner Arthur Blank and vow to continue supporting the team.
"The whole situation is disappointing, but I'm from Atlanta, and I'm still an Atlanta fan," Akhavan said. "The team handled it the best way it could. He's the one who's responsible, and he'll suffer the consequences. But I don't see it as the Falcons' fault because it's Vick's responsibility."
While animal rights groups led the anti-Vick charge, with the Atlanta Humane Society at the forefront, fans seem more troubled by the scandal surrounding Donaghy, a 13-year referee in the NBA who resigned on July 9 amid allegations that he bet on games he officiated and made calls affecting the point spread.
Donaghy was fined over $500,000 and could face up to 25 years in prison, but the real impact of his charges will ripple through professional basketball, and may overflow through all sports, shaking fans' trust and evoking a guarded trust in the leagues' commissioners. In Donaghy, many fans' worst sports fear has come true: someone really is buying the referee.
"The NBA already has a poor reputation as being a group of all-stars who don't put in any effort," said sophomore Tom Selby, a center on the Tufts men's basketball team. "This new incident just adds doubt and takes away from what would otherwise be a good league which is fun to watch."
"It's the kind of thing that could definitely snowball," said senior Nate Grubman, a Chicago Bulls fan who attends three or four games a season. "If there's some controversial calls early in the season, I think people will react to that. I also think that the casual fan will be affected."
But while the scandal undermines the tenuous integrity of the NBA, fans are convinced that Donaghy acted alone, and hardcore fans will continue watching.
"It's upsetting, but it's not like I'm not going to watch, especially when the Bulls are so good this year," Grubman said. "The officiating has been bad for a few years at least. Of all the major sports, basketball has the most subjective officiating. So obviously it's upsetting, and for the most part, when you watch the games, you watch the players."
Sapna Bansil contributed reporting to this article.
