Verified Document

Athletic Ethics And Morality Athletics Term Paper

Prizes have always been a part of contests, a tradition that can be traced back for centuries. In Homer's the Iliad, Achilles hosts a contest in honor of the fallen Patroclus, "The first prize he offered was for the Chariot races -- a woman skilled in all the useful arts, and a three legged cauldron that had ears for handles, and would hold twenty two measures. This was for the man who came first," (Iliad). Modern day athletes continue to receive prizes for their successes. They receive monetary compensation through endorsements and contracts for their participation in professional programs. The compensation is much more than a useful woman and a cauldron in recent times. The 2006 Top National Football League salaries reached insane heights. According to USAToday.com, Richard Seymour from the NFL Patriots earned a whopping $24,691,160. Another New England Patriot who is a household name thanks to his quarter back position and all his endorsement deals over the years earned $16,004,840 in 2006.

One would think to believe that modern day prizes have become much more formalized and structured. Athletic programs such as the NBA have structured pay-scale caps for their players and coaches. He NFL also adheres to a strict pay structure. However, "In the Hellenistic period and the Roman periods, pensions for Athletes became more formalized and could actually bought or sold," ("The Real Story of the Olympic Games"). So it seems that even if the currency of the payment has changed, the style and format of compensation has remained very...

The must keep their spot at the top, which sometimes proves too much for professional athletes. In William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare's take on Homer's Iliad, the character of Ulysses reminds Achilles of this age-old pressure, "Keep, then, the path, / for emulation hath a thousand sons / That one by one pursue," (Troilus and Cressida 35). The fact that thousands of hopefuls would take a professional athletes spot in less than a second has not changed since the time of Homer and Shakespeare. Also adding to pressure placed among athletes is society's condemnation of egotistical behavior, "The worthiness of praise distains his worth, / if that the praised himself bring the praise forth," (30).
Works Cited

Homer. The Iliad. Book xxiii. Found at: http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.23.xxiii.html. On Friday September 21, 2007.

Murphy, Arthur. The Works of Cornelius Tacticus with Essay on His Life and Genius.

Oxford University Press. 1935.

Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida. Penguin Books. New York. 2000.

The Real Story of the Olympic Games." Found at http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/olympics/olympicsintro.shtml. On Friday September 21, 2007.

USAToday.com. USA Today Salaries Database. Found at http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/top25.aspx?year=2006on Friday September 21, 2007.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Homer. The Iliad. Book xxiii. Found at: http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.23.xxiii.html. On Friday September 21, 2007.

Murphy, Arthur. The Works of Cornelius Tacticus with Essay on His Life and Genius.

Oxford University Press. 1935.

Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida. Penguin Books. New York. 2000.
The Real Story of the Olympic Games." Found at http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/olympics/olympicsintro.shtml. On Friday September 21, 2007.
USAToday.com. USA Today Salaries Database. Found at http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/top25.aspx?year=2006on Friday September 21, 2007.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Ethics in My Sisters Keeper
Words: 2090 Length: 6 Document Type: Discussion Chapter

Ethics, Morality, & Medicine in My Sister's Keeper Ethics & Morality Ethics, Morality, & Medicine in My Sister's Keeper Ethics, Morality, & Medicine in My Sister's Keeper Both ethics are morality of topics of philosophical discourse. Ethics is sometimes also referred to as moral philosophy. Moral philosophy or ethics may defend, recommend, and/or systematize behaviors that are right and wrong. Morality could be explained as the context within which ethics are codified. Morality is

Sports Participation and Character Development
Words: 6264 Length: 20 Document Type: Research Paper

Sports Participation And Character Development sports participation CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Opening statement Summary of the literature framing history of the project, using 5 articles related to the problem Gaps and/or deficiencies in prior research Importance of present study Why the study should be pursued For whom is it important Purpose of the statement Research design (experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental) Theory tested or described Intent (describe, compare, relate) Variables (independent, dependent, controlling, intervening) Research question(s) and hypotheses Does sport build character? Can sports participation result in positive character development? Can

Ethics William J. Bennett Assumes an Old
Words: 1033 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Ethics William J. Bennett assumes an old school, straightforward approach to ethics in The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories. The book contains several chapters on different moral or ethical concepts, like self-discipline, responsibility, courage, honesty, loyalty, and faith. Part of what makes Bennett's book unique is that he uses stories to show what the ethical principles mean. The stories in the book are great, because readers are

Ethics and Management and Ethics
Words: 17336 Length: 55 Document Type: Research Proposal

Therefore, corporations have had to change their viewpoints and start looking at the long-term consequences of their behavior, as well as looking at the bottom line. Businesses also have to be concerned because consumers have also become aware of environmental concerns, and many consumers are demanding earth-friendly products and have shown a willingness to pay more money to competitors who observe environmentally-friendly practices. Interestingly enough, this demand has given rise

Moral Phenomenology Sensibility Theory Enables
Words: 1431 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Intellectually my mind was saying: how could this happen in an open and public place with dozens of people walking in the area? There was also a sense of moral anger at the way that social rules and norms were being so openly being flouted. This feeling was strong and related to the physical sense of disgust and distress that I felt at the situation. Reciprocity The above aspects, the physical,

Sports Ethics Winning Isn't Everything,
Words: 3696 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

since they are all based on hard work while using steroids is not; it is a short cut to gaining an unfair advantage. Is it Ethical to Use Animals in Sports? Another interesting ethical issue in sports is the morality of using animals in sports and whether it is right to use them in bloodsports such as cockfighting. In order to understand the issue we have to go back in time

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now