As a matter of fact, ethical issues take place almost in every sphere of human activity, and sporting events are not the exception. It is worth noting that competition is in human nature, and thus, fans support one team, depending on preferences or place of living, and do not like another. The majority of people do not aim to investigate or know about a personal life of a player, however, are interested in his professional skills and the way he is behaving on the field.
Nevertheless, it should be noted that in some cases, personal issues could become a reason for termination of the contract or ignorance. Aroldis Chapman became a victim of his own behavior and faced accusations related to domestic violence. It had negative implications for his sporting career. The primary purpose of the paper is to discuss ethical issues associated with this problem.
Aroldis Chapmanās Case
Aroldis Chapman is a professional baseball player from Cuba, who holds the record for the fastest pitch in American Major League Baseball. In 2010, he signed a contract with the Reds (Coleman, 2015). Although the Reds aimed to trade him, it should be stressed that the deal with the Dodgers failed to succeed because Aroldis Chapman faced accusations related to domestic violence. Finally, the Reds traded him to the Yankees.
However, the main problem was that there were no charges against Aroldis Chapman regarding domestic violence, but Major League Baseball suspended the player for 30 games. He was the first player to be suspended for 30 games based on domestic violence policy.
Ethical Decision
In order to get a better understanding of the issue, ethical side of the problem should be taken into consideration. There are two forms of convictions, namely governmental and public. The governmental conviction is an official and legal mechanism that aims to punish a violation of laws. It corresponds to laws that the government creates. The primary task of the conviction of this type is to secure society from socially dangerous elements and contribute to the establishment of stability. Moreover, people, who are potentially dangerous, should be taken under control, for example, isolated until the time the individual will be changed.
However, the governmental conviction is not always acceptable because in order to implement it certain formal conditions should be followed. In order to involve governmental bodies, professionals should examine claims and proofs. Thus, public conviction plays a key role in some cases when the governmental involvement is not needed.
Public conviction does not follow formal conditions; however, when society judges a person, an individual feels a significant pressure and experiences rejection of people. Public outlines and makes an accent on certain actions that had led to these consequences. Public conviction plays a fundamental preventive function. The modern society is sure that the fact of breaking a law and punishment from the governmental side creates a marginal person. The goal of the corrective process is not accomplished, the imprisonment commonly contributes to worsening of the situation, and a criminal is likely to follow the same behavior after the jail.
Society can judge a person, in case, a government has lack of proofs and cannot punish an individual. Through condemnation, society shows moral priorities and the reaction of the public can be considered as a moral indicator of the nation’s health. When MLB decided to prohibit playing Aroldis Chapman 30 games, the league stimulated the player to change behavior and think about his actions (Snyder, 2015). The goal was to show that domestic violence is not acceptable. It is impossible to separate private and professional life in some cases. Famous people fulfill a significant role in society. They can reduce or increase the index of criminal activity, support or decrease alcohol or drug consumption. Aroldis Chapman was punished by public opinion; he was prevented from playing baseball.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes that the MLBPA would appeal a longer suspension. In case, Aroldis Chapman is not trying to change behavior or state publicly that he changed his life and does not accept violence, then, Chapman will fail to reach success in sport. He will face public pressure and will be prevented from playing. Taking into consideration the fact that the career of a sportsman cannot last long and is related to his age, suspension to play 30 or 50 games is relevant (Axisa, 2015). Teams are interested in getting a famous sportsman in order for more fans to come and watch games. Domestic violence accusation can dramatically influence the career of Aroldis Chapman.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be noted that public conviction could be considered more effective in some cases. Public opinion can be a significant incentive to change behavior for a famous person. Fame helps people to make money, and famous people are seen as role models for the society. In case, a government cannot punish a person for the violent behavior (because of lack of proofs or claims), society can take responsibility for the punishment, otherwise, society accepts it.
References
Axisa, M. (2015). GM on Chapman: There are some serious issues here that are in play. Web.
Coleman, J. (2015). The Aroldis Chapman trade is not unethical of Yankees. Web.
Snyder, M. (2015). Aroldis Chapman’s free agency status could depend on MLB investigation. Web.