My daughters were playing crazy eights the other night when the nine year old accused the seven year old of cheating. My initial reaction was to fine her $1.25 and give her a three day suspension. But after thinking about it, I instead admired her effort to become the best. Cheating has become the necessity for greatness, and it always seems to pay off in the end.
Floyd Landis, Alberto Contador, and Lance Armstrong are the three most decorated cyclist we know. Sammy Sosa cheated by corking his bat, then took steroids. McGuire cheated to pass Sammy. Bonds cheated to pass everyone. Arod tried to cheat to pass Bonds. Manny Ramirez, Andy Petite, and Roger Clemens all cheated and won World Series rings. Reggie Bush and Cam Newton cheated their way to Heisman trophies and million dollar deals. Bill Belichick cheated with spygate and has the superbowl rings to show for it.
Last year's NFL defensive rookie of the year cheated by using steroids, a revote was taken, and he still won. Five players from Ohio State's football team cheated and they still got to play in the next game, a bowl game at that. Bruce Pearl cheated in recruiting, Rick Pitino cheated on his wife, and Antonio Margarito put a mixture of concrete and plaster in his boxing gloves during the Sugar Shane Mosley fight.
Cheating has been a part of victory all of our lives. Diego Maradona and his "hand of God," the East German swim team in the Olympics, Marion Jones in the Olympics, Ben Johnson in the Olympics, actually, everyone in the Olympics. A woman once jumped into a cab to win the NY marathon. A teenager faked his age to pitch his team to a little league world series championship. And more recently, a NY Jets assistant coach tripped a player on the other team during a punt return.
Ironically, between the Heisman trophies, gold medals, championship titles, and world records, the only athlete who hasn't been caught cheating....is Tiger Woods.
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