Double Standard

    Why is there a double standard in sports? It seems like a bold thing to come right out and say, but there is, and I think it needs to be addressed, and the issue of Bryce Harper has made the double standard even more clear.

Bryce Harper targeting umpire after ejection Monday night

    Bryce Harper is one of the biggest stars in sports right now. However, the reigning MVP of Major League Baseball is equally as polarizing. Harper has taken it upon himself to make baseball fun again, but in the process, he is becoming an issue. On Monday night, after mounting frustration boiled over, Bryce Harper was ejected from the game against the Detroit Tigers. Nationals shortstop Danny Espinosa struck out on a called third strike. Harper, who was in the dugout at the time, began to argue balls and strikes on his teammate's behalf. He was subsequently tossed from the game by home plate umpire Brian Knight. Knight and Harper had already butted heads in the game when Harper was called out on strikes in the 7th inning. After Harper was ejected, the next batter was pinch hitter Clint Robinson, who ended the game with a walk-off home run. Harper ran from the dugout to celebrate with his team at home plate, and when he got there, he paused his celebration, to seek out Knight, who was standing a few feet away, and shouted an obscenity at him-the "F-bomb" to be exact.

    Harper's attitude in that moment perfectly illustrates the problem. When sports gains a superstar, often times, the ego comes with it. This is not the first time that Harper has "spoken his mind", but this time, he went too far. Way too often in sports, when an athlete and an official get into an argument, we are so quick to take the athlete's side because of who they are. We tend to take their side... even when they're wrong. In situations like this, the event blows up, and we crucify the official and turn the poor defenseless millionaire athlete into the victim. Bryce Harper was wrong. Bryce Harper was selfish. He was thrown out on a call that didn't concern him. He was thrown out because he couldn't let his call go...a call that was correct. Harper struck out. The walk-off home run came from the pitcher's spot in the ninth inning. Had Robinson not hit the home run, the game would have gone to extra innings, and Harper would've come up in the tenth, and whether or not his bat had been there when it counted would've made a huge difference. He got lucky. Harper's ejection was a selfish move. The fact that Harper was ejected while arguing a teammate's call doesn't change anything. In that moment, he chose his own cause over his team.

    Professional athletes are blessed to get paid tons of money to play a game. They are entertainers, but they are not untouchable. An ego has an ability to make people think that they are. Athletes, like everyone else, have someone above them they must answer to, someone who calls the shots. In a way, that umpire is above Bryce Harper. He literally calls the shots. Brian Knight was doing his job, and Harper didn't like it, so quite frankly, he threw a tantrum. Harper was suspended for one game, and fined, and he should have gotten more. Harper is among the many athletes who are role models for the younger generation. The cameras caught his moment of anger, as well as his obscenity. What if a child noticed? How is a parent supposed to explain this behavior to their child.

Durant calls Mavs' owner Mark Cuban an "idiot"

    In a similar situation in the NBA a few days ago, during a press conference, Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant called Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban an "idiot' for comments Cuban made about his teammate Russell Westbrook. Cuban said that he thought Westbrook was an all-star, not a superstar. This was Cuban's opinion, which he is perfectly within his rights to express. Durant may not have agreed with his assessment, but his outburst was uncalled for. Team owners rank higher on the food chain than players. Even though Durant does not play for Cuban, the Mavericks' owner is still an authority in his league, and one of the most influential at that. Durant better hope that Mark Cuban is never the one signing his checks, or those words might come back to haunt him.

    The double standard comes when tempers flare. Sometimes officials make the wrong call. They are human. When they do however, they seem to, as I said, get crucified by the media, fans, teams, or basically anyone who has a voice in sports these days. However, when we flip the script, and the athlete gets it wrong, we still blame the official.... because we can. Let's face it-being an official of any kind in any sport is a thankless job. There's a saying in sports that if an umpire is doing their job correctly, you don't notice they're there. Unfortunately for Brian Knight, he was doing his job correctly, and thanks to Bryce Harper, he was noticed. Sometimes, the official gets it right. Look past your team colors and recognize that.

    I realize that sports have been this way for a long time, and I'm not trying to be an advocate for social change where this is concerned, but I do believe that professional athletes need to take the first part of their title more seriously. Be professional. Know who's above you in your league, and compose yourself when your temper tells you otherwise. Know your limits. Whether you like it or not, as a professional athlete, your are a role model. Be mindful of who's watching.