If You Can't Beat 'em, Cheat 'em

Cheaters never win and winners never cheat. Isn't that the old adage we're told after we've just been caught with the math test answers scribbled on our hands? I don't know if either part is true, but I do know this: Cheating in sports has gone from being taboo to just being a given. Dishonesty and fraud are not just limited to Enron and WorldCom anymore -- the sports world is helping to set new (bad) standards all the time.\nCheating in sports is nothing new. Pitchers have for years trotted out to the mound with emery boards, sandpaper and Vaseline on the inside of their cap. In some cases the foul play isn't even done with the intent to gain an advantage or win; sometimes you'll see players or teams cheat to lose. It seems a major college program is caught in a point shaving scandal once every five years. But is cheating in sports really wrong? And what if it's a victimless crime? Isn't it OK to cut corners if you're not hurting anyone and it produces a benefit?\nDanny Almonte, the now 15-year-old pitcher who burst onto the scene at last year's Little League World Series, is a working example. Almonte proved to be 14 years old during last year's tournament (He recently admitted it). A player must be 11 or 12 years old to compete in the highly televised annual event that takes place in Williamsport, Pa. \nA year has passed, and Almonte is somewhat of a household name, not to mention considered by many to have a promising pitching career ahead of him. He attended this year's Little League World Series and was spotted signing autographs. Would he have acquired this much fame and attention had he followed the rules and not played for the Rolando Pauline All-Stars last season? I doubt it.\nThe recognition he received during last year's tournament (He pitched a perfect game last year that was later erased from all tournament records) has put his name on the baseball radar. In an era when pro athletes aren't always old enough to drink or even vote, or sometimes even drive, it's critical to be noticed as early as possible. Almonte's father, Felipe de Jesus Almonte, was charged with falsifying documents. I'll bet that in ten years his son will be able to cover his father's legal expenses -- and then some.\nThe big kids cheat, too. \nLeBron James, the can't-miss prospect out of Akron, Ohio, who is almost sure to jump to the NBA after he graduates high school, is certainly a big kid. At 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, James would have been a lottery pick in last June's draft. He's held his own in Michael Jordan's invite-only scrimmages at Hoops Gym in Chicago. Simply put, he's the shit. \nThe Cleveland Cavaliers recently allowed James to participate in a volunteer workout with Cavs players and free agents. That was a big no-no in the eyes of the NBA. League rules prohibit contact between NBA teams and players not yet eligible for the draft. Cavs head coach, John Lucas, was suspended for the first two games of the 2002-2003 regular season. The team was fined $150,000. \nLet's do a cost-benefit analysis, shall we? Lucas, an average at best coach of an average at best team, will not be on the bench for his team's first two games. Cost: A small part of his salary. Cavs fined $150,000. Cost: A drop in the bucket to any NBA team. Benefit of breaking the rules, or cheating: LeBron James, LeBron James, LeBron James. \nIf that workout influences in any way James' feelings about ever playing for the Cavs, it was worth it. If that workout makes James consider the Cavs sometime down the road when he is a free agent, it was worth it. If any of the Cavs players or coaching staff made any sort of favorable impression on James, it was worth it.\n"I appreciate coach Lucas inviting me out," James said. "Whenever anyone invites me out, they must believe I'm good enough to play with them, so it's up to me to try my hardest while I'm out there. It was a good experience. I learned a few things and I had fun."\nBenefit of the above quote: Priceless.