ethics in sports

As of 2025, at least one estimate places the value of the global sports market at $417 billion in revenue, and the global sports betting at another $70 billion.

TRUE

What would an egoist say about a situation in which self-interest and morality conflict?

a. One should do what morality demands.

b. One should do what self-interest demands.

c. One should sometimes do what morality requires and sometimes

pursue self-interest.

d. Such a situation is impossible, according to ethical egoism.

d. Such a situation is impossible, according to ethical egoism.

The common criticism of utilitarianism is that it

a. encourages unethical behavior

b. fosters conformance with society's standards

c. mandates acting in an employer's best interest

d. results in human costs many people find unacceptable

d. results in human costs many people find unacceptable

A problem with Deontology is that the categorical imperative does not provide clear guidelines for deciding what is right and wrong when two or more moral laws conflict and only one can be chosen.

TRUE

Challenges/criticisms of virtue ethics include:

a. interpretation of a virtue may be culturally sensitive

b. virtues sometimes conflict

c. acting in accordance with virtues may lead to a 'bad' outcome

d. all of the above

e. a and b only

d. all of the above

According to the philosopher John Rawls (Justice as Fairness),

a. "The natural distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it unjust that persons are born into society at some particular position. These are simply natural facts. What is just and unjust is the way that institutions deal with these facts."

b. "May you live your life as if the maxim of your actions were to become universal law.

c. "The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation."

d. all of the above

e. a and b only

a. "The natural distribution is neither just nor unjust; nor is it unjust that persons are born into society at some particular position. These are simply natural facts. What is just and unjust is the way that institutions deal with these facts."

Is wine testing a sport?

Yes → Oxford Dictionary defines sport as 'an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or a team competes against another or others for entertainment'."

No → "There must be the acceleration of more than one limb simultaneously, ESPN does not cover it

Why don't more people consider competitive cheerleading a sport?

- It's not a sport for purposes of title IX

- Schools may use it as an excuse to exclude women from sports dominated by men

- Sanctioned sidelines cheer squads at schools can't give their female members the same benefits as traditional women's sports teams

What would you recommend? → Should Notre Dame Join a conference?

Pros of joining the Big Ten: Maximize TV revenue, avoid football scheduling hassles, play traditional football rivals, play football coast to coast

Cons of joining the Big Ten: lose the ability to negotiate our own TV deal with all home games televised, lose unique historic identity associated with interdependence, and lose scheduling flexibility and freedom

According to author Taylor Branch, among the many founding myths of the NCAA is its reliance on amateurism

TRUE

Although Yale coach Walter Camp is hailed as the father of American Football, reports suggest that he engaged in or tolerated practices that would clearly violate today's NCAA rules

TRUE

Although President Theadore Roosevelt is often credited with saving college football, the reforms implemented after his call to action ultimately benefited his beloved Harvard football team

TRUE

Although the NCAA today is viewed by many as a powerful organization that can implement "the death penalty" for violating its rules, it really had very little power for most of its first 50 years → till 1939

TRUE

Although the term student-athlete is meant to conjure the nobility of amateurism - the precedence of scholarship over athletic endeavor - the origins of the term lie in colleges' and the NCAA's efforts to fight against workmen's compensation insurance claims for injured football players

TRUE

In NCAA vs Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, the US Supreme court struck down the NCAA's then latest football contracts with the television networks as illegal restraints of trade

TRUE

For the first time in the 2016-17 school year, the NCAA's revenue exceeded $1 billion with most of the revenue coming from television rights to the men's basketball tournament

TRUE

In "The Shame of College Sports," The Atlantic, September 7, 2011, author Taylor Branch

describes the irony of A. J. Green's situation in college of A. J. Green's situation in college as follows:

a. At the start of the 2010 football season, Green, a wide receiver at Georgia, confessed that he'd sold his jersey from the Independence Bowl to raise cash for a spring-break vacation.

b. The NCAA sentenced Green to a four-game suspension for violating his amateu status with the profit generated by selling his Independence Bowl jersey.

c. While Green served the suspension, the Georgia Bulldogs store continued legally selling replicas of Green's No. 8 jersey for $39.95 and up.

d. all of the above

d. all of the above

Although Olympic athletes are able to profit from their name, image, and likeness and still maintain their eligibility to participate in the games, historically the NCAA did not allow student athletes to do the same, perhaps because of fear of abuse by_________.

boosters

Although he was the executive director of the NCAA, Walter Byers came to regret the unfairness of the NCAA business model in his retirement.

TRUE

As a newly minted executive vice president of the University of the Notre Dame in 1949, Fr. Teds challenges included what we might call good corporate governance here in a college business. Ans so in many ways, he began to run the university more like a business.

TRUE

In 1952, Fr, ted was named president of the University of Notre Dame. He was only 35 years old. Like any good business leader, he articulated a vision for the university.

TRUE

Like any good business leader, Fr. Ted also focused on hiring, benchmarking and networking, among other things.

TRUE

Although he is sometimes criticized for what some view as de-emphasizing football, Fr, Ted believed in the value of sports.

TRUE

As nearly minted executive vice president of the University of Notre Dame in 1949, Fr.Reds challenges included what we might call good corporate governance here in a college of business. So in many ways, he began to run the athletics department more like a business

TRUE

As president, Fr. Ted made clear his expectations to each new head coach. Among other things, he emphasized that if you cheat, you'll be "gone before midnight"

TRUE

How do student-athletes benefit from various sources of revenue?

Scholarship → education

Tuition

Room and board

Fees

Books

Healthcare

Academic services (advising, tutoring)

Coaching

Strength and conditioning

Access to facilities

Can you name all 7 ND Heisman trophy winners?

Angelo bertelli

Johnny Lujack

Leon Hart

Johnny Lattner

Paul Hornung

John Huarte

Tim Brown

What Unions Do?

Higher wages

Better benefits

Safer workplace

Voice on the job

The issue before the regional labor board in Northwestern University and College Athletes Players Association, Decision and Direction of Election No. 13-RC-121359 (March 26, 2014), was whether scholarship college football players are employees of Northwestern within the meaning of the National Labor Relations Act ("Act") and therefore entitled to choose to be represented for the purposes of collective-bargaining

TRUE

Among the many facts the regional labor board looked at to reach its decision were:

a. _____ Players typically receive grant-in aid totaling $61,000 each academic year.

b. _____ Players receive a National Letter of Intent outlining the terms and conditions of the scholarship offer.

c. _____ Players sign an Athletic Tender Agreement that sets forth terms and conditions of the grant of their scholarship.

d. _____ Scholarships can be reduced or cancelled, largely at the university's discretion.

e. _____ Players are subject to certain team and athletic department rules.

f. _____ Players generally devote 40 to 50 hours per week on football related activities during the football season.

g. _____ Players receive no academic credit for playing football.

h. _____ All of the above.

h. _____ All of the above.

Of course, in reaching its decision, the regional labor board also noted that unlike employees, players do not have FICA taxes withheld from the scholarship monies they receive and they do not receive a W-2 tax form from Northwestern.

TRUE

In trying to determine the appropriate test for determining when a person is an employee, the regional labor board looked to precedent: "[A]n employee is a person who performs services

for another under a contract of hire, subject to the other's control, and in return for payment." Brown University, 342 NLRB 483, 490 fn. 27 (2004) (citing NLRB v. Town & Country Electric, 516 US at 94)

TRUE

Sadly for Northwestern's football players, the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., ruled on appeal that the players couldn't unionize because it "would not serve to promote

stability in labor relations" (but the board declined to decide whether or not the players were employees)

TRUE

Former NBA player Junior Bridgeman avoided the post-playing-career pitfalls

described in "How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke," Sports Illustrated, March 23,

2009, by:

_____ a. going to law school and becoming a player agent.

_____ b. going to MBA school and joining the NBA league office.

_____ c. buying five Wendy's franchises and over time turning them into a much larger business empire.

_____ d. embarking on a successful coaching career that has taken him around the globe.

_____ e. joining the front office of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, where he remains today as the Director of Community Relations

_____ c. buying five Wendy's franchises and over time turning them into a much larger business empire.

In "Ex-Pacer Troy Murphy living on the Vegas Strip helping the suddenly rich and not making a dime," IndyStar, June 10, 2019, we learned that Notre Dame alumnus Troy Murphy

_____ a. started a wealth management firm called Sweven Wealth Advisors that caters to clients who have come into a lot of money suddenly, e.g., professional athletes, inheritance recipients, divorced people.

_____ b. wants to help others avoid the financial pitfalls of sudden wealth that led him to squander so much of his NBA earnings, e.g., pitfalls like "spend first and ask questions later" and "make this money and go out and spend and give money away and let people borrow money."

_____ c. is so passionate about financial literacy that all of the profits from his firm go to non-profits focused on financial literacy.

_____ d. all of the above.

_____ e. a and c

_____ e. a and c

According to "The Padres Owe Fernando Tatís Jr. $340 Million. He Owes an Investment Fund Millions From His Payday.," The Wall Street Journal, February 19, 2021, as an 18-year-old, Tatís made a deal with Big League Advance, which advances pay to minor league players in exchange for a slice of their MLB earnings. As a 22-year-old he agreed to a record-setting 14-year contract with the Padres worth $340 million. His new contract also creates a significant obligation for Tatís: to pay a sizable chunk of his new bounty—perhaps close to $30 million—to Big League Advance.

TRUE

According to "Fernando Tatis Jr. sues Big League Advance Fund for exploitative business practices," The Athletic, June 23, 2025, Tatis has sued BLA seeking to hold it accountable for "exploitative, predatory business practices, which shamelessly push illegal loans on young, vulnerable athletes — most from economically disadvantaged Latin American countries."

TRUE

Although the numbers are now a bit dated, according to "How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke," Sports Illustrated, March 23, 2009:

a. _____ By the time they have been retired for 2 years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.

b. _____ Within 5 years of retirement, an estimated 60% of former NBA players are broke.

c. _____ Numerous retired MLB players have been similarly ruined.

d. _____ all of the above

d. _____ all of the above

According to "Mat Ishbia is worth billions as coach of his business; he credits lessons learned from Tom Izzo at Michigan State," The Sporting News, April 1, 2021, it was Coach Tom Izzo who suggested to Ishbia "Hey, maybe you could apply some of these things to business and do something really even bigger than being a head coach one day."

TRUE

According to Pete Hamill in his column "Never Forgive, Never Forget: Baseball Hall of Fame opens doors for former Dodger owner Walter O'Malley," New York Daily News, December 4, 2007, O'Malley committed the unpardonable sin of trading Jackie Robinson to the arch-rival New York Giants after the 1956 season, effectively ending Robinson's career, thus inciting the headline decades later of "Never Forgive, Never Forget."

FALSE

In connection with our reading of "American football season is getting hotter. Young players are dying," The Guardian, September 24, 2023, we learned that although football is impacted by climate change, no sport, is "more vulnerable to these perils of our ever-warming planet than horseback riding," due to the change in habitat, forest fires and the like.

FALSE

In "U.S. Olympic swimmers open up about their mental health: 'So much pressure in one moment'," USA Today, July 22, 2023, we learned that like some of her peers, Katie Ledecky, the greatest female swimmer in history and the rock of the U.S. team for more than a decade, routinely suffers from pre-meet anxiety and post-meet depression

FALSE

According to "Spiritual Well-Being in Sport and Exercise Psychology," Sage Open, March 13, 2019, research indicates that spirituality plays a cardinal role in enhancing sporting performance, personal growth, and well-being

TRUE

As we learned by reading "The Arrival Fallacy," Range Widely, July 30, 2025:

a. _____ The arrival fallacy is the mistaken belief that reaching a long-sought goal will bring lasting happiness.

b. _____ Golfer Scottie Scheffler recognizes a sense of accomplishment from winning golf tournaments, but that winning is not fulfilling from a sense of "the deepest places of your heart."

c. _____ And so he tries to focus on the importance of family to avoid the pitfalls

of the fallacy.

d. _____ All of the above

d. _____ All of the above

In "Sandy Koufax's refusal to pitch on Yom Kippur still resonates," ESPN, September

21, 2015, we learned that:

a. _____ The famously reclusive Koufax is not regarded as a particularly devout Jew

b. _____ But he never pitched during Yom Kippur in his career.

c. _____ In 1961, he did pitch a night game after the day of atonement officially ended at sundown. He threw 205 pitches over 13 innings while striking out 15 to beat the Cubs that game.

d. _____ All of the above

e. _____ b and c only

d. _____ All of the above