Great sportsmen, bad heroes

I got my gun and moved towards the bathroom. I screamed at the intruder and I fired. It then dawned on me it could be her. She died in my arms. — Oscar Pistorius

This could be a well etch-ed out scene from a famous Hollywood flick, or a crime thriller involving a hard-core offender. Alas, these words were heard in a courtroom trial this year involving world famous double amputee athlete Oscar Pistorius of South Africa, who was describing how he fired four shots at his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, mistaking her for an intruder. In the years gone by, Pistorius’ story had evoked compassion, emotion and awe, but never such dismay and shock.

Pistorius’ isn’t the lone case in the long history of sports that throws up shocking realities of murder, homicide, sexual abuse and drug trafficking. It almost seems these super-athletes believe they can get away with murder on account of their celebrity status. So, what leads these immensely talented people to showcase such deviant behaviour?

NFL star O.J. Simpson sent shock waves with his involvement in the 1994 double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman; golfing superstar Tiger Woods admitted to being unfaithful to his wife with many women; boxing great Mike Tyson’s life was riddled with controversies including use of cocaine, imprisonment and fighting bankruptcy, while cyclist Lance Armstrong’s admission of drug abuse in his Tour de France wins is well known.

But the most shocking case of all was the former titan of college football Jerry Sandusky, who was charged with systematically raping young boys for at least 15 years. Interestingly, all these cases involved the most dedicated and talented athletes in the world of sport!
So, beneath the success and fairytale, was there a monster waiting for the right circumstances to strike?

In the case of athletes in popular sports, this process of developing superiority — also described as the “God complex” — which involves an illusion of unlimited personal potential, is believed to misguide a person causing serious troubles between him/her and society.

Woods’ admission after his divorce illustrates the point. “I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to, I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled,” the golfer had said.

Social scientists broadly categorise such behaviour into two categories — negative deviance and positive deviance.

Negative deviance

The 1994 case involving Simpson was a gross example of the first one. During the early ’70s, Simpson was making his mark as a running back for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL, racking up awards and setting records. Not to forget his occasional Hollywood appearances, before his career came to an end in 1979.

Could it get any better, one would ask? Had his story ended there, Simpson would have been a part of the glorious sporting history. But today, his claim to fame is the involvement in the double murder case, from which he was acquitted a year later.

Sports psychologist Dr Bhishmaraj Purshottam Bam makes an interesting point here. “The real secret behind the making of a great athlete is his ability to take complete charge of his skills and transform them into something extraordinary on the field. The problem begins when he wishes to do the same off the field, which can turn him into a demon. Passion and desire to achieve can make them lose total control and during that duration, they forget about the consequences. If the athletes are able to segregate their on and off field roles, one would see fewer instances of such kinds,” Dr Bam says.

Sporting history is replete with such stories. Northern Ireland’s George Best, considered as the greatest footballer even by Pele, battled alcoholism for many years. Once, he even stole money from a woman’s handbag to buy booze.

Psychologist Dr Chaitanya Sridhar elaborates, “Most celebrated athletes know that ‘Godhood’ comes with a price, and know how to cope with it. However, there is also this machoism factor associated with sport and this can lead to denying a problem and seeking professional help. Authorities need to watch for deviancy and provide support, else it will lead to distress for the players and disappointment towards sport,” she says.

Positive deviance

The term, positive deviance, can be best described as an oxymoron. In other words, it is a result of adhering to the goals and values of sport too completely, rather than its real spirit. The term winning is taken at face value, and anything that comes in the way is considered just a stumbling block.

Armstrong, whose miraculous fight over cancer was an inspiration for the younger generation till it all went wrong, gave a glimpse into the mindset of top athletes when he said, “My story was so perfect for so long. It’s this mythic, perfect story, and it wasn’t true.” Indian sport too has seen its share of controversies. Former cricketer and commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu was convicted for causing the death of a Patiala resident following a scuffle in 1988. He was awarded a three-year imprisonment, but was later acquitted.

The famous friendship of Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli is a study in contrast on what fame and money can do to two individuals, even in similar situation and circumstances. While Sachin’s fairytale continues, Kambli took the road to self-destruction that included alcohol and a flamboyant lifestyle.

Dr Geetanjali Kumar, a psychologist, says, “Celebrities tend to have a higher vulnerability quotient. The boundary line between the field or the race track and the rest of your life is not easy to maintain and can tend to get diluted at times, letting your aggression spill over into spaces or situations where it might not be required at all.”

Most shocking cases

Jerry Sandusky, Retired American football coach
Sandusky was found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse of young boys over a 15-year period. He used his charity to find young victims, and victimised them with horrific acts of sexual abuse. He is serving a 60-year sentence.

Mike Tyson, US boxer
Tyson’s life away from the ring spelled sex, drink and drugs. He was convicted for rape and sentenced to six years in prison. He turned to booze following his retirement and has came close to death on multiple occasions.

Bruno Souza, Brazilian soccer player
The goalkeeper of the Flamengo soccer club was accused of arranging the killing of former lover, Eliza Samudio. His cousin stated that parts of Samudio’s body were fed to dogs. He was sentenced to a 22-year jail term.

Hiroshi Ogawa, baseball player
A retired pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, Ogawa, 43, was convicted of murder in the first degree. He stole $20,000 and drowned a woman in a lake. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, American middleweight boxer
Rubin Carter, a member of the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, was arrested in 1966 for multiple homicides. He was sentenced to three life terms in prison. In 1985 his conviction was overturned and he was released.

Kobe Bryant, NBA star
A Los Angeles Lakers basketball icon, Bryant faced an arrest and trial after Katelyn Faber, a 19-year-old hotel employee, accused him of sexual assault. Bryant and Faber eventually settled the dispute out of court.

O.J. Simpson, American football player
Simpson stood trial for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend in 1994. He was acquitted of criminal charges. In 2008, he was convicted on a charge of kidnapping and armed robbery, and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Tiger Woods, US golfer
A serial cheater, world’s top golfer Woods reportedly confessed to sleeping with 120 women, and was sent into rehab for sex addiction.

Robert Rozier, American football player
Rozier killed seven people as a member of a black supremacist cult. He testified against the cult and earned his freedom through witness protection.