Athlete misdeeds extend past rinks, fields, tracks

Sports are continually grappling with the issue of how to punish those who violate the rules of the game to the point of exceeding anything covered by a rule book.

These recent incidents are worth pondering.

In Canada, a former junior B hockey player was convicted of assault on an on-ice official in 2006. The player, Robert Simard, had been tossed from the game earlier, but attacked the official in street clothes from the stands following the game as the official left the ice.

Simard’s case went to trial and despite his protestations of innocence, he was convicted.

Simard was banned from the league and now the prosecution (The Crown) wants him to be sentenced to jail time as deterrence to others in the game who might consider such acts in the future.

Since the days of man’s first breath, deterrence has been one of the functions of criminal punishment. Would jail time in this case deter others in the future?

More within the confines of the game, MLB umpire Brian Runge was suspended for one game this week for bumping Mets’ manager Jerry Manuel in an on field argument.

No question, that act was not only to punish Runge, but also designed to be a warning to other umpires that physical contact with managers and players is a complete no-no.

Will the suspension deter such acts in the future or make umpires more hostile towards players and managers?

Pitcher Shawn Chacon of the Astros has been waived for a physical encounter with his GM this week and the team is threatening to seek a voiding of his contract.

This is a big deal for MLB. The clauses in all players’ contracts have general language about maintaining appropriate conduct on and off the field so as not to bring discredit to the player or the team.

If Houston seeks to void the deal with Chacon and deny him the money still owed, players and other franchises will intently scrutinize the move.

In the matter of horse racing, Congressional hearings have revealed an ugly array of drugs forced on horses to push them to win. (At least the players in other sports get to make the choice in taking performance enhancing drugs.)

Trainer Rick Dutrow has been suspended 15 days for excessive levels of a muscle building drug found in a horse he trained. He accepted responsibility.

The New York Times reported this week that Dutrow had “been fined or suspended at least once every year since 2000 for medication violations…”

This is a reminder that the level of “sentencing” that deters is always open to debate.

The scale is usually deterrence on one side and money on the other. This is particularly true when the issues involve sports, where the dollars are big and the competition fierce.

When is it appropriate to remove the issues of “guilt or innocence” from the game officials, leagues and sports organizations and “try” the issues in a criminal or civil court setting.

The answer to that is never easy, but the above examples show the question does not go away, and even when the matter is moved to a legal setting, the question of punishment and deterrence is usually complicated.

bdnsports@bangordailynews.net