Your comparing pushing/flopping etc on a basketball court with taking a black & decker to rough up a cricket ball is illogical and you know it. Of course there is some anti Australian sentiment in cricket mostly from the subcontinent. It's a disgrace that the Saffer got a couple of games for repeated ball tampering, but i don't care if Steve Smith and Warner didn't get the same punishment. Making the decision to blatantly carve up the ball with sandpaper is just a zillion times out and out cheating and a disgrace to the game and the posts they held as senior players. Freaking embarrassing and i'm glad they were severely dealt with. Just because you don't share the same opinion doesn't mean you need to childishly call others self righteous or holier than thou, frankly i think you're better than that and i think that's beneath you.
In a way you're right.
There is no way I would do what they did. But I also have never dived in soccer, or flopped on a basketball court. All actions like that are 'beneath' me.
I think I look beyond this single incident and feel a conglomeration of 'political correctness' overload is setting me off.
Your logic is pretty much sound. And from an objective moral standpoint of their actions, yep I agree it is on the upper echolon of dodginess etc.
I just can't handle the moral outrage that comes with it all.
You know that these guys were not punished for their crime - but as a retaliation to the damage to the brand etc. I feel that is weak and unfair. We celebrate these players when they win etc, and then cast them off when they make this mistake. And despite what you are suggesting, I think this was a mistake - not some ingrained immorality working its way to the surface. They ****ed up. A sensible and just punishment should have resulted. Take the captaincy away from them if you want, sure.. But this was overkill. Designed to protect Australia's image as anti-sports doping/cheating etc. They hung them out to dry to try maintaining their reputation.
So, my outrage is sort of a despondency I feel about many things in our world atm, where only certain views are tolerated and certain agendas permitted.
Cheating of this magnitude has a price. But that price must be calculated with regard to proper consideration of the facts, context and international guidelines. Our personal anger at these players for cheating is not relevant.
I don't trust the mob mentality generally. So I think that is working against me here a bit.
I am not a big believer in hierarchical mistruths and misdemeanours. Actions that are immoral come from the same place, and because this was an extravagent form of cheating we are horrified more than we are from subtle acts designed to unfairly sway a result. But for me - they have equivalence by nature. How you distinguish them is the length of a penalty. But you don't gasp in horror and pretend all 'our values' have been challenged by an action where 3 guys tried to cheat a game to win.
