Human competition has always existed as a dominant source of entertainment. In today's society football is arguably America's new pastime, which makes any negative criticism or feedback nearly impossible to defend. However new research and recent scandals compel those who dare to question the ethics of the National Football League. Criminal records, cheating, and financial scams reside as a few topics football fans have become accustom to. The NFL succeeds as a superior industry profiting off of the loyalty of the fans nationwide, so it has become all too easy for this industry to feed the public an image they can justify. The question is, have fans been blinded by this industry into supporting something unethical? 

I am a Sports and Entertainment Management major, so I believe it holds importance for me to understand the truth within a large industry such as the NFL, even when it may not be what I want to hear. I come from a family with strong central values and a background of a strong Christian faith. Due to my values and upbringing my research in this topic directly relates to my life, especially since watching football is important to my family as well. In digging deeper into this project I believe I will have to continue to be open-minding when finding evidence suggesting sports fans may be supporting a corrupt industry. 

I do not particularly obtain any personal experience with this topic, but I am a huge football fan which means I am affected by this. From my own involvement in being a sports fan, I admit to looking past players pasts' because of their contribution to the success of the team. Growing up as a Baltimore Ravens fan, I supported Ray Lewis regardless of criminal accusations against him. On the other hand, growing up rivals with the Pittsburgh Steelers driving me to attack Ben Roethlisberger on his alleged criminal actions. In my research, oblivion and denial is a topic I would like to explore more in depth. I am interested and invested in this topic, so I believe I am decently qualified to write about the question as hand. 

In researching this topic I have come across many sources suggesting opinions on why the NFL may be corrupt. One of my sources "Does the NFL Fumble When It Comes to Ethics?" written by Lawrence Wenner, discusses perhaps one of the most well known NFL players who disobeyed the law, Michael Vick. He prevailed as the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and ultimately became the face of the team, but criminal charges started rolling in. Vick obtained accusations of  animal abuse and sexual crimes, yet the NFL permitted his return to the field. As fans it now seems normalized when criminals return to the league with little punishment. It must be considered that accepting such actions may be affecting our moral perspectives from a general standpoint. 

In conducting research from my first source I was a bit hesitant because the post was from a specific Catholic website. Mixing religion with topics is often difficult because of the strong beliefs within that faith. Opposed to how I originally thought I soon realized the biased article was still written by a person contributing to the fan base of the NFL, meaning the opinions and evidence were completely relevant. Surveys conducted by this same article showed that a large percentage of Catholics were concerned that subsisting as a fan of football, given the discussion of ethics, conflicts with their duty as people of faith. This research caught my eye because it embodies the whole idea of the clash between wanting to be a football fan but realizing supporting such an industry may not be an innocent task.

The article, "Now, Let Professor NFL Lecture You on Morality and Ethics," written by Robert Silverman, discusses how football is such a dominant industry, which means it is not just affecting those who are fans of it. Sports in America have been the guideline to show kids sportsmanship, responsibility, and work ethic. As a professional sports writer Silverman has an understanding that the NFL provides society with an image showcasing the same characteristics. However, in recent years due to scandals and fraud it seems there is a higher motive behind the game; winning and money. Will seeing these superstars get away with crimes render the importance of obeying the law for young fans? Tom Brady and the Patriots have endured accusations time after time of cheating and scams, so will young fans find themselves encouraged to cheat to get ahead? 

Author Arthur Caplan's article, "Is It Right To Continue To Be A Fan Of The NFL?" writes on how there is no argument the athletes and coaches in the NFL work hard to earn their spot, but there aren't always sturdy regulations on keeping these individuals honest and out of trouble. As a sports fan himself he is affected by this industry which makes his credibility seem high on writing his side of the argument. I would like to take my sources and expand upon the reasons people are accepting the norms of the continuous mishaps within this industry. In furthering the success of my project I believe I need to look into more perspectives to uncover all sides to the argument.    
