Vocabulary Preview
Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.
1. ingenious
a. clever
2. loophole
b. not earned; not merited
3. opponent
c. a rival; an enemy
4. single-mindedly
d. with all one’s
attention or thought
5. sluggish
e. slow; moving like a slug
6. undeserved
f. a missing part of a rule allowing people to avoid the rule
Cheating in Sports
Pre-Reading Questions
Think about the following questions.
1. How do you think professional athletes cheat?
2. Which sports are the most violent?
3. Who is usually to blame for cheating, players or coaches?
S p o r t s & F i t n e s s 1
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Cheating in Sports
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S
ports are about competition.
The goal of every athlete, or every team, is
to win. Unfortunately, two
factors have been
pushing American sports
in an unhealthy direction. One of these factors is the
obsession with
winning, no matter what the cost. The other factor is money. These two factors
put extreme pressure on both players and coaches
to focus single-mindedly on
winning. This has resulted in a problem that is spreading and becoming more
serious. That problem is cheating.
Of course, there are rules in all sports to
penalize cheating.
So coaches and
players have had to come up with ingenious ways to get around the rules.
Getting a competitive edge, even unfairly, is seen as a “strategy” rather than
cheating. Illegal acts are now even being accepted as part of the game.
Coaches
