There is no denying that there is a real issue in sports today with the perceived fairness of the game. Are athletes using illegal substances, are refs cheating? Is anything fair anymore? Well, to be truthful, players, coaches, fans, and even the custodians of the NCAA basketball arenas, have been trying to gain advantages outside of the lines for years. Jay Bilas of ESPN used to play for Duke back in the day, and he gives us a bit of his insight as to the antics that opposing teams would use to get the edge over the Blue Devils when they were on the road.
Apparently their ACC rival, the Maryland Terrapins, used to turn the heat up in the opposing team’s locker room, making the players feel tired and sweaty before they even got started. The same tactic used to happen to opponents of the Oregon Ducks, the Clemson Tigers and Cincinnati Bearcats. Other tactics include messing with opponents’ practice times and making the visiting team locker rooms far away from the gym. These kinds of things are generally considered “gamesmanship,” and it would be great if that was all that was unfair about sports.
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