Athletic Privilege
Sport has been integral to society for many thousands of years. As a result, those who compete at the highest levels are granted cult status. They become heroes, role models and examples of the human physique at its best. Today, the top sports stars are amongst some of the most famous people in the world.
Obviously, there are drawbacks to this level of fame. However, the massive financial compensation, as well as the differing moral standards they seem to be able to operate under, more than make up for the increased public scrutiny they face on a daily basis. Whilst being unable to get away with much in terms of their actions within their respective games, sportspersons are certainly granted a higher level of leniency when it comes to their actions ‘off the pitch’, so to speak. This phenomenon is not universal. The conditions which dictate who holds more or less privilege in normal society also exist within the world of sport. Therefore, it is much more likely for us to see a white male sportsperson to act in a morally dubious manner, or commit a crime, and be absolved of all guilt and responsibility. Such a position is only made stronger by the wealth and power that inevitably comes with it.
It would be interesting to consider the different ways in which this privilege has been utilised during the reign of the sports superstars. In 2003, recently deceased basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, was accused of rape by a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. Bryant denied the accusations, but he did admit to a sexual encounter that he believed to be consensual. The ensuing trial was muddy and the case was dismissed after the accuser stated she was unwilling to testify. After this, Bryant released a statement apologising to the woman and her family for his behaviour and for the night in question. A civil case was then brought against Bryant by the woman, which was then settled for an estimated $2.5 million in 2005. Although Bryant faced no sentence for his alleged crimes, his admittance that there was a sexual encounter, his later apology to the woman and then the multimillion-dollar settlement is all, indeed, highly incriminating. One can only speculate on what would have happened if such a thing had happened more recently in the #MeToo era.
The footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, found himself in a similar situation in 2005. Two women accused him and another man of rape in a London hotel room. Ronaldo denied the accusations. The Crown Prosecution Service stated there was insufficient evidence to charge, and one of the women later withdrew her allegations. In 2017, it was revealed that the Las Vegas Police Department was investigating Ronaldo for a rape claim from 2009. The footballer had paid the woman $375,000 in a non-disclosure agreement made between the two parties in 2010. The woman had reignited the claims after gaining inspiration from the #MeToo movement. However, in 2019, LVMPD stated they did not have enough evidence to prove the claims beyond reasonable doubt and dropped the case.
In the cases of both Bryant and Ronaldo, one can see clearly how wealth and power were exercised to squash the claims of the women and preserve the records and reputations of the two sports stars. Again, like Bryant, one can only speculate on the motivations behind the initial settlement payment. It could have been a decisive attempt to preserve the profitability of the Ronaldo brand and ensure the survival of his footballing career. However, it could also point to a cover-up of a criminal act.
The judicial systems in both America and the UK are not perfect and the reported lack of clear evidence in each case would have been deeply upsetting for the respective prosecutions. What remains clear, in both cases, is that through their privileged position as two sportsmen, at the top of their game, they survived high-profile criminal proceedings through a clear display of wealth and power. And, in spite of the lack of clarity in the conclusions of all cases, the careers and legacies of the two players remain untarnished. Ronaldo continues to play at the highest level for Juventus and Portugal, whilst Bryant’s recent, and tragic, death cemented him as an eternal legend in the basketball hall of fame.
Moving from two men who have transcended their sports, to a man who plays at the top level of football but, by no means, holds the same status as Bryant or Ronaldo. Marcus Alonso, the Spanish footballer, currently playing for Chelsea F.C., was arrested in 2011 for reckless driving. He was the driver of a car that crashed into a wall after he had been travelling at 70 mph in a 30 mph zone in wet conditions whilst drunk. His passenger, a 22-year-old woman, was killed as a result of the accident. His 21-month prison sentence was changed to a €61,000 fine and driving ban of 3 years and 4 months. Alonso’s current salary at Chelsea is reported to be around £100,000 a week.
Unlike the aforementioned rape cases, Marcus Alonso’s case was open and shut and he was convicted. To escape a 21-month prison sentence for being responsible for an accident in which a woman died, whilst he was driving drunk, points towards a society in which the glorification of sports stars certainly receive a special privilege when it comes to facing justice. Of course, it is not the fault of sports fans that Alonso received, and then successfully dodged such a light sentence. The Spanish judiciary has questions to answer, but so too do the clubs who stood by him and continued to pay to, and profit from, Alonso. To see Alonso playing at the top level today and earning a sizeable wage reveals a culture of desensitisation in society.
Businesses are more than ready to allow discretions and criminal actions to be buried in the past for the sake of profit. We, as a society, allow this behaviour. We are consistently bombarded with increasingly more ridiculous and shocking content at an ever-growing rate. As such, our ability to be shocked has been diminished. There may have been mass outrage at the decision to waive Alonso’s prison sentence. The information about this will be readily available. The point is that such sentiment would have been buried by the next atrocity or disaster that appeared in the news the next day. The truth is often inconvenient and painful, but the legacy of the victims must be upheld, respected and remembered.
The inconvenient truth is made all the more evident in the cases of both of the world’s top two footballers. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have faced criminal action for defrauding the Spanish Government of tax money. Messi avoided €4.1 million between 2007 and 2009 and has his 21-month prison sentence changed to a €252,000 fine. He also paid a fine of €2 million and made a voluntary payment of €5 million. Ronaldo faced a suspended 23-month sentence and a fine of €18.8 million. Here, both men have clearly paid their debt to society and I personally wouldn’t want non-violent criminals to face jail time.
One must, however, question the men’s morality. Two men with a combined estimated wealth of $950 million should not have to avoid tax bills. Such an action points to greed; a trait which is not desirable amongst those who so many across the world adore and worship. Of course, it could be argued that perhaps the men were not aware of their accountants’ actions and indeed, their tax debt pales into insignificance in comparison to the massive corporations who defraud multiple nations of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. The point, however, remains. In such cases, we must continue to hold those at the top of our societies accountable for their actions, irrespective of their popularity or their privileged status.
Sports stars will undoubtedly continue to be amongst the most revered members of society. This is by no means a negative. These people embody ambition, dedication and excellence. Despite not asking for the fame and scrutiny that comes with performing at the highest level, their lives are lived predominantly in the public eye and as such, their actions are subject to much greater levels of scrutiny. Of course, they are under no obligation to act in a morally upstanding manner. However, one would expect them to be appropriately punished when they do transgress, as should be the case with all members of society.
Seeing such idols acting immorally or criminal is upsetting for those who look up to them. This cannot be controlled or prevented. Seeing them get away with criminal acts through the exploitation of their wealth, power and privilege can be avoided and prevented. As a society, we should aspire to enforce shared moral and ethical expectations, rather than turning a blind eye to things that prove inconvenient or upsetting for us to confront. Through this, we may be able to prevent those with privilege and status from exploiting the systems which protect the vulnerable and the innocent. But for the time being, enjoy the footy.
Written by Harry Robertshaw
Harry was a 23 year old MA student from Bristol with a great personality.