Psychology Of Sports

When you read the quotes below you have to wonder what planet Roger Clemens is living on. You take a job and with that job goes intense media scrutiny and then you want to carve out the pieces that only you want to do. I see this all the time in all professions. People take jobs and are told the job description, in Clemens’ case they literally see the job description, and then they choose the parts they like to do. In theory sounds good. In reality–another planet. No one is saying that a professional athlete has to like the media scrutiny and all that goes with it—but it is part of their jobs. Simple as that.

Funny, Clemens decided to press the issue with the public and Congress. It was his choice–now he wants all the eyes that are on him to go away?  I certainly can understand that, who wants it? He brought a good deal of it on himself. 

No wonder people think some athletes are pampered and spoiled. Nah they are just human.

From Newsday–Ken Davidoff

Roger Clemens ignored reporters when asked Wednesday afternoon about the news that Congress had asked the Justice Department to investigate him on perjury changes.

“Guys, the big team is up that way,” he said, pointing to where the major league team was working out.

Clemens arrived at Astros camp at 10:45 Wednesday morning, smiling, ready to resume his “personal-services” work for the Astros.

There’s a big-league team to the right, I think,” he said. “I’m not sure.”

“Wow,” Clemens contined, “you guys need to get a life.”

Asked if he would take questions after throwing batting practice to minor leaguers, Clemens said, “Nope. I did all I’m gonna do (Monday).”

The Roger Clemen’s story is really one about how much pressure people are under to succeed at their jobs and how competitive a society we live in. So many people in so many different types of jobs are under tremendous pressure to succeed. They sit in offices, homes, work sites, and worry all day long about their productivity and who is coming up behind them. They feel pressured by their bosses and live in perpetual anxiety that they are going to be fired, replaced, or demoted. No different than professional athletes.

Many of us go to extremes to protect ourselves and get an edge. Think about the kind of things you do or have done to protect yourself-or get ahead. It is no surprise that athletes would do this, because they are just like us. Only difference is their lives get played out and dissected under a microscope and then put on a big jumbo-tron for all of us to see.

Roger Clemens continues to deny that he used steroids even in the face of physical evidence provided by his accuser. Obviously one of them is lying. Many media members are suggesting that one of the parties is lying and the real truth is going to come out. There is a difference between lying and thinking that you are telling the truth. 

That is–all the parties involved in this affair are convinced they are telling the truth. People delude themselves all the time. The emotional mind is so strong that I firmly believe that Roger Clemens at this point has not doubt he did not use steroids, regardless of whether he did or did not.