I can still picture it in my mind over 25 years later. There was a banner hanging up in the high school pool near my house where I took swimming lessons as a child. The banner simply read "Winners never cheat. Cheaters never win." That concept has always stuck with me ever since and I apply it to sports as well as life. I also owe it to my parents for instilling the values of integrity and loyalty in me for as long as I can remember. I guess that is why I just shake my head with disappointment when I see the focus taken off of the games and placed on rule breaking, cheating and even political grandstanding.

Is the world of sports so competitive that it makes so many participants want/need to take short cuts and/or cheat to succeed??? What happened to the idea of a level playing field? I believe that term came from sports. If you read today's headlines, they are dominated by such negative stories of espionage and wrong doing. It is enough to make you sick but, at the same time, difficult to ignore. Sadly, so many innocent bystanders are impacted by the actions of the few. Whether it is the players who are not taking short cuts but are lumped in with the rest or whether it is the employer of those involved or whether it is the fans who live and die with their favorite teams or players, the impact can be far reaching and some times devastating.

First, you have the Roger Clemens soap opera/circus. They finally had the Congressional hearing today and after it was done we still do not know much more than we did before it started. It's kind of funny because in most sports you have a winner or loser at the end of the game, but after today's hearing there is no clear cut winner. Both participants were dragged around for five hours and each made to look bad on several occasions, but at the end we are pretty much right where we started. Second, you have NFL commissioner Roger Goodell going to meet with a Senator from Pennsylvania regarding the "spygate" incident involving the New England Patriots video taping opponents in order to illegally gain an advantage. This Senator is just upset because the Patriots beat the Eagles (from his state) back in February 2005 at Super Bowl XXXIX. Do our government officials really have so much free time that they can stick their noses into the world of sports??? Seriously, aren't there much bigger issues that need attention in our country right now? That is a rhetorical question because I absolutely know that there are so many more imperative matters requiring attention. Yet our Congress is using valuable time, resources and tax payer dollars to gain notoriety. The leagues seem capable of governing themselves well enough to allow our Congress to address issues like the struggling economy, the environment and the way (just to name a few). Maybe it is just me, but it seems like some priorities are out of line here.

In addition, you have a story breaking today regarding the head basketball coach at Indiana University, Kelvin Sampson, and his staff violating recruiting restrictions and then reportedly gave false or misleading information to investigators on top of it. It is reported that there were five major violations and now IU may be facing serious sanctions by the NCAA. This coach had already been busted for similar violations when previously coaching at Oklahoma. He knew the rules, but was willing to break them in order to win. At what cost is winning no longer worth it? You also have the ongoing story surrounding the USC football program and former Trojan football standout Reggie Bush. Bush is being accused of (and sued over) accepting benefits and a large amount of cash ($300,000) from a sports marketing agency back in 2005 when he played for USC This was the same year he won the Heisman Trophy for being the most outstanding player in all of college football. These allegations could cause USC to forfeit games and possibly the National Championship that they won that season. If proven to be true, Bush may also have to forfeit his Heisman Trophy. Bush has denied any wrong doing and has a deposition scheduled for February 25th. For as long as I can remember, there have been rumors and accounts of excessive financial support given to college athletes as both a recruiting tool and as a pacifier even though the rules in this regard are very clear. It is all done in the effort to win and bring glory. Again I ask, at what price is glory no longer worth it?

These are just the stories breaking this week. It is a quieter time for real sports news now that the NFL season has ended and baseball spring training is just about to begin, but what message are all of these stories screaming at us? Too many people try to win at all costs and feel they are above the rules and/or laws. To quote Gordon Gekko from the film Wall Street, "Greed is good," and often times it can be. In this case, I feel that greed for money, greed for winning and greed for glory are all inter-related and are at the root of this dilemma. It all catches up with you eventually and then you end up paying the real price. Just ask Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds or Kelvin Sampson or the University of Southern California or the countless people who felt they were above the rules and above the game. Like that banner at the swimming pool I mentioned earlier read, "Winners never cheat. Cheaters never win."

That will put a wrap on Kickin' it for today. To me, it is not about who is right and who is wrong because there are a lot of folks partially to blame. It is just the fact that it takes the focus away from the game itself. Hopefully Baseball season will get here quickly and we can turn our attention to the field where it belongs. By the way, what are you planning to spend your tax rebate on??? If you have not heard, read this article and start thinking about what you can splurge on ... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080213/ap_on_g o_pr_wh/economy_stimulus" title="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080213/ap_on_g o_pr_wh/economy_stimulus" target="_blank"http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20...;_ylt=AgeAeOV8Zh4p3yBUEyz qPyOs0NUE You need to spend this money to allow it to work. Thanks for reading and please tell a friend or two that you like Kickin' it Old School. Peace and much love to you all.

Check this out: WARNING. This is a little bit crude, but I find it hilarious. I gave you a link to Matt Damon yesterday and today's involves him again. I think it is very cool to see someone that has reached his status, but still does not take himself too seriously. Funny stuff ... www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnVJZkDuVBM

Quote of the day: "Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud." -Sophocles

Download this: I realized that I never officially recommended some of my favorite songs nominated for Grammy's. Here are some of the other nominated songs that I wanted to be sure to add to my list... "What Goes Around...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake, "Everything" by Michael Bublé, "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie and "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's.