As someone who writes, speaks and consults on the topic of sports ethics, I am often “amused” by the ethical training spoon-fed to athletes by the league offices. The training sessions usually take one of two forms; they trot out a human resources re-tread, who has read a lot of books on making choices, or they grant permission for an ex-athlete to speak at a rookie seminar; usually the ex-athlete has done some jail time for something stupid. In the case of the ex-athlete, he 
or she marches out on the stage with this message: “Don’t throw away your career.” Then after the speech, everyone “High-Fives” and it’s back to business as usual.
I’m afraid that neither approach works very well.
On July 20,, 2014, St. Louis Rams linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar and NBA free agent Donte Green were arrested for fighting (battery) and disorderly conduct outside of a South Beach (Miami) nightclub. I will have to check my files, but I believe could be the first case of an inter-league screw-up. It is also a shining example of a lack of judgment brought about by the lack of an ethical compass.
Hello bubble
Jo-Lonn Dunbar is, as they say, “on the bubble.” He is a third year player who did well in his rookie year, not so hot his second year, and really had something to prove this year. Green spent four years with the Sacramento Kings and was released last year. He is doing what many of us mere mortals have had to do from time-to-time; he is pounding the pavement looking for work.
I don’t know what led to the fight: too much booze, too much, “She said, he said,” too many parties, too many…you know, I don’t care. The point is that both of these young men royally screwed up. I would not be shocked to see both of them out of professional sports. Bubbles are very difficult to put back together.
I get it; they are young, and I also get that when they attended the mandatory training seminars in their respective leagues they were probably sleeping through the drone of the league ethical trainers. When they heard the messages they were probably thinking instead of fancy models of automobiles or how cool they were. What they didn’t think about were consequences.
Bad choices lead to one place
As a sports ethics consultant and speaker, my approach is different; I talk about choices and consequences. My own life was once marked with bad choices and it led to bad consequences. It led to a loss of career, prestige, dignity, friends and family.
Since those days I have made it my mission to teach thousands of executives, athletes, coaches, association officials and many others from all walks of life about choices and consequences. I teach from the heart and I teach what people need to hear and not what they want to hear.
I am afraid that all too often, those in league front offices teach by rote and by schedule. I am afraid that sometimes ex-athletes might have their eyes on other prizes. Maybe a team job; a chance to come back or, who knows, a media job.
Along those lines, I have no illusions. No one would mistake me for a former linebacker or a basketball player, but I am real.
My hope is that both of these young men will have learned something however, unless they are taught, it could mean the end to both careers. Here is a free tip: no team needs guys on bubbles. It works the other way around. I doubt if anyone ever taught them that lesson.
