Integrity
Wow – haven’t posted in awhile. Lots of things going on, with little time to post. I think this is a worthy entry to come back with.
In recent news – Coach Belichick of the New England Patriots, my favorite coach, was caught cheating. It tarnishes his image, throws all his victories and 3 Super Bowl victories into question. It casts a shadow over the organization and can affect their future with the loss of a number one draft pick. A recent article speculated that this issue could escalate. His cheating scandal has the potential to ruin the whole NFL organization. It could require Belichick to resign or be fired to maintain the integrity of the sport.
In other sporting news, there is a scandal going on in the Madison Square Garden concerning sexual harassment. I was reading this article about it. Jeff Nix has been working for the NY Knicks for 15 years and was a cornerstone in the organization. People changed but he remained, trusted by his employers and loyal to the Knicks. However, when called upon regarding the harassment charges, he had to tell the truth, indicting Isaiah Thomas, the President and Head Coach of the Knicks. Nix knew his job was on the line but chose to speak the truth, which did cost him his job.
I look at these two figures. One caught cheating but preserved by the organization he helped. The other spoke the truth and was fired from the organization he’s been loyal to for the past 15 years. This is the cost of integrity. It’s an endangered trait in today’s “Look out for #1″ society. Nix could have kept his mouth shut, held onto his job and position but he would have sacrificed his integrity. Integrity takes a life-time to build up and can be torn away and lost in a moment. It’s worth more than $250,000 a year to maintain. Jeff Nix, I salute you for putting the value of integrity in the spot light and standing up for what is right in this hostile world.