161st Edition
Bias, Prejudice, and Double Standards
At the end of a recent NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four semifinal game, the losing coach complained about a double standard. Essentially, he felt that if he talked to the officials the same way that the winning coach did, he would have been ejected from the game. In my view, with all due respect to the coach, you should not complain about things like that after your team was unquestionably outplayed. It comes across as whining.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that double standards exist, especially in sports. The superstars get the calls. Not every time, but the majority of the time. There is a famous baseball story about one of the greatest hitters of all time, Rogers Hornsby. Legendary umpire Bill Klem told a rookie pitcher complaining about a ball call: “Son, when you pitch a strike, Mr. Hornsby will let you know.” There was also a similar story involving an umpire and the great Ted Williams.
Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players ever, was famous (or perhaps notorious) for getting the calls as well. Sports fans know and accept this reality. Why do they exist in sports? Basically, officials have a higher level of respect for the superstars. In the officials’ minds, the superstars have earned the calls. It simply becomes human nature for the referees and umpires to give the benefit of the doubt to the greatest players. But are these double standards, which human nature creates, somehow wrong? Let me get back to that.
First, double standards exist in areas other than sports. Any time there is bias or prejudice, there is the likelihood of double standards. In fact, it’s hard to think of situations absent of bias or prejudice. There are certainly double standards for celebrities. Obviously, our judgments about a person, fair or unfair, accurate or inaccurate, affect how we interact with them.
Given all this, double standards in some fashion will always exist. Hence, it might make sense to figure out how to increase your chances of receiving the benefit of the doubt in as many situations as possible. I’ve found, through forty years of coaching basketball, that referees tend to grant more close calls to coaches who have treated them with respect over a long period of time. In this sense, the benefit of the doubt can be earned. It has long baffled me why so many coaches continually berate officials. Maybe it works for them.
It seems reasonable to expect that an honorable person will likely act honorably in the future. Of course, the opposite is true. Human judgment, biases, and prejudices are certainly not perfect systems in terms of creating completely fair and equitable situations on a consistent basis, but they play a role in virtually every decision we make. In other words, if you want to receive the benefit of the doubt, try your best to earn it by your conduct. Again, there are no guarantees that it will always work, but over the long run, it will most of the time.
Of course, there are situations where double standards are unwarranted and completely unfair. What do we do then? In situations where I found myself on the wrong side of the double standard, I fought against it with all I could muster. It’s a frustrating position to be in. Sometimes biases can be overcome through hard work and relentless effort. Unfortunately, sometimes nothing can be done to overcome ingrained prejudice.
The batter who follows Rogers Hornsby or Ted Williams, who doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt, has to deal with it. Maybe he can work hard enough to build a similar reputation as an outstanding hitter. Perhaps he will become resentful and quit the game.
What’s the point of all this? There are no level playing fields. Inequality is always a part of every competitive situation. I don’t think it is much of a stretch to say it is a part of everyday life. What we do about it goes a long way to determine our ultimate fate. If we persevere through the triumphs and disappointments, while battling unfairness relentlessly and honorably, we will cultivate a certain character that leads us toward contentment. If we quit, or become angry and resentful, we will forge a different character that can entangle us in torment and unhappiness.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.