Is everybody cheating?

What’s going on in the world of sports these days?Every where you turn there is something negative being reported when it comes to sports.We’ve come to expect controversy with the Tour de France. That happens all the time and another scandal is brewing in the world’s most famous cycling race again.Now, the main sports in America are getting into the act.Basketball — scandal.Football — scandal.Baseball — scandal.Talk about your negativity. Sports talk shows have plenty to talk about daily and newspapers are wasting valuable ink on guys like Michael Vick and Tim Donaghy.I visited briefly with NIACC athletic director Dan Mason Wednesday morning about this topic.Mason teaches a current issues in sports class in the spring and if the class was taking place now they’d have plenty to talk about.Basketball — Donaghy, a former NBA referee, is the target of an FBI investigation for allegedly betting on games, including some he officiated during the last two seasons.Football — Vick has been told to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons’ training camp because of allegedly being involved with dogfighting.“Let me make it very clear that the National Football League is very disappointed that Michael put himself in this position,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.Well said, Mr. Commish.Baseball — Barry Bonds is approaching the all-time home run record of 755 but people still wonder how he hit all those tape-measure home runs.The man, Patrick Arnold, credited with creating the performance-enhancing drug known as “the clear” said in an HBO Sports interview that Bonds and Gary Sheffield took the drugs provided to them by BALCO, reports the New York Times.So there you have it — the three major sports in America all have some sort of controversy taking place right now.Hopefully things get better here soon.They can’t get much worse. Can they?Central No. 8 in preseason football pollCentral College is ranked eighth in the D3football.com preseason poll.The two-time defending Iowa Conference champions are coming off a 10-1 season, posting a 10-0 mark in the regular season before falling to St. John’s (Minn.) in the NCAA Division III playoffs.The Dutch return 14 starters including six all-conference selections under fourth-year head coach Jeff McMartin.One of the top returnees is senior Cody Huisman. The former Mason City standout caught 40 passes for 552 yards and three touchdowns last year as a junior.Did you know?NBA referees aren’t even allowed in casinos. NBA commissioner David Stern said the only betting they can do is at the racetrack in the summer.