Field of Play: What happened to the games we play?

Not a banner week if you're a believer in the inherent value of sport.

The highest profile quarterback in the NFL is seen to have betrayed the faith of his many fans for allegedly instructing his underlings to deflate footballs so that he could enjoy an unfair advantage over his opponents. 

Essentially, Tom Brady has been labeled as a serial cheater and publicly punished as such.

The mightier they are, the harder they fall… or so it would seem.

A deceased NHL defenceman who donated his brain for cancer research is found to have suffered from the ravages of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Now the family of the late Steve Montador says it plans to sue the NHL for fostering an environment so brutal and unsafe that an increasing number of its players fall victim to the effects of concussion and ultimately brain disease.

Since when is sport meant to be a life threatening proposition?

And then there are the barbarians who are literally banging at the gates of our fields of play. The animals who hurled vulgarities at a "live" female television reporter while she was trying to do her job at a TFC match have been dealt with.

But history shows that left unchecked, rabid fans can turn ugly, unruly and even violent.

I met a young woman the other day, living in Canada and in a form of exile from her native country because she is outspoken and vehemently fights for gender equality at home. 

Zahra Mahmoodi is barely 24 years old and is the former captain of Afghanistan's national women's soccer team. She is also one of the first female professional players in the history of her country.

A couple of years ago Mahmoodi won a Muhammed Ali Humanitarian Award because of her determination to play the game in a traditional Muslim country where it's taken for granted that most women remain on the sidelines. 

Through her volunteer efforts to organize many tournaments and matches she has undoubtedly inspired confidence in hundreds of young girls of similar circumstance. 

Licensed FIFA coach

Mahmoodi also became a FIFA licensed coach, the only female to hold such accreditation in Afghanistan. In addition, she met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry when he visited the capital city of Kabul and made a public plea for equipment, as well as safe playing fields for young female soccer players. Kerry responded by designating helicopter landing pads which were being vacated by U.S. troops.

After receiving the Ali Humanitarian Award along with the former American President Jimmy Carter, Mahmoodi was advised not to return home by her family. They said they could not guarantee her safety nor could any Afghan official in light of her outspoken stance on the rights of young women vis-à-vis access to sports. It is, they explained, a belief which continues to be shared by only a minority in Afghanistan.

Mahmoodi now lives in Toronto and works part time with the international humanitarian organization Right to Play. She speaks to school children and lobbies for gender equity and peaceful expression through sport.

Somehow, alarmingly, the dark side of sport more than occasionally demands the lion's share of centre stage these days.

As Mahmoodi pointed out, the intention is often far different than the outcome.

"I just wanted to show that young girls should be allowed to have the joy of soccer," she said. "I wanted to believe that they could also dream of being great players."

It would appear that scandals such as "Deflategate," thugs disguised as fans, epidemic hockey head injuries, and unlevel playing fields are no longer the whispered distractions which lurk in the shadows of sport.

It feels like they are frequently becoming the headlines.

When that's the case, the honest competition is relegated to a backup role. 

Surfacing is the slimy, underbelly of the games we play.