Ethical Dilemma: 8 Men Out
After watching the film 8 Men Out, the ethical dilemma became very clear as to what happened in the 1919 World Series. The ethical dilemma was the decision of whether or not to accept payment from gambling boss’s to intentionally lose 5 games during the World Series. Obviously the amount the 8 players were offered was greater than the salaries they were paid to play all year. If they could each make $10,000 in 5 games just to loose, why not? The ethical decisions the players made affected everyone around them and resulted in a soiled reputation for the players who accepted the terms as well as players who remained true to their contract. The decision to throw 5 of 8 games during the World Series relates very …show more content…

One unsatisfied customer could cost me many potential customers, but one highly satisfied customer could gain many new customers. I aim for quality not quantity, even if it means I make nothing from the job. I feel the ethical dilemma in “8 Men Out” was not fully resolved. The players were tried in a court of law knowing they were guilty. Some of the men confessed to playing dishonestly, some claimed of not knowing about the fix and one in particular never accepted the proposal and proclaimed his innocence. None of this mattered because the court’s decision was fixed as well. Everyone knew they through the game, but the verdict was announced as innocent on all counts. The team owner actually cost himself the players because he decided to cover his own hide first by creating a council to detect fraudulent players. He hired lawyers and magistrates in an effort to make himself look as if he knew nothing of the fix. The counsel ruled that players suspected of fraud as presumed guilty under their rules, regardless of the courts decision will never be allowed to play in the major leagues again. This correctly punished the dishonest players, but also punished players who were innocent. The decision by the court was just as unethical as the decision by the players to throw the games for personal benefit. It was not made very clear in the movie as to why the court did not overturn the jury’s verdict, but I feel