I saw a football game yesterday, two actually, both of which epitomized the state of the game in the United States, sport, and the society itself.

The first game pitted the New Orleans Saints against the Los Angeles Rams, two professional football teams, with the championship of the National Football Conference on the line and a berth to the Super Bowl, the prestigious and crowning championship of professional football. Twice in that game there were examples of egregious fouls that occurred that were not called, both involving pass interference against a Los Angeles Rams player. The first occurred early to mid-way in the fourth quarter and cost the New Orleans team a first down and good field position. The second occurred with 1:48 left to play in the game and cost the New Orleans team the game. The team would have had the ball on the five yard line of the Rams with four downs to go five yards and score a touchdown or a field goal, either of which would have been enough to win the game and probably would have left little to no time for the Rams to mount any kind of credible comeback.

As it was, New Orleans kicked a field goal but left too much time on the clock, such that the Rams were able to gain enough yardage for them to kick their own field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime, at which point the Rams finally prevailed.

Now, one could argue that the Saints had plenty of other opportunities during the game to be victorious, and that one play does not define an entire game. But that’s not the point. The point is the games are supposed to be fair. The officials are there to ensure that they are fair, but when the officials clearly ignore that role, where does that leave the game, the sport and society?

Now, one might say, “Oh, you exaggerate. It’s just a game.” Yes, ultimately it is just a game, but it is also much more than that, and not simply because there is so much money riding on it and careers of all those involved. Rather, the game, sport, represents who we are as a society.

If we truly believe in fair play, not simply in sport but in our dealings with one another, then it behooves those involved to individually and collectively live up to that ideal. When we do not, we demean ourselves and our society and reveal who we truly are and what we really value and believe is important in society.

When the officials neglected to ignore what was obvious for all to see in the stadium and for anyone else watching on television, the players themselves and the coaches should have stepped forward and admitted to the foul and righted the situation themselves. That would have been fair and would have exhibited good sportsmanship, things we teach our children are important. But they didn’t. None of the Rams players or coaches said a word, even though they knew their own players had committed egregious fouls that gave them an advantage. They cheated.

Another foul was committed in the other football game that same day. This time it was called, but replays showed it was called incorrectly. It involved a Kansas City Chief player and the quarterback, Tom Brady, of the ultimately triumphant New England Patriots. Mr. Brady was in the process of passing when he was hit on the shoulder pads, a clean hit, by the Chief’s player. It altered his throw and the pass went incomplete.

But the official called it roughing the passer, presumably because he thought he saw the player hit the helmet of Mr. Brady, a violation. The Chief’s player did not hit Mr. Brady’s helmet. Nevertheless, it was called as a violation, giving the Patriots an extra 15 yards and a new set of downs, after which they went on to score. Had the play been called correctly, New England would have been faced with a fourth down and probably would have punted instead of scoring.

Now, Mr. Brady is considered one of if not the best quarterback to have ever played professional football. He has won many accolades for his prowess at the position, and he has led his team to many championships. But I have also seen this same person kick opposing players for having the temerity of tackling him, legitimately, crying to referees whenever he doesn’t like a particular call, and, of course, he was caught having deflated footballs to give him and his team an unfair advantage. He cheated.

Now, Mr. Brady is held up as some sort of football hero, a paragon of virtue. His opinion is sought out on football but on other topics as well—why? I have no idea. And yet, when he had the opportunity to do the right thing, to step forward and tell the officials what really happened, he was silent, because he wanted his team to win, and win at any cost. He cheated. And this is a man we hold up to ourselves and our children as being a hero? Is this what a hero is in American society, someone who cheats to get ahead?

If we as a society cannot live up to our ideals in our games, in our sport, is it any surprise that we fail to do the same in our everyday relations with one another?

Now, one might call me a Pollyanna for believing that upholding the rules of the game is important. But if not there, where?

We are currently in the midst of the most vicious onslaught of corruption in our government officials that perhaps has ever occurred in the history of the United States. And the people, the officials, most responsible for doing something about it remain silent, some even encourage it. Why? Because they want to win. They want to take advantage of others. They are willing to sell their souls for immediate gain at the expense of countless others.

Sport is a mirror of society. A society’s games and how those games are conducted reflect what kind of society has produced those games. When a society’s games are corrupt, so is that society in every aspect. The only way to fight corruption is to fight it wherever it may appear because if we allow it even at the most elemental levels, we allow it and condone it at all levels, and the result is what we see happening currently at our highest levels of government.

The truth is what happens on the playing field does matter. It matters because it is us.