Having recently had the opportunity to speak with about 60 Olympic hopefuls, I’ve been disturbed by the barrage of cynical and scornful attempts to belittle the idea of that integrity matters in sports.

In the face of widespread outcry and some serious sanctions, dozens of sports commentators, former players, coaches, and fans have defended New England Patriot coach Bill Belichick, who was caught red-handed violating clear rules banning efforts to steal the signs of opposing teams by sideline videotaping.

The arguments are lame and sophomoric: "Everyone does it," "Cheating’s part of the game," "If you aren’t cheating, you’re not trying hard enough," "It didn’t really matter since the Pats would have won anyway," and "It’s only cheating if you get caught."

Sadly, many players, coaches, and fans who want to win any way they can find these claims persuasive. That’s why the United States Olympic Committee is so anxious that our nation’s premier athletes learn the ideals of Olympism -- a concept that elevates sportsmanship and fair play above victory.

The essence of Olympism is simple: There is no victory without honor. Cheating, boastfulness, whining, and gamesmanship techniques that treat other athletes with disrespect or demean the event are unworthy of anyone granted the privilege to represent his or her sport and country as an Olympian.

Cynics are right when they say sports cheating is rampant. It’s also true that lots of politicians lie, lots of parents neglect or abuse their children, and lots of citizens cheat on their taxes, spouses, and employers. So what?

Ethics is not about the way things are; it’s about the way they ought to be.

Like it or not, the values conveyed by sports influences our culture and shapes our attitudes as to what is permissible and proper in the pursuit of our goals. We can’t let the barbarians set the standards.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.