On the Couch : By Dr. Richard Lustberg

An Analysis of Current Topics and Issues in Sport
June 1997

GETTING TO THE MEANING OF TYSON'S LOSS TO HOLYFIELD

Put them all in prison and throw away the key. Give them all lethal injections. No, that’s too kind, just hang them in the village square. Then pillage their homes, plunder their possessions, and get the scum off our streets and out of our neighborhoods. Send any youth who twitches the wrong way to a parochial school. So say the conservatives of this country as they once again offer such solutions to the complex problems we face. Trouble is none of it seems to be working. Yet, admittedly it satisfies the rages, fears and powerless feelings many experience in our attempt to stem the tide of crime and violence pervasive in our country.

What was once sacrosanct is no more. Criminals now come from all walks of life: politicians, law enforcement officials, Wall Street types and even sports. Convicted youth, convicted adult rapist, and accused wife beater. On the surface you would think this a rap sheet for a repeat criminal. Yet, it belongs to Mike Tyson, boxer, the man who brings out a myriad of intense emotions and reactions from the public. As Tyson lay on the canvas knocked down by Evander Holyfield, people were screaming for the kill. Later when the fight was stopped as Tyson was being beaten up, many got their emotional money’s worth.

On the surface, people like Tyson attempt to portray themselves as being nasty, tough, invincible, and arrogant. Snarling at the press, demeaning of opponents, showing no respect for the media or for that matter anyone else. All a front. What we also saw that night was a childlike, beaten individual who appeared lost. Men with Tyson’s personality traits are often unable to project the consequences of their actions or even learn from them. This is seen in his repeated offenses and incarcerations as well as his sense of outward invincibility that often comes with this personality type. His anti-social behaviors, as recounted by the press, are clear indications that he has struggled and may continue to do so.

While past behaviors are the best predictors of future behavior, perhaps not all is lost for Tyson. For some, he has emerged out of his defeat by Holyfield as a sympathetic figure. On the surface, he appeared gracious, magnanimous and offered no excuses for his defeat. He may even be undergoing a shift in developmental perspective as to what is meaningful in life for him. It has been reported that he has made comments about his devotion to children and family, which may be harbingers of a new higher purpose or meaning to his life. But insincerity and false charm, as a means of survival, are also features of this type of personality. However, most anything would be more meaningful for these types of individuals than attempting to beat up others and impose their wills.

Research clearly shows that men’s attitudes toward women begin to develop in infancy and into childhood. This relationship is a complex process that is reliant upon, and susceptible to, many factors including the infant child’s relationship with his mother as well as his father, societal norms, genetics and, very importantly, modeling by the child’s parents. These attitudes, behaviors, and emotional dynamics are then acted out in childhood, and then in adult relations. Given Tyson’s record and his background history it is probably safe to say that something did not go right in this process for young Tyson. We know that Tyson was not raised by his parents and was remanded after serving time as a preteen to legendary trainer Cus D’Amato. Is Tyson acting out his anger towards his mother on other women? Is he seeking nurturing in an aggressive manner? If this is the case, clearly his methods do not appear to be achieving his goals.

Without a doubt parents are our earliest and most important role models, and without them serious problems often arise. Yet, we seem to have lost our way in this regard. Research and some common sense suggest that children from one-parent families or two-parent troubled environments are a higher risk for a multitude of disorders. From all accounts Tyson experienced much of his and more in his childhood environment. These disorders and problems include lower levels of emotional and social adjustment and academic achievement, learning disabilities and the higher dropout rates that are seen in our schools today. Just ask any educator. These precursors are predictors of drug usage and crime. Just ask any citizen or the ladies Tyson reportedly mugged and beat in his youth. The beginning of change lies in the home. It’s just how we go about making these changes that is still clearly up for debate.

The nation is split on whether or not people like Tyson or your next door neighbor deserve another chance. Women’s organizations and various groups are threatening boycotts and claiming we are sending the wrong message to our youth when we parole certain criminal types. Others feel they deserve a second chance. Yet these situations do not appear to present clear answers or simple solutions. And when ambiguity is the case, people often feel uncomfortable, unstable, and anxious. One thing is certain; the solutions to these problems do not lie in our acting upon angry feelings that can result in rage, fear, or a need for revenge. This would only bring us down to the level of those individuals we are trying to rehabilitate and change. Many criminals and youthful offenders are consumed with and act out on just these feelings.

Placed under the magnifying lens of public scrutiny, Tyson cannot afford to make any more mistakes. Sports icons have perhaps become the focus of where the criminal justice system will begin to twist and turn. Public fascination with the sports and entertainment world has yet to draw us to any conclusions.