Anyone who has ever picked up a basketball, football or even a whiffle ball knows the frustration of poor playing. However, that does not give anyone the right to take his or her frustration out on an opponent. But there is a huge difference between kids playing a game and professionals competing for a title and behaving worse than children. Professionals must understand that good sportsmanship is an essential part of any game. Fine athletes play their best and don’t punish their opponents for playing better. Sportsmanship is not about winning. It is about dignity. Examples of poor sportsmanship are not new, they are just ugly.
In a game about two months ago, Lakers guard Ronnie Price threw his shoe at Golden State Warrior Andre Iguodala in an effort to disrupt a steal. For his antics, he and his team received a technical — a small price to pay for a flagrant display of poor sportsmanship and immaturity.
Athletes should be better examples for children. At least Price’s shoe throwing did less damage than Mike Tyson’s gnaw on Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997. Tyson was losing, so he took his frustration out on Holyfield. Tyson still lost, but he lost far more than the fight. He lost the respect of a nation.
What about Titans’ defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth when he stomped on Dallas Cowboy Andre Gurode with his cleat when his team was losing in 2006? Haynesworth was frustrated; he lost his temper along with any shred of dignity he might have had left.
The worst of them all has to be the brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons in 2003 that began with a common foul. The Pistons were down 15 in a regular season game. What followed was full-out mayhem. The fans took their cue from two NBA players pushing and shoving. The stands emptied, and national TV picked up the riot mentality of an arena full of poor sportsmanship.
But perhaps one of the most notorious examples of poor sportsmanship belongs to a female Olympian. Tanya Harding was an Olympic figure skater who conspired with her ex-husband and bodyguard to break Olympic rival Nancy Kerrigan’s leg. The reason was simply that Kerrigan and Harding were vying for the same spot on the Olympic team and Harding wanted Kerrigan out of the competition. The best-laid plans don’t always go well, and for Harding it all fell apart. Kerrigan’s leg was not broken, and Harding was kicked out of the U.S. Figure Skating Association and was forced to withdraw from the Olympics. This is one example of the many unsportsmanlike actions that went beyond the playing field and ended up in legal tangles as well.
Sports annals are full of examples of men and women who should have been role models, but instead chose to act childishly in defeat. Their reasons or excuses do not diminish the damage these antics have done to the players and the sports. Frustration does not excuse their behavior — neither does losing. Good sportsmanship is essentially a product of self-respect.
No one represents good sportsmanship better than Peyton Manning, Mr. NFL. Manning has broken almost all the NFL passing records, but he conducts himself with class, even in defeat. A perfect example is his first game back in Indianapolis after being released. Although he was in a Broncos uniform, he took the time to thank the Colts and the fans for the memories, and he retained this class even when the Broncos took a beating, 43-8, from the Seahawks in Super Bowl 48. Win or lose, Manning comes out on top.
Ronnie Price could learn a lesson from Manning. Someday, Price will understand that sportsmanship is not about winning or losing. It is about the individual’s self-respect and dignity.
