Sportsmanship

[Eamonn 61]

To often we see people who are willing to win at any cost. Winning is not just the most important thing it is the only thing. Here's a story recounted in the Boy Scout Merit Badge Book for Sports:

 

"In 1940, an underdog Dartmouth football team played powerful Cornell, which needed only one more victory for a perfect season and a number-one ranking in the country. Trailing 3-0 Cornell scored a controversial touchdown that the Dartmouth players insisted was made on an extra "fifth down". However the referee counted the touchdown, and Cornell won 7-3.

But after the game, Cornell officials watched the game on film and saw that, indeed their team had been allowed and extra play. They immediately sent a telegram to Dartmouth stating that they could not accept the victory. It went into the record book as a 3-0 victory for Dartmouth."

 

That little story suggests what sportsmanship really requires. It is the desire to play hard and to win - but to win fairly - and if you lose, to accept defeat with good grace.

 

And dont be like the hard-nosed coach who said, "Winning isn't everything, but it sure beats whatever's second." There's some truth in that. Everyone likes to win. Very few people enjoy losing.

 

It's also true in life. You and every other human being find that sometimes you have lose. Perhaps your sports team loses a game on an unlucky break. Or maybe you work hard in school but get low grades. Some people might say you're a loser.

 

But you don't have to stay a loser. The real difference between winners and losers is that a loss makes some people more determined to do better next time. In the long run they are the winners because they learn to profit by their defeats and mistakes.

 

No, winning isn't everything. We can learn from losses, too.

(I'm unsure of the source)

Eamonn

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

One should keep in mind in 1990, Colorado beat Missouri by a touchdown scored on a fifth down and declined to consider forfeiting the game.

 

Who is more admirable, people who can accept defeat, or those who cling to a tainted victory?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)