Unsportsmanlike Conduct
I am a big fan of the news, especially the ten o'clock news on Channel Nine. When I tuned in last night, an NBA basketball championship game had pre-empted the news, so I decided to watch the end of the game while waiting for the latest updates on local shootings, kidnappings, robberies, and murders. (Oh, yes, and the occasional human interest story and the two minute weekly weather guess.)
Anyway, the game was a fairly exciting one. Even though I don't keep up with professional sports teams all that much, I enjoy watching basketball, and the two teams seemed evenly matched, and the score was really close. In the final seconds, even, it came down to free throws and fouls, to see who would be the champion. In the end, the San Antonio Spurs won the game by only one point. Both teams, and their fans, should have been proud of the accomplishments of their players, who all worked hard and did their best.
So, the events that played out next on the court of the Cleveland Cavaliers infuriated me. When the championship trophy was handed out to the winning Spurs, all you could hear from the majority of the crown were loud, non-stop "boos." When the trophy for the game's MVP player was announced as Tony Parker, the same thing happened. Granted, I'm sure there were a lot of Ohio fans in the crowd, since the game was played there, and I know that they were upset about their team losing. But whatever happened to being a good sport? Whatever happened to treating others with kindness and respect? Whatever happened to simply "playing well with others"? Whatever happened to just plain being nice?
I'll bet there were a lot of children watching the game last night. Some, I'm hoping, turned off their TVs before the trophies were distributed. Others, unfortunately, had to see and hear the atrocity and embarrassment of what our society has become. If we cannot teach future generations how to be a good sport, how to lose with grace, how to congratulate others with dignity, this cycle will continue.
I can't tell you how much that worries me.
Anyway, the game was a fairly exciting one. Even though I don't keep up with professional sports teams all that much, I enjoy watching basketball, and the two teams seemed evenly matched, and the score was really close. In the final seconds, even, it came down to free throws and fouls, to see who would be the champion. In the end, the San Antonio Spurs won the game by only one point. Both teams, and their fans, should have been proud of the accomplishments of their players, who all worked hard and did their best.
So, the events that played out next on the court of the Cleveland Cavaliers infuriated me. When the championship trophy was handed out to the winning Spurs, all you could hear from the majority of the crown were loud, non-stop "boos." When the trophy for the game's MVP player was announced as Tony Parker, the same thing happened. Granted, I'm sure there were a lot of Ohio fans in the crowd, since the game was played there, and I know that they were upset about their team losing. But whatever happened to being a good sport? Whatever happened to treating others with kindness and respect? Whatever happened to simply "playing well with others"? Whatever happened to just plain being nice?
I'll bet there were a lot of children watching the game last night. Some, I'm hoping, turned off their TVs before the trophies were distributed. Others, unfortunately, had to see and hear the atrocity and embarrassment of what our society has become. If we cannot teach future generations how to be a good sport, how to lose with grace, how to congratulate others with dignity, this cycle will continue.
I can't tell you how much that worries me.
posted by Bridget @ 10:50 AM
4 Comments:
At 5:45 PM,
lisa said…
bridget, we're working on our three who will hopefully have 'gotten it' in the few years they have left before becoming young adults. doing our part!
(katy let me know you are blogging again..nice to see! i am also, sporadically..)
At 11:56 AM,
Bridget said…
Lisa,
So great to hear from you! Yes, I've missed writing. I quit for a good reason, and started back for an even better reason.
I'll come over to your site soon and "see you" too!
Bridget :)
At 3:04 AM,
Michael said…
Bridget,
I really didn't notice a lot of boos, then again there was a lot of cheering going on in San Antonio.
I did notice, and I watched every game of not only the finals but every series prior to that, and truthfully far many Spurs regular season games than I should have for the past couple of decades. Fans in Utah threw things at the Spurs (Yes,UTAH!) ..Fans in Phoenix called in bomb threats to the teams Hotel..
Fans in Cleveland may have been disappointed but I truly think they were likely booing the officiating more than the Spurs...and, well, Refs are never going to make everyone happy.:)
In every post game interview, every pre-game interview, every mid-game interview...members of the Cavs, from LeBron to Mike Brown ...as well as the Spurs from Duncan, to Coach Pop could have said something about officiating, about "non calls" about NBA conspiracies...in EVERY ONE of those interviews (I watch too much Spurs coverage) No one made an excuse, no one made a derogatory remark, no one bad mouthed anyone..on the other team,their team or the refs. Those players and coaches all talked about what THEY needed to do.
Oh I'd let my kids (if they were still kids and let me do anything)watch those two teams play...and I'd point out the way the players acted from start to finish.
Because if we don't let our kids see good sportsmanship by sportsman...and make SURE they see it...there will only more poor behaved fans.
The Spurs have built their team in the past ten years with one characteristic that is "non negotiable"...character. There are no players thrown in jail, very few if any incidents of players having run ins with anyone...no guns...few tattoos...most are family guys.
The Spurs have won 4 championships in 9 years...I have been blessed to experiencce all of them. Two they won on the road, two at home...in each case there were no overturned cars, nothing set on fire...there were thousands of people taking to the streets, honking their horns, giving high fives to their neighbors...buying t-shirts ...and then going home...watching replays...and dreaming of next year.
Don't let a few Cav's fans paint the whole picture...never let anyone paint the picture (especially news people - and I am one) not when it comes to teaching things to your kids.
Blessings and grace...pass on my well wishes to Katy & Doug (once they recover)...
Michael
At 8:26 AM,
Bridget said…
Michael,
Welcome! You're obviously much more "into" the whole Spurs scene than me, and based your own story on more than the hour basketball game that I saw. It's good to know that there are still reputable and respectable players out there to whom our kids can look to as heroes.
Carrie's wedding was wonderful. Everything was just perfect. I'm sure Katy will blog about it soon, hopefully with some pictures.
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