We need to remember it really was Ben Wallace that started the Palace Brawl by overreacting to a foul.
There is a fine line between being competitive and a “poor sport.” From an early age I learned this, it began with intense games of “Hungry Hungry Hippos” and “Candy Land,” and then it spilled over into recreational sports I participated in as I grew older. After every game, as a team, we would do a cheer for the other team and then go shake their hands. If that didn’t teach us sportsmanship, it at least taught us to pretend like we were good sports.
Commissioner David Stern has got quite the dilemma facing him in the NBA right now, most of his players fall into the “poor sport” category. If it is fans he is seeking, he is losing quite a few with the delinquency and childishness displayed by many of his players. I promise that people can find better ways to spend their time than watching crybaby millionaires get up in each others “grill” and throw sissy punches. Proof of that theory is evidenced by the low ratings that the NHL gets. One thing that has gone missing from the NBA is the customary exchange of hand shakes (or chest bumps) between players and coaches. You see it in football when coaches meet at midfield, you even see it in college basketball when coaches meet a half-court, but you won’t see it in the NBA. Why? Ron Artest, the Founding Father of Brawls, was nowhere to be seen last week when the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets got into a little spat. Suns forward Matt Barnes threw an elbow into the chops of Rocket Rafer Alston. From there, Suns point guard Steve Nash came in and threw an elbow of his own only for Rocket Tracy McGrady to push him to the ground. All in all, a pathetic display of sportsmanship and an embarrassment. This was just one of many incidents already this year, Kevin Garnett centering around a couple of others. With what NBA players are getting away with, it is making the NFL look like a civil sport. Maybe the players just can’t handle sportsmanship and need to be taught like small children. Here’s a proposition, every time a hard foul or flagrant foul occurs, both parties need to hug and say, “I’m sorry.” It works for kids…
A portion of sportsmanship comes down to us all as fans of sports. Obtaining knowledge of the rules and procedures of our favorite sports can make us look less foolish. Take for example, your favorite football team is called for a pass interference foul, what do you do? Do you accept the call for what it was, or do you “boo?” I frequently sit by spectators who think their team can do no wrong, that every foul called against them is “absurd,” and “ridiculous.” We all have a responsibility as fans of sports to know the ins and outs of the sports we watch. I remember attending a college football game where a running back was stripped of the ball. After watching the replay on the big scoreboard, a lady screamed in disgust, “That’s illegal!! He stripped the ball from our player!! He can’t do that!!” I hung my head in shame for such a comment, that is a perfect example of stupid sportsmanship. While players, coaches, and officials are held to comply with sportsmanship guidelines, so should we as fans.
Tags: College Football, NBA, NFL
November 18th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Very good article, it would be nice if both players and fans showed more sportsmanship!