Is winning everything?

[Tom B]

I remember watching a football match a couple of years ago - can't remember who it was - when even though the ball crossed the line for a goal, the goalie managed to pull it back across the line, and fooled the referee into thinking it wasn't a goal - despite the fact it could be seen crossing the line on tv, and all the crowd at one end, could see it was a goal. If there is so much money in professional sport now that 'sportsmanship' has to go out the window for economic gain, is it still sport?

[Govangirl]

Tom, my favoured sport is Formula One and I think there are enough examples in the Grand Prix to show the meaning of true sportsmanship: the death of Roger Williamson and how bravely his friend tried to save him, James Hunt dragging a driver from his burning car and Niki Lauda being saved in that terrible crash. In fact, I'm sure a driver got some kind of bravery medal for the latter.

And no-one has been braver than Sir Jackie (my hero) in advocating for better safety standards,even at the expense of winning. So I would say that with real sporting figures, winning isn't everything.

[A Horse called Juan Face]

The game might have been Man Utd vs Spurs when Pedro Mendes lobbed from about the halfway line and Roy Carroll struggled to keep it out, and infact did not, but no goal was given. Then again, it might not have been.

[Mary G]

George Orwell wrote on this subject:

Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.

I may not agree, completely at any rate, but given that he died in 1950 what we are witnessing now is not a new phenomenon. As the Romans would testify

[Ship called Dignity]

I remember watching a football match a couple of years ago - can't remember who it was - when even though the ball crossed the line for a goal, the goalie managed to pull it back across the line, and fooled the referee into thinking it wasn't a goal - despite the fact it could be seen crossing the line on tv, and all the crowd at one end, could see it was a goal. If there is so much money in professional sport now that 'sportsmanship' has to go out the window for economic gain, is it still sport?

Isn't that just sport? It happens at all levels of sport and in this particular reference football. If you could get away with kicking the ball from behind the line in an amateur game you would - it is just instinct and if you got away with it you are hardly going to say to the ref.

I like the fact that football hasn't went down the road of using TV evidence - it all adds to the drama and sport.

[bill]

Tom, my favoured sport is Formula One and I think there are enough examples in the Grand Prix to show the meaning of true sportsmanship:

Off the top of my head I can recall Schumacher intentionally taking out Damon Hill in the last race of whichever year it was....McLaren spy scandal from last year.....Schumacher(again) being stripped of pole position after stopping his car on the track during final practice to hinder Alonso.

[Govangirl]

Yeah but I didn't say there were no examples of bad sportsmanship - not with the likes of Schumacher anyway. Just that I think there are enough examples in it of what's good about sport. Perhaps there are no examples of Jackie Stewart any more nowadays but I'd like to think so anyway.

If you don't like examples of Formula One then how about the Scot, Eric Liddell?

Both these men have shown that there is more than winning a gold medal or a world championship. I'm trying to be optimistic here - perhaps your glass is half empty Bill.

[bill]

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

thou anointest my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

....................................................................................

My cup is never half empty, neither is my cup ever half full.

[hugh]

How about snooker? Do they still call their own fouls?
My cup is either half-empty or half-full, depends whether it's your round or mine.

[bill]

How about snooker? Do they still call their own fouls?
My cup is either half-empty or half-full, depends whether it's your round or mine.

I would say golf has to be the most sporting .

[hugh]

Can't argue with that, Bill, it does seem pretty civilised. Maybe that's why it's so boring?

Let me qualify that before I get slaughtered. It may be interesting to play (never appealed to me), but to watch? It's just ahead of the test card for tedium. And those commentators? They make cricket sound exciting.

[peenkles21]

Sport is about winning, though you tend not to get the respect of the majority of fans unless you can show a great deal of sportsmanship also.

[A Horse called Juan Face]

Respect doesn't buy you any potatoes at dinner time though, does it?

[peenkles21]

Nope, it doesnt. Thats why i said sport is about winning.

Sport is about winning,

see i said that.

[A Horse called Juan Face]

You should probably buy your potatoes before dinner time though, be prepared and all that jazz.