Pet Please #30: Sportsmanship

I could have used a photo from the Lingerie League here. But I didn't. I kept Tuesday classy for you.

I was watching the Rams-Redskins game this weekend, and at one point a Rams player made a good run that was ended by a solid tackle. When the Rams player tried to get up, the guy who tackled him grabbed his hand and pulled him off the ground.

In a small way, I think the world is made a better place by acts of sportsmanship like that.

Some of my guy friends would eloquently argue: “Dude, it’s a game. Dude! Dude.” They make a fair point. It’s a game, and each team is trying to win. But that doesn’t mean they need to act like jerks to one another. A little human decency doesn’t make you less of player.

Daily Quickie: Despite what I said above, I’m all about players celebrating touchdowns. I don’t consider that to be unsportsmanlike. I just think it’s celebratory. I mean, you just scored a touchdown in the NFL! Even in the league, most offensive players only get to score about a dozen times a year! It’s an achievement–go ahead and celebrate.

7 thoughts on “Pet Please #30: Sportsmanship”

  1. It’s funny that you noticed that. I was watching the game with Jamey on Sunday and I can recall the exact play that he’s talking about. I don’t think we spoke about it at the time, but it left an impression on me as well. I remember thinking that it was a nice gesture and then musing if some players would start to pick the guy up, only to drop him the next second, as if to gain some slight competitive advantage from the extra exertion that guy would have to make to try to get up again or from the extra fall to the ground. (I figured that probably wouldn’t happen though because I think a player would very quickly earn some cheap shots by doing that type of thing.)

    I also saw one other play when a Rams receiver caught a pass and was promptly tackled. He hopped up, gave the defender a quick slap on the helmet (a good thing, like a way of saying, “Good tackle.”) and then the camera zoomed in on him smiling as he trotted back to the huddle.

    It does make the day a little better to see good sportsmanship at the highest level. I’m glad I’m not the only one who notices.

    Reply
    • Ha ha…I had no idea that you noticed that. And I’m glad you mention plays where players acknowledge a good move or a solid tackle. That, to me, is the essence of the game. Professional sports involve the best athletes in their sports competing at the highest level–what’s wrong with tipping your hat to one of your peers when they make a good play? I do it in pickup soccer when someone on the other team makes a sweet pass or difficult goal.

      Reply
      • The question that is left: why did the group of guys not comment about sportsmanship DURING the game? I believe woman would have made the comment out loud. A question to pose for your readers. Why would men not share the observation of ‘an act of kindness’? and Would woman share this observation in front of others viewers?

        Reply
        • Good question. I can’t speak for women, but I know that male announcers sometimes talk about sportsmanship. Not in this case, though.

          Reply
  2. Margot, good question. Maybe the men didn’t want to seem “weak” in this manly moment of watching sports? Maybe mentioning something soft like the players treating each other decent would come off as wimpy during this game-watching event?
    I probably would have said something about it, but then again I also ask which colors they are rooting for, why it’s not the pretty ones, and why those yellow wads of cloth go flying onto the field every 2 seconds.

    Thanks for keeping Tuesday classy, women also happen to read this blog and some of us might get tired of seeing female pictures used on a good portion of your blogs. Yay for classy Tuesday!

    Reply

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