More and more it seems "good sportsmanship" is an ideal, not a practicing reality. A case in point. I read that Bill Gates, the gazillionaire Microsoft computer nerd, is part of a secretive American group that's trying to buy back the America's Cup. It seems that megabytes Bill and others of his mind and money are upset that for the first time in the 150 year history of the America's Cup an American boat wasn't in the finals. I know my world almost came to an end the day Italy kicked our boating butts in the match race series to see who would challenge the Kiwis for the Cup. I'm sure there were millions of sports fans across the country that had to have their gold wine cork screws and paté knives locked up so they didn't hurt themselves over this humiliation.
Anyway, Bill and the boys decide if we can't beat them, then buy them. This group is said to have offered 20 members of New Zealand America's Cup sailing team big bucks to jump country and sail for America in the next competition. Reportedly, they'd get a $60,000 signing bonus and a hefty six-figure salary on a multi-year deal. Sign up now, Uncle Bill wants you. And, if you do, we'll throw in a complimentary American citizenship. You see it takes two years residency to qualify to become a greedy yank. Apparently Bill and his cronies thinks it only takes money to betray your country and sailing team.
Bill may know computers, but he doesn't have a clue about sports and whether the ball is stuffed or blown up. While buying a sports winner may be the "American way," stealing and buying a Cup few care about violates all the canons of good sportsmanship. Also, it strengthens the outsiders image of Americans as arrogant, greedy and believing that everything has a price. Bill apparently hasn't learned from his recent court lesson that "his way isn't the only way". But, if he's looking for a competitive advantage in a new area, he apparently has already shown he has a leg up on the competition in the "stupidity" market.
The bigger question is why can't we accept losing? We lose the America's Cup so we go out and try to ruin the team that won by buying key players. We don't like losing in international basketball competition or only beating some third world country by 30 points, so we go to the NBA and get Michael, Shaq, Vince, Karl and our other professional bullies so we can beat our chests after we stomp that third world country by 60 points. If we don't win, you don't play by our rules or consider us the best, then we quit, cheat or buy our way to what we want. Americans have truly bought into Vince Lombardi's utterance, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." To hell with losers. Winning is the only thing that builds character and makes you feel good.
Well, let me give you a dose of reality. Losing and how you handle it and how you recommit yourself to the next effort is the true character builder. Without losing, we'd never have the full appreciation for how winning feels. Yes, losing hurts. But, in losing you find out about yourself. If all you ever did was win, then you'd always think everything you do is right and the best way. And, in team sports, losing lets you share that human emotion with others. The good part is that losing feeling doesn't last forever and if you commit yourself enough and are fortunate enough to have that recommitment and hard work result in winning, your enjoyment and appreciation of that accomplishment will overshadow that hurt from losing many times over. And, doing it honestly and in a sportsmanlike way will make that feeling unforgettable and forever lasting-which is always better than the unsportsmanlike alternative.
I feel better now.
I'm Ron Barr.
Read Ron's Archived Commentaries