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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 32336
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Posted: 02/18/20 12:04 pm ::: sportsmanship |
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This probably doesn't belong in this forum but I thought maybe others could contribute college examples of outstanding sportsmanship. I think we sometimes spend too much time on the negatives.
So here's my story. It's from a high school game. The local boys team was behind by 20 with 2 minutes to go and the coach put in a 5'3" exchange student from Brazil who hadn't scored all year. He made a legit runout, missed the layup, got his own rebound and put it in. The crowd erupted with the biggest cheer all game (maybe all year). The opposing team realized what was happening and basically laid off defending him and let him score 3 more baskets. I thought for HS boys, this was a pretty amazing compassionate act.
_________________ For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman
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mzonefan
Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 4878 Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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Posted: 02/18/20 2:10 pm ::: |
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Cool. Thanks for sharing.
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Howee
Joined: 27 Nov 2009 Posts: 15747 Location: OREGON (in my heart)
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Ex-Ref
Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Posts: 8953
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Posted: 02/19/20 9:27 am ::: |
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Here's a story of a manager with Down's Syndrome scoring while the opposing team plays little defense. With video. If dizziness is an issue for you, you might want to look away for a second just as he's bringing the ball up the court and again after he scores.
https://www.wthr.com/article/high-school-manager-down-syndrome-steals-show-senior-night
_________________ "Women are judged on their success, men on their potential. It’s time we started believing in the potential of women." —Muffet McGraw
“Thank you for showing the fellas that you've got more balls than them,” Haley said, to cheers from the crowd.
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 11157
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Posted: 02/19/20 10:36 am ::: |
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I know most people like it, but I'm a bit of a curmudgeon -- OK, a lot of a curmudgeon.
If somebody just let me score, I'd be insulted. I don't want people to say "Oh you're actually terrible but you're so cute we'll pretend to play the game and then let you do something good."
I felt the same way when I was coaching and we were losing by 40 and the other team quit trying to score. Really? That's supposed to make me and my players feel better? That we deserve so little respect you don't even play the game?
I get that there's a positive aspect to all this, and an acknowledgement of the less skilled, but if I went out and played pickup basketball and it was clear the other team said "Oh, let the old guy score" and didn't even try, I'd walk off the court.
_________________ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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GlennMacGrady
Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 8231 Location: Heisenberg
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Posted: 02/19/20 11:29 am ::: |
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ClayK wrote: |
I know most people like it, but I'm a bit of a curmudgeon -- OK, a lot of a curmudgeon.
If somebody just let me score, I'd be insulted. I don't want people to say "Oh you're actually terrible but you're so cute we'll pretend to play the game and then let you do something good."
I felt the same way when I was coaching and we were losing by 40 and the other team quit trying to score. Really? That's supposed to make me and my players feel better? That we deserve so little respect you don't even play the game?
I get that there's a positive aspect to all this, and an acknowledgement of the less skilled, but if I went out and played pickup basketball and it was clear the other team said "Oh, let the old guy score" and didn't even try, I'd walk off the court. |
I have the same general reaction as Clay.
While we are well into the generation of participation trophies for everyone, I don't see it as the job of the opposing team to do so under the (condescending, to me) guise of gift baskets. Every team has players at the end of the bench who have scored little, if at all. I was once one of them, and would have been highly insulted if the other team tried to give me baskets during garbage time, instead of earning them myself through a season of practice competition, just so they could virtue signal pathos and sympathy for my lack of skills. |
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Howee
Joined: 27 Nov 2009 Posts: 15747 Location: OREGON (in my heart)
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Posted: 02/19/20 1:05 pm ::: |
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Hmm. You may wanna get to know some Downs people better, guys.
With them, it's a bit like the little cancer patient who gets to ride with the Fire Engines for a day. They know it's a 'gift', but it's still uber special to them.
The Brazilian kid? That was just a one-off to give him his special moment in an otherwise-foreign place. Some might have too much pride and might see it as condescension, but....maybe not.
_________________ Oregon: Go Ducks!
"Inévitablement, les canards voleront"
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ClayK
Joined: 11 Oct 2005 Posts: 11157
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Posted: 02/19/20 4:17 pm ::: |
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The Downs syndrome player I can go along with ... and applaud if the person is willing.
And as far as that goes, if any player/team/coach feels fine with the charity, that's great too.
_________________ Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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summertime blues
Joined: 16 Apr 2013 Posts: 7852 Location: Shenandoah Valley
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myrtle
Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 32336
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Posted: 02/19/20 6:52 pm ::: |
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This kid was beaming, so it was obviously special to him.
_________________ For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
- Amanda Gorman
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Ex-Ref
Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Posts: 8953
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Posted: 02/19/20 8:56 pm ::: |
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myrtle wrote: |
This kid was beaming, so it was obviously special to him. |
And I'm sure that his family loved it as well. I'm not a parent, so I can only imagine what that was like for them to see their child so happy.
_________________ "Women are judged on their success, men on their potential. It’s time we started believing in the potential of women." —Muffet McGraw
“Thank you for showing the fellas that you've got more balls than them,” Haley said, to cheers from the crowd.
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taropatch
Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 814 Location: Kau Rubbish Dump
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Posted: 02/20/20 1:55 am ::: |
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myrtle wrote: |
This kid was beaming, so it was obviously special to him. |
+1 for the Down's Syndrome kid
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bcdawg04
Joined: 12 Apr 2016 Posts: 568 Location: Seattle
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