Has sportsmanship gone from sport

[zooooom]

Maybe im being a bit harsh, but with reference to the recent events in F1 the football premiership and international athletics.
Am I the only person that finds the current state of most sports these days being ruined by politics, over commercialism or by multi millionaires buying clubs for quick turn around and profits.
Has too much money in sport ruined it???

[Pies]

yep

[iansull]

Inevitable really IMHO.

With the amount of money involved and the constant pressure to win,win,win, its no wonder.

Winning is everything in professional sport and its just the same as any business- you do whatever you can to stay ahead of your competitors.
Want to be nice and lose?-fine,your opponent however wants to win and doesn't care if he/she wins any friends doing it.
Nobody remembers the losers and massive financial rewards await the winners.
Sporting careers are short so competitors will do what they can whilst they can.

[alans]

los angeles said:

Almost all sports have been taken out of the hands of their supporters and spectators by international corporations. Rupert Murdoch is one of the worst offenders, a modern-day robber baron. It's all to make money. "Greed is good."

My GOD I agree with LA about something!!


Alan

[FourWheelDrift]

It's been renamed to Gamesmanship.

[HiRich]

There are still small oases of sporting behaviour. I think of how cyclists will pause on a mountain stage if there is a major problem. I also note that Tom Kristensen, on breaking Jacky Ickx's record has been gentlemanly enough to say that Jacky remains "Mr Le Mans"

What astonishes me is how so many governing bodies fail to react to bad sportsmanship. Tighten up the rules when a new avenue is opened up and be strict and the problem would disappear:
- Australian cricketers sledge? Send them off the field (and stick a mic on the wickets).
- Arsene Wenger appeals an indefensible sending off? Make sure the appeals board also have the option to extend the suspension.
- Add a citing rule (like in Rugby Union) to allow post-event review of video evidence.

I've heard of several cases in club racing where stewards and clubs have failed to react to constant offenders (who of course claim "Michael Schumacher/Yvan Muller/etc. do it, so why can't I?" only for the other racers to threaten a boycott. When the offenders realise they really will get in trouble, they change their ways (or find that they are no longer welcome). It doesn't appear to be rocket science.

[scared but happy]

los angeles said:

Almost all sports have been taken out of the hands of their supporters and spectators by international corporations. Rupert Murdoch is one of the worst offenders, a modern-day robber baron. It's all to make money. "Greed is good."

Whoa. head back to the 80's. I dont think the Yuppie ever died.
Of course its about money, look at cricket jumpers. Football is meaningless how can any team be called Man U. or S'hampton etc as none of the players originated from there may as well be team A,B or C.
Look at how they loose their rag if they lose, IF it was just a game it would be far more sporting.
and to get round the BBC advertising ban they just put the advert in the title ie "Volvo PGA champianship" or place the winner infront of the board full of adverts with his/her silly cap with MORE adverts.

[anonymous-user]

there are numerous examples in premier league football. robbie fowler arguing with the referee over a penalty comes up often. the referee awarded a penalty in favour of Fowler who then protested that it was a fair tackle. he took the penalty and it was saved though i believe the rebound was scored.

there are also examples in cycling. I think Jan Ulrich fell whilst descnding a hill with Bjarne Riis on the tour de france in the mid nineties and fell. Riis stopped and waited for him to remount his bike before he continued.

these are not isolated incidents, i think its more a case of the unsporting gestures take precedance and gain greater press coverage than sporting ones. I guess people like criticise and moan rather than celebrate sportsmanship.

[jodypress]

even le mans has been affected with bureacracy this year, which affected the Astons's by a few minutes.

with the stop go's and the "no wheelspin" when leaving their part of the pit lane (i mean wtf)

[pdV6]

FourWheelDrift said:

It's been renamed to Gamesmanship.

Gamespersonvessel?

[Donut]

FourWheelDrift said:

It's been renamed to Gamesmanship.

Or Gainsmanship!

[anonymous-user]

jodypress said:

even le mans has been affected with bureacracy this year, which affected the Astons's by a few minutes. with the stop go's and the "no wheelspin" when leaving their part of the pit lane (i mean wtf)

personally i think this was justified. the pit lane at le mans was heaving with people, team personnel, tv cameras etc, i now its a race but some caution must be displayed when leaving the pit lane.