Sportsmanship.
It has one meaning in America and another on “the other side
of the pond.”
The dictionary says this: “The practice of playing fair, of
taking loss or defeat without complaint or victory without gloating, and treating
opponents with fairness, generosity, courtesy, etc. …”
We have grown up with sportsmanship meaning not running up
the score when you have obviously outclassed your opponent. A “Mercy Rule” of
running clocks after halftime in high school football and basketball when the
margin goes past a certain number were instituted to prevent lopsided blowouts,
softening the impact of scores such as 76-0 for Saugatuck football at Martin in
2009 or 42- and 49-point Saugatuck boys basketball losses last month to
Schoolcraft and Coloma, respectively.
It’s a little different elsewhere, as seen yesterday in
Manchester, England, where the powerhouse Manchester City FC defeated Burton
Albion in an English Carabao Cup semifinal soccer match, 9-0. The Sky Blues are
four points behind Liverpool in the Premier League standings, while the Brewers
are currently ninth in League One, two leagues below the Premier League. The
Carabao Cup, along with the FA Cup, gives teams from lower divisions the chance
to face the “big boys” in annual tournaments. Manchester City has some of the
best soccer players in the world, while the entire Burton Albion lineup earns
about as much as one of the lowest-paid “Cityzens” makes.
It was a mismatch from the word go, and yet, there was no
hue and cry over “running up the score.” Tyrone Marshall, writing about the
match in the
Manchester Evening News
,
said it best: “This is professional sport. It might have been a tough night
for Burton's players, but they would want to test themselves against City's
very best for 90 minutes, not against a team putting their feet up for half an
hour.”
Both coaches – Pep Guardiola of City and Nigel Clough of
Albion, echoed those sentiments in their post-game remarks to the media. “We spoke
about that at half-time — to play simple, let them run and try to score more
goals,” the City manager said. “It’s the best way to respect the
competition and respect the opponents.”
“We can't buy that
kind of experience for our young lads and for the players who have come through
our academy that gives them first-hand experience of what playing against top
players is like,” Clough told the media.
Guess what? Both views of sportsmanship in this regard are
right.
It’s just a matter of perspective … and “location, location,
location,” as the realtors would say.
Thanks!
