Rivalries bring both positive and negative aspects to sporting events. However, in all levels of the sporting world today, rivalries seem to generate negative actions. Since when has it become OK to treat someone like complete crap just because they go to a different school and play for a different coach. Yes, I am all for the sense of family and brotherhood in sports, but that does not mean treating people from other teams poorly.
Rivalries are seen in all sports at every level. The Red Sox- Yankees rivalry may be the best in baseball history. Does it give Jason Varitek, a well respected baseball player, the right to punch Alex Rodriguez, a mostly hated player in the Boston region, during a playoff game? Some fans love it, some fans think athletes are more like punks. Both have many reasons for loving or hating it, but the lack of sportsmanship is inevitable nonetheless.
As a high school football player, I am prepared to hate my opponents. I am supposed to want to hurt them, make the suffer, and flat out destroy them. I am a new student to Holliston High School, although I have been living here for my whole life and have many friends here. But because I went to a private school my friendships have expanded beyond to nearby towns. I have many friends from the town of Hopkinton, including my girlfriend. One of my football coaches singled me out and said it was a "border war", which is OK, but does not give any reason on why I should hate them. I do want to beat them badly, but I don't need to hate them to do so.
With a sense of hate comes a sense of a "bad ass" anger. Shoving, biting, and swearing are all part of present day sporting events. It's no longer if you score a touchdown or hit a three, but whether you knock somebody out or embarrass someone and rub it in during the process of scoring. Rivalries are can be great - just look at Bird vs. Magic - but with vulgar actions in sport rivalries today, rivalries can produce negative outcomes and sportsmanship can be lost.
Most kids who grow up playing sports want to be a professional player when they grow older. As a kid I would watch the pros and pick out my favorite players. I did look up to them and tried to imitate them when I played. If a player shows no sportsmanship why would a little kid who thought of him as a hero show any himself. Pro athletes need to notice how important their actions are as well as their talent. They are being viewed by many fans, including young children, and sportsmanship is an important aspect that should be taught throughout the sporting world.
Rivalries will always exist, but the choice of whether sportsmanship will be part of a rivalry is up to today's professional athletes. I hope athletes will begin to show their respect for each other, because it makes the games both more fun to watch and play.
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With a sense of hate comes a sense of a "bad ass" anger. Shoving, biting, and swearing are all part of present day sporting events. It's no longer if you score a touchdown or hit a three, but whether you knock somebody out or embarrass someone and rub it in during the process of scoring. Rivalries are can be great - just look at Bird vs. Magic - but with vulgar actions in sport rivalries today, rivalries can produce negative outcomes and sportsmanship can be lost.
Most kids who grow up playing sports want to be a professional player when they grow older. As a kid I would watch the pros and pick out my favorite players. I did look up to them and tried to imitate them when I played. If a player shows no sportsmanship why would a little kid who thought of him as a hero show any himself. Pro athletes need to notice how important their actions are as well as their talent. They are being viewed by many fans, including young children, and sportsmanship is an important aspect that should be taught throughout the sporting world.
Rivalries will always exist, but the choice of whether sportsmanship will be part of a rivalry is up to today's professional athletes. I hope athletes will begin to show their respect for each other, because it makes the games both more fun to watch and play.
Word Count: 507
Positives: This posting was very well written. I liked how you pointed out that there is no need for rilvaries in high school sport and how coaches are just adding to the issue.
ReplyDeleteCritisim: "Rivalries bring both positive and negative aspects to sporting events." I wish you talked a little bit more about the positive side; I found that the topic sentence did not fit with the posting since it was majorly about the negatives.
Hey. This was a really good blog since the topic can connect to anyone who plays sports. Your opinions against bad sportsmanship is clearly stated and is well backed up. Also, I liked how you used exmples such as the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry. 'Since when has it become OK to treat someone like complete crap just because they go to a different school and play for a different coach.' I think this sentence should end in a question mark and in this sentence, 'Rivalries are can be great,' choose either are or can. Other than the mechanical errors it was very well written. Nice job.
ReplyDeletethis is really well written; you know how to stay slightly formal, while intricately weaving your style throughout each formality. Not to mention, your description to what you should do as a football player is priceless. It's simply stated, but it's enough to make a reader laugh.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing you should really pay attention to is a few things with grammar. Yes, in some cases it works, but with grammar geeks like myself, it takes me out of your writing.
For example, when you say, "But because I went to a private school my friendships..." you would normally have commas after "but," and another after "school." Situations like those, where you're inserting a comment into another sentance, require commas.
Other than that, well done.
~morgan
This was really good and very well written. The only problem I saw was, "make the suffer" i think its supposed to say make them suffer. I completely agree with you when you said, "Yes, I am all for the sense of family and brotherhood in sports, but that does not mean treating people from other teams poorly." I remember watching this game and at the time it was great to watch but afterwards it didnt make him seem like he had much sportsmanship, threw my eyes anyways. Overall, great job!
ReplyDeleteThat's the second time my comments were wiped out when I went to post them! AAAAAARGHHHH!
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, what I had written, which disappeared into a cyberspace black hole, was that I agreed with the basic argument you make here. It's not necessary to hate anyone just because you want to beat their brains in on the field and within the rules of the game. The whole "we hate these guys because they don't live in our town" notion is ridiculous. Joey Larracey's death really illuminated how trite and transparent that football mentality can be. There was a situation where rivalries quickly were forgotten for something important--uniting a community that was hurting.
I've enjoyed reading your sports commentray lately. Should you be writing for the school paper's sports section?
Proof before you post, and listen to Morgan's advice about the use of "but". In fact, do you even need a "but" there?
There's good advice--proof before you post--and then I blow it by letting a typo by my eyes on "commentary". See? We all need to do it! Even I do!
ReplyDelete