Sportsmanship: A Slice of Society
From the Cheap Seats
by Chris Hahn
Sunday night I stood on the sidelines watching a friendly intramural flag football game. With less than a minute left and the ball in its possession, the team leading by three touchdowns disgracefully called timeout TWICE in attempt to score again. While several folks on the sideline were aware of the unsportsmanlike activities going on, a few who seemed knowledgeable about football still didn’t make the connection.
On the field were a group of MBA students… students who are being groomed to become CEO’s and investment bankers – the future leaders in the business world. So in a society where Enron, WorldCom, Martha Stewart, and mutual fund scandals have virtually become expected events in the corporate world, should it REALLY surprise us that sportsmanship has taken a step back, too? Sportsmanship has simply paralleled the slide of the morals of our society.
In a world where there is very little black and white, more and more people try to find the dark grey. Pushing the envelope with what is acceptable is common and often rewarding for those who do it. But these days kids grow up watching their ‘heroes’ hold out for millions of dollars, play for themselves and not the team, and celebrate like crazy after stopping a running back for only a two-yard gain. Put that way, perhaps the deterioration of sportsmanship in society is an influence on the collapse of the common good?
Whichever way you look at it, it still boils down to the same point. It’s disappointing that we live in a society where taking the high road is an option many scoff at while searching for the path that best suits their interests. But while society is undoubtedly destined to continue on its slippery slope, as a sports fan it would be nice to see sportsmanship make a comeback.
Enter Nate Haasis, a 17-year-old high school student in Springfield, Illinois. A couple weeks ago, Nate broke his conference record for career passing yards. But afterwards, he learned that the coaches of the two teams had conspired to get him one last completion, a 37-yard pass that gave him the record. So he did something unheard of in sports these days – he wrote a letter to the conference officials asking to nullify the record.
“…in respect to my teammates, and past and present football players … it is my hope that this pass is omitted from any conference records. … I would like to preserve the integrity and sportsmanship…for future athletes.”
What a refreshing anomaly—a high school kid demonstrating to the athletic world that there is more than personal glory. Nate Haasis’ actions were a wonderful demonstration that sportsmanship still exists. Unfortunately, it also says a lot about our society that he received national attention (including being named ABC New’s ‘Person of the Week’) for actions that we’d like to think are common in society. News flash: they’re not…
Hopefully some young kids in Springfield, Illinois recognize Nate for the hero he is. Maybe, just maybe, his display of sportsmanship will trickle down – kind of a ‘Pay It Forward’ effect. If our amateur athletes can rekindle a standard that we’ve long since lost, perhaps society will notice.
Of course, I’m not naïve enough to expect Michael Strahan to follow Nate Haasis’ example and call the NFL to relinquish his sack record. Society has ‘come too far’ for that.
From the Cheap Seats would like to congratulate Nate Haasis for a Wave Worthy Performance. Thanks for giving us hope that a new generation of Americans can still learn what sportsmanship is all about!