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Strange logic U.S. sports etiquette stumps outsiders
Maybe I'm just a simplistic, over-competitive Australian, but the so-called "unwritten laws" of American sports remain a puzzle to me. I'm talking about the etiquette that says you shouldn't rub it in when you are way ahead. Losing teams in the U.S. have a habit of getting very upset when their opponents continue to try their best even when the result has apparently been decided. In Major League Baseball, Rickey Henderson of the San Diego Padres, earned the wrath of the Milwaukee Brewers for attempting to steal a base when the Padres held a commanding lead late in the game. The popular view was that Henderson would have been better advised to follow the example of the graceful winners of the National Football League. When NFL teams are leading big late in the fourth quarter, it's considered good sportsmanship to bring on the weaker, backup players or simply eat up time. To try to run up the scoreboard by going for late touchdowns is likened to plotting against the President. With a slightly different slant, these unwritten laws can also concern individual achievements. In a recent baseball game, San Diego catcher Ben Davis was criticized for trying to bunt as Arizona Diamondbacks' pitcher Curt Schilling closed in on a rare no-hitter. It was considered inappropriate that Davis was trying to get a hit in a rather sneaky fashion, even though his team trailed only 2-0 at the time. My view on all this? It's total nonsense. American sports have got so out of control that "saving face" at all costs and personal milestones have superseded good, old-fashioned competition. I couldn't imagine the great German soccer teams of the 1990s holding back against a rival like England once they were a couple of goals ahead in a meaningful match. Nor could I envision South African cricket captain Shaun Pollock refusing a quick single against Glenn McGrath so the Australian fast bowler could complete an historic 10th straight maiden over in a one-day international. How about the New Zealand All Blacks substituting Jonah Lomu and Christian Cullen midway through the second half to cut hapless Scotland some slack during a one-sided rugby test? Not likely. In my view, high-level sports should be played fairly at all times, but with 100 percent commitment. Otherwise, there's a lack of integrity and the sports become more like puff entertainment or some choreographed, made-for-TV event. Much of this phenomenon is all the more curious when you see the over-the-top way that some U.S. athletes, particularly NFL players, celebrate success on the playing arena. Where's the false modesty and forced consideration of others in those situations? The double standards are caused by the over-sentimentality and nostalgia that pervade many North American sports. During last season's comeback to the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins' Mario Lemieux was virtually canonized by the media in Canada and the United States. According to journalists, he'd already won the Stanley Cup within a week of his return to the ice. Lemieux had a surprisingly good season, but his form faltered a little during the playoffs and the Penguins were eliminated. Were the opposing NHL players at fault for not letting "Marvelous Mario" complete his comeback year by lifting ice hockey's biggest trophy? The television ratings and sponsorship could have really helped the sport and Mario is such a legend of the game... All right, I know I was going overboard there, but you get my point. Let's not lose sight of what sports are all about: competition and teamwork, success and failure. There's no need to sugarcoat it by attempting to tailor results or individual statistics according to some hazy, unwritten laws of when to let off the throttle. Sport is great in its purest, organic form. Let's not mix it with sickly syrup or add too many preservatives. Jason Dasey is co-host of World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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