I play and follow a lot of sport and am often disappointed at the lack of real sportsmen. If I'm playing a sport, say football or basketball, and a foul in my favour is incorrectly given, I will tell the referee. Many people, however, do not do this. My thinking is that if I were on the other side of a wrong decision I would feel aggrieved, and if I were the referee I would not want to make wrong decisions. So there are good reasons to be honest. It is fundamentally fair, and I wouldn't want to win if I couldn't win within the rules.

So how has it become common practice to take advantage of a wrong decision? Because it will all balance out in the end? But surely the same is true of everyone being honest when a wrong decision has benefitted them - the next time they might be on the other side.

Shouldn't we expect more?

I think the lack of honesty in sport may have filtered down from the examples of professional sportsmen who have abandoned sportsmanship in their quest to earn ridiculous amounts of money.

I used to be a fanatically passionate football fan, supporting my local team through thick and thin. Then the management changed everything. The bar we used to drink at was now reserved for VIP's only. We had to make do with mid strength beer out of a plastic cup. The price of tickets and membership sky rocketed. Numerous interstate players appeared and disappeared in the team line up. None had any loyalty to the club.
I realised the fans had become just another commodity, and now don't go to any professional sporting events as its totally lost its magic for me.

I have no interest in sports. When I was little I played ball with the other neighborhood kids but then I was introduced to organized sports. My cousin was coerced into playing football and was delighted when he broke his arm early in the season. He bragged about how the coach taught them to cheat and get away with it. I went on to high school in a different state and discovered two of our defensive linemen, from football, on the basketball team. They couldn't play basketball but if the other team had a really good player they could take him out of the game. Sometimes they bragged about taking a good player out of two or three games with injuries. The football coach asked me to tutor three of his players in history. Now, history isn't tough. You read the chapters, learn a few gimmicks for remembering things, and you've got it. The three showed up but refused to read anything. They said the coach wouldn't dare fail them. They were right.

My worst experience was a discussion with a group of junior high football coaches about the serious knee and back injuries the 13- and 14-year old boys were getting. It was no secret that a big part of the problem was using cleats. So, why don't we just have everyone wear trainers. Oh, they wouldn't be as fast. But, if both sides were wearing trainers it would be the same game. No, they have to be faster, always faster. Is that as important as their knees and backs. Of course, it is.

I'll skip drugs. That's so well known it's not worth talking about. Coaches and trainers should have a pharmacy degree.

I'm 68-years old so it's not like sports has just deteriorated recently.

From speaking to quite a few people on this issue it seems that most people think there is a problem here but are somewhat resigned to the conclusion that there is nothing they can do about it. But is this so? Surely if there is a generally accepted problem there is something that can be done about it. Perhaps one thing impeding progress is that many sports fans are happy to let a cheat or a bad decsision slide if it works in their favour. So is at least part of the solution for sports fans to become more discerning, and to stop condoning the cheats in the teams we support, stop celebrating the victories not fairly earned?

How can we expect more when we tacitly accept the cheats in our own back yard?

I don't accept that many people accept cheats in their backyard. Some do and some don't. I do not accept I am included in your use of the word "we".

A good response we can all live with is simple, don't accept cheats in our back yard. Don't acknowlege them, don't reward them. Ignore them and spend time with those who you respect. However, we can't force others to follow suit, nor should we try.

ps I have been reading your "handle" as wearing god shoes. I have only just realised that I have being seeing it all wrong! Amazing, perceptions and perceptions.

I have noticed over the years that most people would cheat or lie, especially if they knew they wouldn't be found out. Sportspeople are like any other people, only in the news a bit more than Joe Bloggs. And there are studies to show that the majority of people are dishonest. Even in small ways.

So, if John or Jane are brought up with parents who think it's okay to cheat on tax, or keep the overpayment, or take office stationery, how do you expect them to behave when they play sports? Not everyone brought up by dishonest people will be dishonest themselves, but the chances are likely.

This forum is not really a cross section of society, with regards to ethics & morals. Most here I think, are intelligent, mature thinkers who are trying to discuss & debate to make life better. Unfortunately, the ones who should be reading these posts & who may gain some wisdom, never will.

Most of general society would not take an elderly ladies wallet, but they may cheat on tax. They have their own 'code', for want of a better word. They don't see cheating on tax as 'hurting anybody'.

I don't know if it is more prevalent or we are more aware (media, internet, etc)

Dreamer wrote:

Most of general society would not take an elderly ladies wallet, but they may cheat on tax. They have their own 'code', for want of a better word. They don't see cheating on tax as 'hurting anybody'.

I agree. To me, this is people applying their own ethical standards to their behaviour. I don't have much of a problem with this. I do have more of a problem with more debatable activities such as torture and killing for various causes. But we all have different ethical values. What I think is unethical, is to cheat on their tax and then complain if and when caught.

Dreamer: "Most of general society would not take an elderly ladies wallet, but they may cheat on tax. They have their own 'code', for want of a better word. They don't see cheating on tax as 'hurting anybody'."

I disagree. I think they see cheating on taxes as self defense. I have never cheated on my taxes but I'll admit it's because I fear the IRS. They're ruthless. But, while I would intervene with someone stealing an old woman's wallet I won't intervene with someone cheating on their taxes. Is it ethical to force a small business person into bankruptcy with taxes?

An acquaintance of mine said recently, "Everyone will steal if they think they can get away with it." I said, "No, but you've established that you will." I know many people who won't cheat, steal, or lie about something serious.

I can understand the motivation that makes someone want to believe that Jeffry Dahlmer killing and eating people was not unethical. I just don't agree with it.

I considered a new thread and decided to tack onto this one since I think it addresses sportsmanship.

"Police feared for their safety when they turned up to a disturbance at a sporting field on Groote Eylandt to discover it had escalated to a full-scale brawl. The brawl, involving several hundred people, some of them armed with axes and spears, broke out about 5pm (CST) on Sunday at the Angurugu sports oval during a match."
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/928 ... -afl-brawl

If this were an isolated event I wouldn't have bothered posting. I went to watch a friend's son playing soccer on the professional field--he's a kid--and the stands were separated from the field by a ten-foot deep, eight-foot wide moat.

I tried to keep in mind it was a kids' game as people in the stands screamed obscenities. A man near me saw me looking at him and said, "What's your problem?" "No, problem, just watching you set an example for your children." They moved away from me.

The fans are part of sports, I think.

Something about soccer brings out the worst in fans, and I say this after having spent many hours watching my sons play and supporting our local league team.

During one of my son's games when he was about 15, the father of one of his team mates ran onto the pitch and grabbed a boy from the opposing team round the throat. There was a kerfuffle and the man eventually got fined $100.

My favourite sportsman is unquestionably the flawed but nonetheless divine Maradonna. He lives and breathes football and his passion is contagious.
In his day he could inspire his team and the standard of play like no one else.

Wearingoddshoes,
That photo is familiar. Its Maradona's infamous "hand of God" action that eliminated England from the 1986 World Cup.
If you're English I sympathise, however the officials let the game down by not noticing the hand ball. Hardly a game goes by when an unfair judgement such as that one is not made. Perhaps thats why soccer fans are so volatile. Players have learnt to craft their game in anticipation of dodgy decisions as well. On the other hand its hard to recruit new referees. I heard in England they've even been attempting to get women to do it! I think electronic aids should be considered.
Maradona was guilty of a foul in the above instance, but I think it would be harsh for anyone say that cheating was normally a feature of his play and deny he had contributed enormous excitment and skill to the game.

Jeremy Clarkson has made some good observations on sportsmanship here.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/commen ... 917112.ece