Last night I sat, although I had not intended to, and watched the NCAA Championship game of Duke vs. Butler. After an intense extremely close game, Duke won by one basket in the last minute of the game. As the game ended, I was impressed to see the dignity and sportsmanship that the Butler team displayed. They didn't start cussing or crying like babies. They went forward and congratulated the Duke players and coach. They became a lesson to dignity to all out there who watched last night.
While most people will think that sportsmanship is just something that you have when you are playing a sport or a game, it actually is important in our everyday life. How often have I been jealous of someone who achieved higher than I did at something? How often did I walk away and sulk? Why could I not let the other person enjoy their glory? I noticed, after watching the game last night, just how often I step in and try to achieve attention when I should be allowing another person to enjoy the glory. I sulk and I don't walk away holding my head up high. Rather, I hold a grudge. I pout. I am a poor sport about it.
Today, while I am supposed to be working on the positive things in my life that I accomplish, I am going to work on being a good sport to others. I am going to allow others to enjoy the limelight for their accomplishments.
For now, congratulations Butler Bulldogs for being such good sports. Keep holding your heads up high. You may not have a trophy to place in a cabinet, but remember that your dignity will not gather dust like that trophy will.
I like that point, and I've never heard that before, ".....gather dust like that trophy......."
ReplyDeleteAll my life, I have rarely been number one. In sports, I've played alongside National Champion teams in Slow-Pitch and Fast-Pitch softball, but we either finished in the middle or even in last place. On my high school Junior-Varsity basketball team, we tied for 1st place, and had to share the conference crown.
These things didn't really bother me. Whether we finished first or last, didn't make a difference to me. What mattered to me most is how I played the game. Did I do my part, did I make mistakes, was I a sportsman, did I play like a pro? If I could be satisfied with myself, then the rest was of no consequence. Disappointing, but of no consequence to me.
During my early Army days, I signed up for a 14-week mechanics course at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. I did this because I had no idea of what a mechanic does do. I didn't know how to even change the oil or spark plugs in a car. Out of about 300 guys, I finished in dead last place after week #1. My grade for that entire week was actually a double-F.
That scared me, and I knew that I had to get cranking and fast. For the next two weeks, after attending classes all day, I ate at the mess hall, then went back to night school for a few hours. It was completely voluntary, and they called it "Dud Stud".
Needless to say, night school helped a lot, and my own inspiration made a big difference. I was determined to get a good grade.
Okay, I'll cut to the finish. My final grade was 14th in the class, and it raised my rank up 2 grades. I was very proud of myself, and I could even call myself a mechanic. I did truly raise my grade from about 300th, up to 14th place. And the guy in first place received the exact same promotion as I did. So the real goal was to finish in one of the top 20 places to get a double promotion. If you hit the 21st place, you would only qualify for a single promotion. And below the 45th spot, you simply stayed the same grade.
My point is that, in this case, it didn't matter where I placed as long as it was acceptable for me. 20th was just as good as #1. In Butler’s case, take a look at all those teams that they defeated to get to the Duke game. Just to play Duke for the National Championship is itself a great honor. Finishing second is totally acceptable, and they might have even beat Duke. You think that Duke wasn’t sweating it at the end. That half-court Butler shot with the time gone that was in-and-out, was the difference of the game. It goes in, Butler wins. It misses, Duke wins. They might as well just handed the guy from Butler the ball, and let him take one shot from half court, and not even play the game. That was indeed the difference at the end. Of course there were many other things also that could have made some difference too. The main thing is that both of these teams are about the same. Either one could be National Champion. And in my opinion, they are both champions.