Worst Sportsmanship Moment of 2010

You have to work hard to earn this dubious distinction.  A person seriously had to go out of his/her way to be disrespectful, disingenuous, and selfish.  The votes are tallied and out of 14 deserving or undeserving candidates, we have a loser.  Don't worry, all 14 candidate videos are available on our SportsmanshipTV page.  Please watch until your heart's content - or at least as long as your stomach can stand it.  So, without further delay I give you the worst sportsmanship moment of 2010.  With 75% of the online vote, our winner comes all the way from DeSoto County, Fla.(Email subscribers click here). 



Let's do better than this in 2011. As of the close of this post, we have about 10 minutes. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

MMA fighters create program to knock out bullying

Mixed martial artists Jermaine Andre and Robert Evans have created a program they hope will stem the tide of bullying that has swept the community in recent years.  Andre and Evans were featured on KTVI-TV in St. Louis this morning.  Watch their interview segment below (Email subscribers click here). Whether you're a fan of mixed martial arts or not, it's certainly good to see high-level athletes using their talents to make more positive environments for everyone. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

 

Read More

Fox News pundit says Vick should have faced execution

The only way I can be fair on this topic is not to say anything at all. Your opinions, however, are welcome. Tucker Carlson of Fox News made the following comments on the cable news network Tuesday night (Email subscribers click here). 



Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

College teammates fight in stands (Video)

Like many of you, I stayed home with family for the holidays. Others had the opportunity to travel. The Mississippi State men's basketball team had a very generous holiday travel schedule. They played in a tournament in the Bahamas, then traveled to Hawaii for another. They will finish with a game in Las Vegas before heading home. Not bad, huh?  Hawaii is where trouble struck.  Mississippi State players were sitting in the stands on Friday prior to the Utah-Hawaii game.  It's customary for teams to scout potential opponents between games.  Teammates Elgin Bailey and Renardo Sidney were seated in the same row.  Bailey was seated closer to the aisle and Sidney was trying to get by.  According to witnesses, Bailey would not move his legs.  The video below shows what happened next (Email subscribers click here).



The instances of poor sportsmanship seem to be more and more ridiculous.  That's all the more reason for us to be more vigilant in teaching good sportsmanship.  Be sure to order your free copies of Through a Child's Eyes - A Parent's Guide to Improving Youth Sports and vote for this year's Worst Sportsmanship Moments in the upper-right corner of the main page.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

Worst Sportsmanship Nominees of 2010

Episodes of bad sportsmanship have their place when you're trying to teach the principles of good sportsmanship.  Frank Viverito, president of the St. Louis Sports Commission, once told me "Bad sportsmanship tells its own story.  No one gets confused about the meaning. They know it's wrong."  He's right.  Good sportsmanship stories have to be put into context.  You have to explain why good sportsmanship is taking place.  That's perfectly fine because good stories should always be told in their entirety.  However, videos like the one above are the reason you're reading this today (Email subscribers click here.)

While the young man's attitude was poor, his actions did not warrant nomination.  We at the Sportsmanship Initiative have identified 14 other acts that deserve closer inspection.  The stories and the links to their videos are posts you have seen before on this site.  Take another look at each of the stories and the acts of poor sportsmanship that accompany them.  Then, take a moment to vote on the story via the poll available in the upper-right corner of this page.  The stories posted below are in no rank order.  Rankings will be left up to you.  All 14 videos will also be available for viewing on our SportsmanshipTV site on Facebook.  Voting concludes on Thursday, December 30 at 11:59 p.m.  The 10 Worst Sportsmanship Moments of 2010 as determined by you will be announced on New Year's Eve.  Vote today and encourage your friends to do the same.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

1. Referee slammed by basketball player
2. Jets coach trips opposing player
3. Father and son attacked by Browns fans
4. Gilbert Arenas fakes injury
5. Bolivian president kicks local mayor
6. Pearland pee-wee football fight
7. Jeter fakes being hit by a pitch
8. LeGarrette Blount fights with teammates
9. Reds-Cardinals Basebrawl
10. LeBron's Decision
11. Eating champ Kobayashi arrested at hot dog event
12. French soccer team walks out on head coach
13. Fan gets tased for running onto baseball field
14. Nigel de Jong impersonated Jackie Chan during World Cup Final

Read More

Michael Vick: What he really said about being a dog owner

I'm a big believer in redemption.  Second chances provide another opportunity to achieve greatness for individuals and for humanity as a whole.  Second chances fix problems, mend broken relationships, and build better families.  I have become a huge Michael Vick fan over the last two seasons.  His personal maturity and his athletic ability have finally met and he may end up being the NFL MVP because of it.  My reason for writing this has to do with a soundbite of Vick where he expresses the desire to own a dog again someday.

Several media outlets have published the soundbite and people are tweeting and re-tweeting the statement all over the creation.  The interviewer first asked Vick if he'd ever like to own a dog again.  He answered accordingly.  Please take a moment to look at the video below (Email subscribers click here).



Vick and the interviewer were describing a hypothetical situation.  He can't own a dog again.  It's a condition of his parole.  Sometimes we can't get over what a person used to be.  I think we often want a person to revert back to their old ways.  We then use their downfall as some sort twisted self-elevation.  Personally, I'd much rather have a man come out of prison, earn a living and provide for his family.  That's much better than the alternative.  Sportsmanship is about fairness and it is unfair to incite the public to dislike a man who's just starting to come around.  I am a fan of Michael Vick - not because I want him to be the Most Valuable Player.  I want him to be a candidate for Most Valuable Person.  Right now, his odds are getting better and better.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

Referee slammed by HS basketball player

Normally, I wouldn't post twice in one day, but this is very important.  I received a video no more than 10 minutes ago and it is very disturbing.  Many of you reading this will coach or referee a basketball game even tonight.  Please review proper behavior with your kids.  The video below is from a high school basketball game in DeSoto County (Fla.) last night. Email subscribers click here.



This is why we ask you to sign pledges, participate in clinics and become team players.  It's not a gimmick.  Our kids need us to take sportsmanship to heart and teach them the right way.  Please teach your kids that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.  Better yet, model the behavior you want them to exhibit.  Address officials with respect.  Shake the other coach's hand.  Tell them to walk away - even when the call doesn't go their way.  By putting his hands on one court official, the young man in the video will undoubtedly appear before another.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

Jets coach steps out of his role

Know your role.  Coaches coach and players play.  Players don't design game plans and coaches don't make tackles.  When you step out of your role, you get the situation that happened in the Jets-Dolphins game yesterday.  Watch the video of the incident below.



The coach's name is Sal Alosi and he is the Jets strength and conditioning coach.  He had no business involving himself in the play.  Thankfully, Dolphins player Nolan Carroll was not seriously hurt.  What possesses a coach to do something like this?  I know he wants to win.  Everyone in the NFL does.  That's what they're paid to do.  Alosi thought he was helping his team, but he may get fired over this.  Let's say he doesn't lose his job.  He'll more than likely be fined heavily by the league and/or the team.  On top of all that, the Jets still lost the game.  He hurt his team more than he helped.

It plays out over and over again.  Whether you're a pee-wee coach in Texas or a professional one in New York, the rules are the same.  Coaches coach and players play.  The booklet, Through a Child's Eyes  explains the roles of athletes, coaches, parents, officials, and fans in great detail.  It's available free from the St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Initiative.  Order some for yourself and your friends.  Better yet, order enough for your whole league.  I can't stress enough how important having a positive sports environment is for everyone.  Take a moment and do this for yourself and your kids.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

Is it a coincidence that ESPN is airing a film detailing the SMU cheating scandal right after Cam Newton wins the Heisman?

Read More

Cam Newton wins the 2010 Heisman Memorial Trophy.

Read More

Rules are rules

The 2010 Heisman Memorial Trophy will be awarded to college football's best player tonight.  Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton is the favorite to win the award in a walk.  Newton has been far and away college football's best player this season.  He has thrown 28 touchdowns and scored another 21.  At 6'6, 250lbs., Newton is the prototype of a future professional star.  No one questions his speed, strength, or skill.  The questions arise with the young man's integrity.  Newton began his college career at the University of Florida in 2007.  He later withdrew from school amid charges of receiving a stolen laptop.  Newton spent the 2009 season in junior college and re-emerged as a top recruit.

Mississippi State University seemed to be the front-runner to land Newton, but he elected to attend Auburn instead.  In November, Mississippi State officials alleged that Cecil Newton, Cam's father, was looking for a cash payment for his son services.  I am not going to address whether or not I think any money exchanged hands.  The Cam Newton controversy has stirred up the argument of whether or not major college athletes should be paid for their services.  Sorry, I'm not touching that one either.  This post is about the rules we like and the ones we don't - and whether or not we should follow them.

Earlier this year, former Heisman winner Reggie Bush chose to return his trophy after the NCAA ruled him ineligible during the 2004 season.  That was the year Bush won the Heisman and his school, the University of Southern California, won the BCS National Championship.  It was found that Bush had received "improper benefits" while a student-athlete at USC.  There are seemingly countless stories of investigations involving universities and their student-athletes.  The consistent attention has caused some people to call the rules regarding eligibility "outdated" and "naive."

Let's be clear, athletic scholarships are very valuable to students.  University costs continue to rise.  Many of you reading this blog (the author included) are still re-paying student loans.  We chose to borrow against future earnings for an educational opportunity.  This is something that Newton, Bush and thousands of other fortunate student-athletes will never have to worry about.  Sallie Mae won't be calling them to establish a payment plan.  I'm not writing this as a guy who wishes he possessed the talents of a Division I student-athlete.  I'm writing this as a guy who sees the value of his education sent to him in a monthly statement.  I'm writing this as a guy who realizes it was worth every penny.

My mother used to say "if you're going to live in this house ,then you're going to follow my rules."  Her words make so much sense now and they relate to the student-athlete.  You cannot accept the scholarship, break the rules, then get mad and talk about how unfair they are.  Tuition, fees, and room/board costs more than $37,000 a year at Auburn.  Your college may have cost less.  Maybe it cost more.  While the scholarship does not provide a "free" education, it does provide the opportunity for an education without incurring debt.  Maybe that's enough.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

Mike Tyson, Halls of Fame, and Selective Integrity

Mike Tyson was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame yesterday.  The 2010 class will also include former champions Julio Cesar Chavez, Kostya Tszyu, trainer Ignacio Beristain, referee Joe Cortez, and actor/director Sylvester Stallone. Tyson had a stellar boxing career.  He amassed a 50-6 record with 44 knockouts.  Tyson was the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight title at 20 years old.  I hear kids today talk about an athlete being a "beast."  Tyson was a walking embodiment of the term.  While other boxers came to the ring in shiny robes and colorful trunks, his approach was to intimidate.  He wore black shoes with no socks, black trunks, and a towel with hole cut in the top.  Tyson had no dancing girls, no rappers, singers, or a light show.  He was coming to get you. 

At 12 years old, I was a huge Tyson fan.  HBO would have all of his title fights on.  The video below features what probably is his greatest victory.  On June 27, 1988, Tyson faced Michael Spinks who was still considered by many to be the legitimate heavyweight champion.  Both men were undefeated.  Take a minute or two to view the fight below.  I promise you won't need much more than that (Email subscribers click here).



Spinks never fought again.  Tyson would never be as great again.  As a matter of fact, Tyson's life began to spiral out of control.  He lost the heavyweight crown to Buster Douglas in 1991 and later spent three years in prison on a rape conviction.  Upon his release, he returned to the ring and regained some notoriety.  He finally fought and lost to longtime rival Evander Holyfield in 1996.  Their 1997 rematch showed Tyson biting off a piece of Holyfield's ear.  How was this guy elected to the Hall of Fame?  Why was his integrity and character not questioned?  Other athletes are kept out of various Halls of Fame because of integrity issues.

Pete Rose may never see Cooperstown.  Barry Bonds?  Forget it.  Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are the greatest receivers of this generation, but their attitudes and character will either keep them out of the football Hall of Fame or at least delay their inductions.  Why do we care so much about one athlete's character and not the other?  Is it just human nature to overlook flaws in people we like and over-analyze the ones we don't?  Let's be honest.  People like Mike Tyson.  Barry Bonds may not have a friend outside of his own house if you believe the reports.  Maybe we have preconceived notions about the athlete and excuse certain behaviors based on our own prejudices.

Boxers beat people up.  You can call it the "sweet science", but that's basically what you do.  Throw punches until he falls or you fall.  So, it's not a stretch if they fracture a law or two, right?  Baseball is supposed to be a thinking man's game.  There's a strategy for every situation.  I've heard many baseball games referred to as "chess matches."  Nothing's more cerebral than chess.  Thinking men should know better.  We may never know what the real reason is.  Whatever the case, we must realize that integrity cannot be selective and character cannot be situational.  Be a person of integrity no matter if your arena is the gridiron, diamond, court, hardwood, or squared circle.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

Welcome to SportsmanshipTV

The St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Initiative is proud to bring you this special announcement.  Today marks the official launch of SportsmanshipTV - the 24/7/365 online network dedicated to showing you what sportsmanship is, not just telling you.  Our tagline is "Actions speak louder!"  When you think about it, they really do.  There are examples all over the world of people doing the right thing in sports.  SportsmanshipTV will highlight those events; whenever and wherever they happen.  You will also see video of some people not making the right choices. 

Please understand that we do not seek to glorify bad behavior.  We will use those examples to teach a positive lesson.  One of the best ways to teach someone not to touch a hot stove is to show someone else with a burned hand.  The first video you'll preview here is from the 2010 Coach it Right! Baseball Clinic.  St. Louis University High School baseball coach Steve Nicollerat provides stirring insight into "Why we coach."



SportsmanshipTV is operated on Facebook right now with a YouTube channel in development.  You are encouraged to join us by clicking here.  Videos from the National Sportsmanship Awards, Sportsmanship Brigade, interviews, and more will be available in the coming days and weeks.  Who said there's nothing good on anymore?  We beg to differ.  Welcome to SportsmanshipTV where "Actions speak louder!"  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More

A Letter to Cleveland Fans

Get ready Cleveland fans.  Tonight's the night.  Tonight's the night you can show the world what class and dignity you have as your Cavaliers take on the Miami Heat.  Your display of respect and self-control will send shock waves through the sports world.  Why?  Well, everyone from the NBA league office to the Cleveland P.D. to the sports media expects you to act immature.  They expect you and your friends to behave foolishly.  Reports like the video above (Email subscribers click here) talk about how the Miami Heat kept its travel plans hidden and how the NBA has heightened security.

Give the naysayers something they don't expect.  Instead of exerting energy yelling at and booing LeBron James, try cheering that much louder for the guys in the Cavaliers jerseys.  Be the sixth man tonight for your home team.  Show those guys how much you appreciate them.  All eyes will be on you during the game.  What would it say about the people of Cleveland when James is announced that the world is treated to complete silence from the crowd?  A statement like that would be deafening.  Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol

Read More