An old sporting argument – good for many lovely hours of intense discussion and fervent argument – surfaces every now and then: Is winning everything? Or does sportsmanship and “playing the game” come first?
Students of cricket will remember way back in 1981 in a one day International played between New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand batting, one ball to go, six runs to win, how Greg Chappell, captain of Australia, went over to his brother Trevor and instructed him to bowl the ball underhand, along the ground. Even Viv Richards couldn’t hit a six then! Australia won. Pandemonium then ensued. The Prime Minister of New Zealand said Chappell was a coward. The Prime Minister of Australia said he was terribly sorry about what happened. The sports journalists had a field day and the headlines were full of sound and fury. Greg Chappell said he was very, very contrite indeed and he would never, never do it again. Only the scorebook, recording a victory for Australia, made no comment.
What really is the answer? Consider the contrasting behaviour of great champions in a past era. Consider, for instance, Arthur Ashe, the marvelous American tennis champion of the 1970s and then compare him with his compatriot John McEnroe. On the one hand, Ashe – modest, good-natured, articulate, impeccably mannered. On the other hand, McEnroe – temperamental, aggressively egotistical, often obscene – an example of bad sportsmanship and bad manners on court. Yet they are both in the category of very great champions.
