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When is the Australian sporting public going to show some moral fibre and be selective about who and what they support? I refer in particular to the Australian cricket team.
Ho hum to the Lombardi attitude that “winning isn’t the main thing, it is the only thing.” Sport is sport, and a significant part of sport is supposed to involve a sporting attitude.
What a petty, bullying, spoilt-brat impression it gives, then, to see fast bowler James Pattinson elbowing, standing over, glaring at, and trying to dominate the shorter opposition batsmen.
If he tried that at an ordinary park without the protection afforded by the spotlight, one could easily guess what he would get for his troubles.
All this tripe about dominating and unsettling an opponent is just that – tripe. Beat the opponent by skill, or else bugger off. Try your best to win, but be able to applaud and enjoy your opponent’s triumphs. The game should be enjoyed.
That is what sport is. When other teams do something that we don’t like, how we squeal. Why doesn’t Pattinson have to face up to his behaviour and face a fine or a suspension? It doesn’t matter what effect that would have on the outcome of the next game.
If your child behaved like that in juniors, would you allow it? Would you not care? Or would you correct them?
For my part, a bowler running up the other end of the pitch in his follow through and getting in the batsman’s way is not tough or smart, it is cheating and not acceptable sporting behaviour.
I’d be worried about the chances of a collision, especially when there is a bat handle and people’s ribs involved. Either party could get hurt. Also unacceptable is sledging, especially when the batsman is about to face a ball.
My own attitude on sledging is to level the playing field. If you allow it, then allow the kind of physical retaliation that would happen on a football field. If you can’t do that, then get rid of it altogether.
I urge everyone to support good sport when they see it, as opposed to the shallow attitude of only being interested in winning regardless of all else.
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