Unsportsmanlike Conduct

I went to my first St. Louis Blues hockey game tonight.  It was a pretty good game with the Blues scoring early, falling behind in the 2nd period, and then rallying to win 3-2 at the end.  Way to go, Blues!

Here's what I found interesting:  at 16:08 in the 2nd period, Blues player David Backes is given a 2 minute roughing penalty, and Red Wings player Mikael Samuelsson is given a 2 minute 'unsportsmanlike conduct' penalty.  What precipitated the penalties isn't the interesting part.  It's the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  And for a couple of reasons.

First, it's hockey.  When has hockey ever been about sportsmanlike conduct?  In fact, one could argue that the reason hockey is as popular as it is has more to do with the fights than it does the skill of the game.  Here's when the crowd was on it's feet: when the Blues scored, and any time a fight broke out or seemed like it was going to break out.  It's like car racing - so many people watch car racing for the accidents.  However, having been to several races, I can attest that a majority of the crowd is standing for the majority of the race.  Even when wrecks aren't pending.  Anyway, back to the point.  I think, for many, 'unsportsmanlike conduct' and 'hockey' are synonymous.

Second, why do we continue to operate under the delusion that professional sports has anything to do with the players conducting themselves in a sportsmanlike manner?  We don't want to see the players play fair and abide by the rules.  We want to see them flaunt the rules (but not too much, granted), we want to see teams continuously push the boundaries.  We complain about athletes using steroids, but wonder how boring sports would be without the drugs.  We no longer desire our athletes to be role models (although we say we do), we just want them to entertain us.  They truly have become the gladiators of the modern age.

The more they flaunt the rules, live immorally, flash the wealth we give them in our faces, the more we reward their behavior.  What message does this send our children?  What message does this send our adolescent athlete heroes (that's right - many of our professional athletes are still adolescents - and making more than most of us reading this blog will ever see in our entire life)?  A buddy of mine from seminary, and still one of my best friends, has been the chaplain for the Orlando Magic for the past several years and talked with me often about how we have these 20 year olds making millions with girls throwing themselves at their feet.  Even if they did have a frame of reference for how to handle that kind of wealth and debauchery, how long could one hold out?

No, we lost the 'sportsmanlike conduct' aspect of sports a long time ago.  Sports as a tool for teaching children and adolescents how to work with others; to develop skills, abilities and self-confidence; to learn how to handle both success and defeat has been lost.  It's now about the entertainment, it's about the wins and the trophies, it's about the money and the glory.

And it makes me sad.  What are we doing to ourselves?

"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?"

- Maximus, Gladiator

Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 

- 2 Timothy 2:5