An indecent victory, perhaps!

Dennie Quill, Columnist

I imagine that some of the nation's high-school football teams are feeling quite smug about their early successes in the annual daCosta and Manning Cup competitions. Specifically, I refer to the Lucea-based Rusea's team, known as the 'Russians', that brushed aside Green Island with a 10-goal victory and the St George's College kickers who racked up 11 goals against Edith Dalton James from the west.

The question that popped into my head after reading the latest headline about another football team being mauled was this: How much success in victory is too much?

Achievements of teams are quite rightly celebrated for the magnificence of the effort the members must put in to gain success. But I am remembering a time in the Jamaica of yesteryear when Rusea's and St George's College would have been roundly scolded by their headmasters for victories seen as being vaguely indecent, even unsportsmanlike.

Yes, call me old-fashioned and blame me for living in the past. But I know that headlines celebrating 'mauling', 'drubbing', 'hammering' and 'swamping' would have been slightly embarrassing to the winners in the past, as they were always encouraged to remember the lessons about achieving victory with humility and grace and losing with dignity.

Both Rusea's and St George's were up against weak opponents, and as teams that have experienced sustained success over the years, they must have been pretty confident entering these matches.

Humble in victory

Hopefully, the victorious teams did not miss the chance to offer encouragement to their lowly opponents. I was not at any of these matches, but here was an opportunity to demonstrate class and humility, and I trust there was no taunting of the losers. That would have certainly tarnished their fine victories.

Talking of humility in victory, one cannot help reflecting on the behaviour of some of our athletes in the recently concluded World Championships in South Korea. In moments of felicity, we saw examples of exuberant reaction which I found unacceptable. We were exceedingly proud of our team's performance, but we could do without the excessive celebration and blatant disrespect for our national anthem.

Footballers, their fans and those who have become fanatics of the sport, coaches and administrators, may show me the red card for even covering this subject when the winning football teams did nothing wrong. I am going out on a limb here at the risk of ruffling a few feathers by asking this: While they have done nothing wrong, is it sportsmanlike?

We are living in exceptional times when manners, politeness and sportsmanship are in short supply. We have seen also an upsurge in violent and aggressive behaviour on the field of play in various sports. So I have no apology for continuing to salute sportsmanship because I believe even today there is much to be said for demonstrating the spirit of respect on the field. If I have convinced even one person of this, I would have done my duty.

There are certain to be many great games this football season. While we celebrate, let's not forget that the reason sports programmes are promoted in schools is to encourage physical, mental, moral and emotional well-being of the students. In the end, it's simply a game.

Please be advised that all rants and raves are welcome.

Dennie Quill is a veteran media practitioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denniequill@hotmail.com.