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from: samr
subject: “D” not defined as dirty play
Re: “Kings, play some ‘D’ – or earn an ‘F’”
I must admit, shamelessly, that I am a fan of defense. No, it is not the running and gunning style of play that draws me to the game (attributed often to the likes of the Mavericks, and more specifically, the Suns); it is the hard-nosed, in-your-face style of defense that really gets me going.
As a Spurs fan, I have been exposed to this approach almost overwhelmingly so, and I would only be naïve in attributing my preferences to anything but. It is nothing short of poetic that the Spurs use this defensive approach to the game in defense of their third le.
So I understand where you are coming from.
I understand that it creates a certain amount of frustration to see an opponent run to 73-39 halftime lead and conclude with a 122-88 win. In fact, I would be entirely sympathetic if you broke several expensive electronics in response, and to that extent, my empathy allows for a basic level of emotional anger directed towards the Spurs. It is understandable. It is natural. It is logical.
What is not logical, however, is to take that anger onto a public stage.
As a journalist, it is my understanding that you have a certain amount of obligation, both toward your readers and toward your editors, to act in a manner appropriate for a public figure in your position. I am sure you are well aware of your responsibility to rise above the drama and bickering that is typical of the events you cover, and instead to offer a unique and palatable perspective of the event to your reading audience.
Anyone can start a fight. It is the journalist’s job to tell why it happened.
So given your response, I feel I can safely draw a comparison to the parents who involve their children in little league sports for the express purpose of instilling a sense of fairness and humility, then rush the field or attack the officials when a call does not go their way. These actions are thoroughly reprehensible, and in almost all cases, there is absolutely zero evidence to strengthen an argument on the parents’ behalf.
I quote from your article, directly, “The options against the defending world champs are all physically painful, yet given the alternatives, better than anything else that comes to mind….. One would hope that, at least for a night, they could emulate the world champs and make a little noise. Heck, why not "Pop" someone once in a while?”
As an assumingly respectable adult, you should be able to see that there are, in fact, alternatives, albeit ones that may not agree with your preferences.
Parents enroll their children in sports so they can learn that they do not always win, and when they do lose, they learn how to act as adults. They are taught not to throw a bat, or a ball, or an elbow, but instead to give a smile, a nod, and shake hands with their opponent.
It is the game, after all, that draws the children to the field, and fills arenas with fans. It is the compe ion that will forever keep us enamored with professional sports, and by its very definition, we are to expect the occasional loss, and retaliate with further devotion, not physical rebuttal.
Strike three. You’re out. Game over. Time to smile, shake hands, and carry yourself as an adult. Not throw the very elbows our breeding has taught us to avoid.
Normally I would close in, politely, asking her to go to , although it appears she is already in a far, far worse place.
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