Nice guys finish last

 

Nice guys finish last

Watching the Euros on tv has demonstrated the pace, athleticism and technical ability of the top players in Europe. Watching them in action is a sobering reminder of the challenge faced by Scottish clubs when they come up against the better European sides. Not only are these guys super-fit athletes, they also have a firm grasp of the tactical side of the game and do their homework on the opposition. We saw this in the France v Netherlands game were two fine attacking sides essentially cancelled each other out and chances were few and far between.

At this level of competitive football, games can be decided on moments of brilliance or by the sort of forced errors the high pressing, high pressure style of play most teams adopt. Professional sport is about winning and players will seek any advantage they can on the field. It can be frustrating when the play acting starts and players look to have opponents carded for very little. That being said, it is amusing how quickly players who go down as if they’ve been shot get back up when the ref spots their theatrics and doesn’t award a foul.

What place is there in this world of ultra-competitive sport for old fashioned sportsmanship? We have seen examples of it over the years but it is increasingly rare. In football we saw Paolo Di Canio catch the ball when West Ham were in a good attacking position because he saw the Everton keeper, Paul Gerrard was injured. Robbie Fowler was once awarded a penalty for Liverpool but went to the referee and told him that he’d tripped himself and the award was rescinded. In the often brutal world of rugby, Colin Charvis of Wales was knocked out by a tackle in a test match against New Zealand. As play raged on, All Black player, Tana Umaga seeing that Charvis was in trouble, left his position and rushed to his aid. He removed his gum shield, made sure he was breathing and rolled Charvis into the recovery position.

Historically one of the bravest acts of sportsmanship came in the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix. Roger Williamson, a young driver competing in only his second race crashed spectacularly and was trapped in his burning car. David Purley, a fellow competitor saw immediately that Williamson was trapped in the upside-down vehicle and abandoned his car to help. As he desperately tried to push Williamson’s burning car upright, the stewards stood unable to help as they had no fire-resistant clothing. Williamson grabbed a fire extinguisher from one and  emptied it into the blaze in a vain attempt to save his fellow driver. His bravery was recognised by many and he was awarded the George medal.

In the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Lutz Long watched his main competitor for the long jump gold medal foul for the second time. The judge raised his red flag to declare it a no jump. The handsome young German wandered over to the talented American and gave him some advice in front of 110,000 watching fans. ‘You’re jumping too late, try jumping from a few inches further back. You’ll make the qualifying distance no problem so why risk another foul and disqualification?’ It was a very sporting act from Long and he watched the young American take his advice and leap into the final. That young American eventually beat Long to the Gold medal. His name was Jesse Owens and this happened in front of Adolf Hitler. Owens, an African American, was aware of the Nazi’s crackpot racial theories and said afterwards that “It took a lot of courage for Lutz to befriend me in front of Hitler, you can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment.’’ Lutz Long was first to reach Owens when he smashed the World record and won his gold medal. He held Owens arm aloft, recognizing his sporting greatness as the crowd cheered.

Lutz and Owens corresponded after the Olympics and their children remained in touch for years after. Lutz was killed fighting with the Wehrmacht in Sicily in 1943 and lies buried in a war cemetery there with over 5000 other German servicemen. Owen struggled to make a living in the segregated America of the post war years. One of 17 black athletes who competed for the USA at the 1936 Olympics, winning 14 medals, Owens suffered the humiliations and snubs African-Americans dealt with on a regular basis in those days. When he died in 1980 of lung cancer at the age of 66, the US president Jimmy Carter paid him tribute saying, 'Perhaps no athlete better symbolised the human struggle against tyranny, poverty and racial bigotry'.

Leo Durocher was a baseball coach of some repute in the major league of the USA in the years after World War 2. Notoriously bellicose and mouthy ‘Leo the Lip’ was also absolutely ruthless and often ordered his pitchers to hit the batters with the ball deliberately. ‘Nice guys finish last’ was his usual comment when challenged on his approach to baseball. He was loud, brash and a hard drinking coach but when it came to winning he was focussed and determined. He spotted a hugely talented player and was determined to get him into his Dodgers side. The player was Jackie Robinson and his signing caused huge controversy because he was black and the Major Leagues simply didn’t play black players in that era. Durocher was determined to get Robinson into the team and faced down those in his own club who were unhappy with a black player in the dressing room. He told a meeting of his unhappy players with typical bluntness….

 "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays.’

 Was ‘Leo the lip’ right? Do nice guys finish last? I hope we see some sportsmanship at the Euros which reminds us and the youngsters watching, that sport is about more than winning at all costs. We all love those moments of triumph, those winning goals and celebrations, but we recall most fondly of all those players and teams who play the game in the right way. I’d rather watch the Lisbon Lions of 1967 than the Atletico Madrid we saw at Celtic Park in 1974. The Spaniards may have won the tie, but they tarnished the game with their behaviour and history remembers them as thugs. Victory is important, but the manner in which it is achieved is too.  As Jock Stein once said…

 ‘It’s important to win a match but I think what is more important is the manner in which you win it.’   I’ll second that.