Should Sports do More to Enforce Good Sportsmanship?

[Panthers128]

Lately I'm getting quite bothered with players disrespecting the game and two incidents stand out in my mind in the past week or so.

-Kemba Walker flops in a dead ball situation as players are walking back to the bench to get a technical call.

-Carmelo Anthony shoves Jason Richardson to the floor on the fast break so he can't get back on offense.

Please do not let thugs ruin sports any more than they already have. These types of plays I can understand being looked over in games, but a sportsmanship committee in each sport should review these types of situations and enforce punishments afterward.

Also the incidents with players tripping guys out of bounds in the NFL this season comes to mind.

This stuff is ridiculous and has to be cleaned up and the worst part is both Kemba Walker and Carmelo Anthony defended their actions after the games...

Not only do they have no respect for the game but they are liars and proud cheaters.

[lightsout]

Proud cheaters? Who isn't? Bill Belichick is. Barry Bonds. Sammy Sosa. Mark McGwire. Lance Armstrong. They all cheat. It's just that there are some who do it out in the open and then there the ones who do it behind closed doors. The latter get in trouble. Don't like cheating in sports, don't watch. It aint gonna get any better.

[bleys]

there are always going to be a few bad seeds.. Pointing out the very few is hardly showing that the majority of sports are on some huge downward spiral as if sportsmanship is hanging in the balance.

Kemba Walker flopping is hardly considered "thug behavior". That term gets thrown around too much and couldn't be further from the truth.

I view what Kemba Walker did as more trying to get in someone's head, and completely different than pushing someone down or tripping them.

I mean, what's next? Claiming Kobe Bryant is a bad sport for shooting baskets for an hour and a half after losing to the Heat in their house?

[Purity-Control]

Sportsmanship is a form of morality or lack there of.

And you can't legislate morality.

[CarolinaKid704]

Until EVERYONE gets a trophy and a Championship banner I won't be happy.

[g5jamz]

Drives me crazy.

Watch most NCAA games and watch the arms go up on "who it was out on" despite the fact you KNOW and we know it all went out on you.

Doubtful my kids will ever be professional athletes, but I'll damned sure make sure they're honest and call them on it when they're not.

[PanthaSan]

Sportsmanship is a form of morality or lack there of.

And you can't legislate morality.

There are some that try to do it, tho....bastages!

[mmmbeans]

you don't have to legislate morality if you have a society that values it.

[tarheelblue89]

In no way shape or form what Kemba did, "thugish". Nor is it bad sportmanship, it's a smart player that saw an opportunity and took it. How about laying some blame on the officials that called it. It was a smart play by a smart player. It is called flopping, you see in the every contact sport. Might as well call every NBA player a thug.

[Mr. Scot]

Sportsmanship is a form of morality or lack there of.

And you can't legislate morality.

I was gonna say "rules can't change attitudes" but you beat me to it.

You can encourage good sportsmanship, and you can penalize displays of bad. Enforce, though? Not really.

[g5jamz]

NHL calls embellishment penalties.

Other sports should too. Starting with soccer.

[Mr. Scot]

Starting with soccer.

There'd be tons of 'em.

Those guys flop in the face of a stiff breeze.

[Panthers128]

In no way shape or form what Kemba did, "thugish". Nor is it bad sportmanship, it's a smart player that saw an opportunity and took it. How about laying some blame on the officials that called it. It was a smart play by a smart player. It is called flopping, you see in the every contact sport. Might as well call every NBA player a thug.

I think the fact he did it during a dead ball situation is what makes it so bad. It's one thing to flop when a player is backing you into the post but to do it when guys are walking back to their bench?

Come on...

[tarheelblue89]

I think the fact he did it during a dead ball situation is what makes it so bad. It's one thing to flop when a player is backing you into the post but to do it when guys are walking back to their bench?

Come on...

Yea, I see where you are coming from. But I'm not gonna knock him for doing it when he succeeded.