Sportsmanship is what makes sports worth playing.

1. Sportsmanship
By: Fernando Montalban

2. Sportsmanship is a polite behavior by athletes, coaches, and fans during a competition, it is playing fair, it
is respecting all people involved. In doing this, good athletes excel both on and off the field.

3. ETHICS: Owners &Coaches
The Good Side
• Terry Francona showed the community what sportsmanship is all
about. Current Red Sox coach, John Farrell, found out he had
lymphoma and needed chemotherapy treatment. Terry Francona,
former Red Sox coach and current coach of the Cleveland Indians,
told Farrell he was going with him for his first treatment. This is
friendship, integrity, respect, the list could go on. In an article from
ESPN Francona was quoted as saying, “Because in this game, you run
into so many good people and so many friends, and then there’s a
handful of people that are friends not in baseball, but outside of
baseball. And he’s certainly one of those for me.”

4. ETHICS: Owners & Coaches
The Bad Side
• The girlfriend of Donald Sterling, owner of the LA Clippers, released a
video that showed racial remarks that the NBA would not tolerate.
The new Commissioner, Adam Silver, band Sterling from the NBA for a
lifetime and requested his sale of the team. Sterling was racist,
disrespectful to players, coaches, and African-American people all
over. He displayed one of the worst cases of sportsmanship by an
owner of a diverse team that I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.

5. Health & Safety
When a player is injured, the necessary
precautions need to be taken. Safety
protocol is put in place to protect the athlete
and should be enforced no matter what the
situation is.

6. Health & Safety
In an ESPN article about Jacoby Ellsbury, it stated how he was
hurt and it was shrugged off by medical staff as a minor injury.
In reality, after getting not one, but two MRI’s, he was found to
have 5 fractured ribs. He also had injured nerves and muscles
surrounding the ribs due to not be diagnosed properly and
overcompensation. The fact the medical staff outright refused
to give him and MRI for a “bruise” is ridiculous and something
should have been done to the staff involved. This is another
clear example of an injury that was taken seriously by the
proper staff which could have resulted in something way more
severe. On top of the fact that he was misdiagnosed, people
jumped to conclusions about his playing ability because there
was no real proof of injury at the beginning. This is an
unethical injustice all the way around the board.

7. Athletes & Community
Professional athletes are looked up to by
youth athletes everyday. It is important for
them to show sportsmanship on and off the
field. They are constantly in the public eye so
everything they do and say is a open book.
David Beckham uses his money to support
numerous different charities including
UNICEF, The Red Cross, and Peace One Day.

8. Athletes & Community
Tamika Catchings is a woman’s
basketball player who recently retired
after playing all 15 years with the
Indiana Fever in the WNBA. She is
hearing impaired and knows what it is
like to be bullied. Tamika runs a
foundation called Catch the Stars,
where she focuses on self-esteem,
fitness, literacy, and mentoring youth.
She supports numerous different
programs throughout Indianapolis by
volunteering her time and giving
financial support.

9. Fan Behavior
Having fans can be a great motivator
for athletes. In Green Bay, when a
touchdown is made, the player does
the Lambeau Leap, which is when they
jump onto the wall right with their
fans. What is better than having your
favorite receiver in your face after
scoring for your favorite team?

10. Fan Behavior
Sometimes fans take it to another level
though, and this can be a distraction to the
team. If fans keep it respectful there is good
spirit all the way around. When fans turn
disrespectful, it takes away from the game.

11. Conclusion
• I do believe that sports ethics will improve because new rules are
put in place every year to make the players safer and punishments
for bad behavior more severe. At the beginning of most athletic
events an announcer reminds all the players, coaches, and fans to
be respectful. I am confident with the new rules in place and the
pressure for good conduct, that sportsmanship can only get
better. As people learn to have respect for others, sports will
become a fun family outing for all to enjoy.