Sportmanship?

I found the following description of sport quite applicable to F1:

"Serious sport has nothing to do with fairplay. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness and a total disregard of all the rules"

George Orwell.

 

If you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin'

 

With the amount of money involved, I am not surprised that people take risks to do what they need to win.

F1 is a business, not a sport.

 

I would think this statement applies to all professional "sports". Collegiate or amatuer rankings are better described as sports. Example, more fun to watch a college football game, than an NFL game.

 

Nothing like hanging out with 90,000 of your closest friends at Ben Hill!

 

Same deal with 109,061 of my buds:


http://smokeys-trail.com/best-stadium.html

 

Sportsmanship in F1 died at Suzuka in 1990.

 

If you want the discussion to go that way sportsmanship died in Suzuka ’89 and was confirmed dead by Jean-Marie Balestre just after qualifying in Suzuka ’90.

 

Everyone knows there's an inverse relationship between sportsmanship and what's at stake. F1 just happens to add the elements of glamour, ego and exotic destinations.

 

+1

 

I find it ironic that in a site full of apologists for Michael Schumacher's on-track antics, there is actually a thread criticizing NASCAR teams for cheating.

 

It's not enough of either for the partisans of each: Too much elemental competition for the sporting entertainment types, too profit driven for real racing fans.

 

A rookie mistake, you assume facts not in evidence.

 

...Some would say Brands Hatch in 1976.

 

Amusing comment, coming from a guy who routinely makes sweeping generalizations that are demonstrably incorrect...

 

Some would say the day Schumacher entered F1...

 

... and some would say when Senna entered F1

But if you think about this more it's probably when Brabham entered F1, as he won many races by driving the widest car ever built. Morally that is not right.

Anyway it most definitely has gone down hill massively since the late 70's IMO.
Pete

 

...Yes, your bias has been noted.

 

Yes, I agree 100%. Pro sports (with exceptions like the superbowl) lacks a lot of the heart that the college teams play with.

 

Ok, not every single F1 thread has to turn into a Schumi bashing and/or supporting war. We all understand you think MS is closely related to the Devil, but come on, we don't need to hear it all the time. Nor do we need to hear how Senna did the same things. For the most part we all know the history and can decide for ourselves who to like and who not to.

Mark

 

YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!! It's as simple as that. Sportsmanship lasts until high school level, after that the games having meaning: college scholarships, millions of dollars etc. Schumacher did what he did because he wanted to win, you can't blame him for it. He had the biggest desire to win and did what was necessary. Sportsmanship exists at a youth level of competition to teach lessons and morals to children, after that its a free for all.

YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMk5sMHj58I

 

So, you justify cheating?

 

...Who will you nominate to mindlessly revile this season, now that your beloved whipping boy is no longer active?

 

Other than you?

 

I don't justify cheating, especially steroids. I do justify giving yourself the best possible chance of winning even if it involves bending the rules.