SJDinPHX said:
Totally agree with all 5 points...I would just add a 6th point...I think a man should always be able to go back to wherever he's been...Not saying he needs to win a popularity contest, but I think a few of the best players, (of any era) had some serious character flaws... I don't think that someone, who would "toss their mother" should be held in high esteem, no matter how good they played...At any rate, for me, that will always affect the way I percieve them as true "legends" of the game.
PS..To me, thats far worse than what Canseco, Bond's and Clemen's, (or Rose for that matter) did to baseball. "Dumping" represents a a totally different kind of cheating.
Dick,
Your number 6 is not very comparable to other sports. Ty Cobb is a legend on par with the best but he was a mean-spirited, racist jerk that fought with teammates and the general public alike. Near the end he said that he wished he had more friends. I'll bet Babe Ruth never had to think that.
Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan never stood for anything or voiced views in public that could possibly prevent them from making more money. To me those are character flaws. Maybe not on par with some but important nonetheless. Tiger's flaws have been shown recently, he is a liar and a man of poor character. Michael Jordan retired the first time to avoid being the target of a gambling scandal, if memory serves.
Love him or hate him, Muhammad Ali stood by his beliefs at tremendous costs to himself. I respect what he did even as many hate him for his views. He had the character to stand up for what he thought was right. If people like Ali didn't make the sacrifices they did, we might still be in Vietnam instead of my new Rockport shoes having been made there
. He gave up 3 years in his prime for what he believed was right. I can't think of another athlete today that has even voiced opinions much less backed them up.
The baseball players who used drugs to gain an advantage cheated at their sport. It's that simple. They cheated and then lied to cover it up, compounding the crime, as it were.
Pete Rose did the one big no-no in baseball. He bet on his team and also did it when he managed them. He is a man of extremely low character. He also lied for a long time before finally telling the truth, and then he only did it(told the truth) so he might have a chance at being returned to the fold. But some love him and want him in the HOF.
All in all, I'd say that character is important but it seems that we overlook flaws when the guy plays for our team. Those very same flaws are sometimes responsible for the player playing great. McEnroe's serious(personality) flaws on a tennis court probably helped make him one of the best ever, unfortunately. Bjorn Borg never said a word to an umpire(or a cameraman) and played just as good, on grass anyway
.
For poolplayers it seems the best ones have serious character flaws, or they wouldn't be poolplayers. That's not hard to figure out. Because there is no money in pool, players have at times resorted to business to get by. That's a shame all around. It's also never right. Cheating is cheating.
Character flaws always seem to ooze out in other ways, but they do always show through in the end. To me, having character is more important than winning. I can still feel good if I lose but showed character in doing so.
Dennis