2008 Woodie Awards
Across the pond
Adam Clayton
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports
Throughout the course of human history, politicians and philosophers have often defined social and political interaction in terms of struggle.
For sports, the value of struggle in the appeal and importance of a game cannot be underestimated. Particularly in the modern era, the promotion of competition and the singular importance of winning have been elevated at the expense of honesty, sportsmanship and the quality of the game.
In football, instances of the sacrifice between appeal and efficiency reflect wider differences that exist across cultures. Spanish football is often deemed the most beautiful, and South American players considered the main proponents of "the beautiful game." In contrast, the passions of the English game are often seen in the intensity and "winning mentality" of the players on the pitch. That isn't to say Spanish football suffers from a lack of passion or determination - it just manifests itself in a different way.
Fans of Madrid and Barcelona, rather, demand competitive success from their team, but that isn't enough - they also have to awe the fans. Certain English teams, however, are content to play the most efficient game they can - one reason of several that I despise Liverpool (they're really boring to watch).
However, most recently I thought of this because of one of the most controversial tactics in basketball today - the hack-a-Shaq technique. For those unaware of the strategy, it involves opposing teams intentionally fouling Shaq whenever Phoenix (not necessarily Shaq) has the ball, and using players they don't care about to do it. Shaq, the most dominant player until a couple years ago, has set records in basketball for the number of hugs received over the course of a game, which can draw a foul while not making the big man knock you to the floor. The motivation for this lies in the fact that Shaq cannot shoot free throws, and thus, letting him take them is safer than allowing the rest of the team to take shots in open play.
For sports, the value of struggle in the appeal and importance of a game cannot be underestimated. Particularly in the modern era, the promotion of competition and the singular importance of winning have been elevated at the expense of honesty, sportsmanship and the quality of the game.
In football, instances of the sacrifice between appeal and efficiency reflect wider differences that exist across cultures. Spanish football is often deemed the most beautiful, and South American players considered the main proponents of "the beautiful game." In contrast, the passions of the English game are often seen in the intensity and "winning mentality" of the players on the pitch. That isn't to say Spanish football suffers from a lack of passion or determination - it just manifests itself in a different way.
Fans of Madrid and Barcelona, rather, demand competitive success from their team, but that isn't enough - they also have to awe the fans. Certain English teams, however, are content to play the most efficient game they can - one reason of several that I despise Liverpool (they're really boring to watch).
However, most recently I thought of this because of one of the most controversial tactics in basketball today - the hack-a-Shaq technique. For those unaware of the strategy, it involves opposing teams intentionally fouling Shaq whenever Phoenix (not necessarily Shaq) has the ball, and using players they don't care about to do it. Shaq, the most dominant player until a couple years ago, has set records in basketball for the number of hugs received over the course of a game, which can draw a foul while not making the big man knock you to the floor. The motivation for this lies in the fact that Shaq cannot shoot free throws, and thus, letting him take them is safer than allowing the rest of the team to take shots in open play.
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