New-York tribune., 1921-06-18


than your contributor Dir. Haywood
Broun is in regard to the basis Of
what he describes rs Anglo Saxon ideas
Of sportsmanship.
MT. Broun finds vast appeal in
the idea of applauding and rejoicing
over ones opponents misfortunes in the
course OF game. / wish somebody
would tell me if what he says is really
true, that Americans find most appeal
in those elements in connection with
baseball which, as he puts it, make
baseball something less than the most
sportsmanlike game in the world. Per
sonally | cannot credit it.
"He then proceeds to deride what
he calls the Anglo-Saxon ideal of in
difference in the face of defeat. 1t is
robbing the victor of one of the fruits
of his victory, he says. The victor is
entitled to expect the opportunity to
gioat over his fallen foe, is Mr.. Broun's
idea. he commends, instead Of indif-
ference, such manifestation as smash
ing up ones clubs when ore has lost
at golf.
81 would like to point out to Mr..
Broun thst the foundation of Anglo
Saxon ideas Of sportsmanship, or one
foundation at least, is that the game
is the chief thing, and not the winning
Of it. This rage to win at all costs,
with which Mr. Broun is obviously pos
sessed, is the result of the lamentable
development Of professionalism and
commercialism in games.
"An average Anglo Saxon sportsman
of decent instincts would be terribly
embarrassed to see his defeated op-
ponent overcome with chagrin and
would feel very badly about it. One
of the first principles Of every gentle
man is never to cause another embar-
rassment, and it is not necessary to
say more, except that it seems that
any one who may beat Mr.. Broun at
golf may expect to see him give way
to a disgusting exhibition of temper"
We are afraid that any one who
played golf with US would see dis
gusting exhibition, whether he beat US
or not The Captain, we fear, has not
quite got the idea. Some of it was in
fun, but under that we really meant to
suggest that some Of the ideals which
are put forward as belonging to good
sportsmanship are nothing more than
pcse--and rather snobbish pose at that.
Rooters at the Polo Grounds would
much rather see a game won with a
home run by Babe Ruth than through
q wild throw on the part of the visiting
shortstop. But if the error furnished
the margin of victory it would be rap
turously greeted. 1t would be sheer
affecta tion on the part of the fans to
pretend that they were downhearted
because of the slip by the opposition.
When we were in college somebody
or other started a discussion in one
of the college papers as to whether
baseball player ought to demonstrate
with the umpire and assure him that
he was mistaken if the umpire hap
pened to call him safe when the runner
himself knew that he was out. Quite
q number supported this ideal, which
seemed to US priggish in the extreme.
If it ever came into practice we feel
certain that scores of high-minded
amateurs would insist on being called
out, although actually safe, simply for
the glory of sacrifice. Nor have we
ever been much moved when a tennis
player batted a ball out of court on
purpose to nullify a bad decision on
the part Of an umpire. This seems to
US to make righteousness little too
public and blatant. In fact, if one were
manship to the logical conclusion he
would be obliged to applaud Mile. Leng-
len, who declared airily after her match
with Tilden that she didn't in the least
mind being defeated, because she had
not tried to win. 1t seems to US that it
would have been much more polite on
her part to have cussed little.
The game for the games sake is we'll
enough up to a certain point, but give
US for an opponent in any game the
man who is frank to confess, before
and after, that winning is lots more
fun than losing. With such a man one
can at least speak frankly.
Dr. G. H. Wright writes to the editor
to say that he believes our article on
sports is German propaganda.
Oh, by the by, it suddenly occurs to
us that up to now no book has been
mentioned in to-day's columnl We are
still recommending Sir Harry john
ston's The Man Who Did the Right
Thing (Macmillan) as the best novel
of the season, and to the non-fictionists
we suggest Lytton Strachey's Queen
Victoria (Harcourt, Brace & Coz, which
will be reviewed in The Tribune Maga-
zine tomorrow.
irresponsible and does not represent