What has happened to good sportsmanship?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....-Euro-2012-final.html

Well after watching the Final last night, and seeing some players response at defeat made me wonder what has happened to good sportsmanship?

I along with others must have witnessed a certain player storm off in a huff, and players openly crying, that's not to mention the hugging and kissing earlier when one had scored a goal.

In my youth we never saw such things, wouldn't it have been a nice gesture for both sides, the winners and the loses to have come together for a group photo shoot?

[MoonRocker]

say in your best Windsor Davies, ain't half hot mum voice:
"cos they is all a bunch of poofs"!

[quizzywig]

Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst would never have gone around kissing other players when a goal was scored - it was a 'well done' and a hearty slap on the back!

[MoonRocker]

It's all to do with their names apparently:
http://bigrab.wordpre...s-like-library-books/

[sunny-dave]

It's football AoG - played by overpaid hairdressers-assistants most of whom have all the natural charm and good manners of a bunch of self obsessed baboons ...

[sunny-dave]

< apologies to all our baboon readers >

[Sqad]

MoonRocker

"cos they is all a bunch of poofs"!

LOL

We have drifted into a generation of exhibitionists, note the dead flowers by the roadside of an accident victim, the bloody great stork in the front garden with the message "Dale arrived 8.30 today 5 lbs 2 ozs"...the photograph on trees celebrating someone;'s birthday.

This is a different era, manifested by exhibitionists.

[FredPuli43]

That's the spirit. Stiff upper lip, and a brief handshake ! I blame the foreigners. And moderrn thinking, which is that it's psychologically damaging to hide emotion, in the traditional British manner, so now crying and theatrical displays of exuberance have become normal. And now the exuberant display is done as showmanship, with signature celebrations, mimes, and even choreographed team displays, to a grand an excessive degree.

But the 'huff' belonged to Balotelli, who never celebrates a goal he scores, famously remarking that you don't see the postman celebrating on delivering a letter, because it's his job, and scoring goals is his. And the world's best, Lionel Messi, is another who seems to have that attitude. He looks embarrassed by team mates rushing over and jumping on him when he scores.

[jno]

I seldom read baboons when I can see a copy of Hello! at my style counsellor's office.

[anotheoldgit]

FredPuli43

/// But the 'huff' belonged to Balotelli, who never celebrates a goal he scores, famously remarking that you don't see the postman celebrating on delivering a letter, because it's his job, and scoring goals is his. ///

And I never see our postman remove his shirt when he delivers my mail.

[sunny-dave]

Yellow Card at the ready if he does AoG :)

[AB Editor]

"And I never see our postman remove his shirt when he delivers my mail."

He might do if it was a cracker from 30 yards. That, or a "Klingsman" through the hydrangea beds...

Squad's sentiments are spot on. I find public displays such as that stomach-turning.

[anotheoldgit]

AB Editor

/// He might do if it was a cracker from 30 yards. That, or a "Klingsman" through the hydrangea beds...///

If anyone interfered with my hydrangeas, I might not take my shirt off, but I would certainly be rolling its sleeves up.

[anotheoldgit]

Ah, I remember the days when the crowd would clap if a goalkeeper managed to send his goal kick over the centre line.

These days they can even kick it over the opposing goal, and well into the stand behind.

[ichkeria]

I thought the sportsmanship displayed at the end was pretty impressive, especially for a football match.
The Spanish team lined up and applauded their opponents off the field. Balotelli went off in a huff but came back again.

[vodkancoke]

The hugging and kissing is the norm in Spain and Italy. My Italian male family members and friends kiss each other on the cheek. It's just how it is over there.

Balotelli's huff was a bit off but he came back, and I thought both teams acted very well after Spain won. The Italians congratulated them and the Spaniards commiserated the Italians.

[vodkancoke]

Sorry "commiserated" was bad English i think! You know what I mean though! lol

[DTCwordfan]

"Jolly good show, Old Boy. Now what about a bit of soap play in the showers?"

[FredPuli43]

Never seen a goalkeeper kicking the ball over the other goal, into the stands, aog. Which team do you watch? I can assure you that Colchester's goalie will never achieve it. Pat Jennings did score a goal which was near but wind assisted.

Years ago, when men were men, the leather balls soon got heavy in the wet, dubbin or no dubbin, and it was an effort to kick them anywhere, and heading them was a way to brain damage ! Nat Lofthouse's family got a claim home on the grounds that he had suffered injury from heading the ball over years.

[seadogg]

and the old soccer boots were dead clumsy and if you ran in them you were soon puffing, but at least you weren't poofing!