Being Thankful for Sportsmanship AND We Need More of It
Happy Thanksgiving from the United States. Thanksgiving is an interesting holiday in that other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving on other days and in different ways. I love that Brazil, for example celebrates Dia de Ação de Graças (Day of Thanksgiving) on the same day as us. It is not an official holiday like ours, but celebrated by many Brazilians nonetheless. Joaquim Nabuco, who was Brazil’s ambassador to the United States in the 1940s was so impressed with Thanksgiving in the United States that he proposed celebrating Dia de Ação de Graças in Brazil.
One of our traditions here in the U.S. is watching football on Thanksgiving. As I was reflecting on Thanksgiving this morning I was reminded of something Knute Rockne wrote: “Sportsmanship is simply a corollary of the Golden Rule. You want to play your best; hence, you take no advantage that will prevent the other fellow from doing the same. You respect him, as you want him to respect you.” Today I am thankful for all those who practice value, practice, and model sportsmanship. We need even more to do so.
In that same piece, Rockne also wrote, “…what the world most needs today is a spirit of sportsmanship among nations…The world needs sportsmanship. The rules of fair play and clean play must be read into international politics and economic relations, if universal peace is to come and to stay.” Whether it is sportsmanship or the Golden Rule, I would agree that we, still today, need more of it in the world today.
As Calvin Coolidge said of Rockne, “Right living and right thinking went into his victories.” I, for one, am thankful that we have Knute Rockne’s example to follow. My Thanksgiving wish is for us all to be more sportsmanlike.
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