The Anatomy of The Virus

By Jack Furlong

Founder/President/CEO

Have you ever wondered how poor sportsmanship spreads?
 
There are many ways that incidents of poor sportsmanship can be incubated because there are many minute corners of human psychology that can breed the behavior.  Like the common cold, it’s impossible to cure, but it’s easy to prevent the spread.  The issue is that, also like the common cold, it’s more lucrative to spread it (and treat it) than it is to cure it.
 
What’s interesting about it, though, is that poor sportsmanship seems to spread a bit easier when there’s more than one person cultivating the virus.
 
Consider a recent game when the New York Yankees were visiting the Los Angeles Angels.  As the game went into extra innings, the Yankees put up a crooked number to take a five-run lead in the 10th.  The Yankees took the field looking to secure three outs and finish the game.  However, a check-swing by Angels batter Vaughn Grissom was upheld by first base umpire Junior Valentine, and many parties representing the Yankees went nuts because they disagreed with the call.
 
Yankees manager Aaron Boone left the dugout to argue with Valentine, who promptly informed Boone he needed to stop and return to the dugout or risk ejection.  Boone ignored this warning, and Valentine tossed Boone.  During the ensuring argument, Yankees color commentator (and lauded outfielder) Paul O’Neill took the opportunity to critique Valentine, likening the protocol to that of a parent talking to a five-year-old child.  The diatribe was akin to a meltdown in family therapy instead of anything that could be construed as a positive contribution to the television broadcast.
 
Interestingly enough, in real time, neither television network was able to show a replay of the check-swing in question.  No official word was provided as to why there was no appropriate angle that could be shown to the viewers at home, but at the time, it appeared questionable that applicable evidence could not be shown from any side view.
 
Finally, it was revealed that Aaron Boone did not fully heed the ejection levied by Junior Valentine.  Boone was seen on camera hiding in the corridor leading up to the dugout, eventually leaving, but staying long enough that cameras noticed it and commentators discussed it.
 
(What’s also interesting is the double standard that exists regarding the check-swing.  In baseball, the umpire manual dictates that the plate umpire has the primary responsibility to determine whether a batter swung at a pitch.  However, if the plate umpire calls the pitch a ball and does not adjudicate that the batter swung at the pitch, the defense is allowed to ask for an appeal from the applicable base umpire.  Ironically, O’Neill has been one of the largest proponents campaigning against the original basic mechanic, claiming it is impossible for the plate umpire to watch the pitch and the swing at the same time, thus necessitating that an umpire over 90 feet away should be required to make the call.  In this example, Boone not only argued that Valentine didn’t make the proper call, but that home plate umpire Dillon Wilson should have made the call.  A quick search of the archives actually shows a plethora of examples where Boone and the Yankees hypocritically argued the opposite, only to result in an ejection.)
 
The totality of such an example (and the conglomerate of participants) demonstrates how easy it is to spread the virus of poor sportsmanship.  When even a small number of people inadvertently band together, it’s easy to reinforce the incorrect message, allowing it to infect innocent viewers and bystanders, especially those who may not be attuned to the ease of transmission of such a plague.
 
In the above example, even one change to the formula could spark the antidote needed to prevent the spread.  A stern rebuke from Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay towards O’Neill could have diffused the entire pandemic potential.  An apology from O’Neill could have changed the tenor of the entire situation.  The proper exodus of Boone could have fully eliminated one of the stilts supporting this specific incident.  The networks showing a replay that they somehow didn’t have could have sparked the brains of certain viewers to make their own determination regarding the validity of the swing.  And yet, unbeknownst to all these people, they all worked together to reinforce the subconscious impression that acting in these ways is acceptable and, perhaps, encouraged.
 
This is one of the major ways that poor sportsmanship spreads.  The poor behavior by someone on the field is then echoed by someone in the broadcast booth, and the network doesn’t have the ability to refute it in real time.  It’s one of the easiest examples of, “I saw it on television, so I guess it’s cool to act that way.”
 
If only the cure was as simple as asking these people to change.  News flash:  that ain’t happening.  Instead, we need to protect ourselves.  To vaccinate ourselves from this virus, we can stay informed and rise above the noise.  We can remind ourselves that we can’t act like petulant children when things don’t go our way.  We can take the time to understand the minutia of each rule as we consume a game, ultimately making us well-informed (and better) fans.  We can choose not to act these ways when we are in the middle of competition simply because we saw it on television and believe we can mimic it.