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You make the call: The good and bad of sports
We asked Boston.com readers to rank our 10 moments to remember and 10 to forget:
Ten to remember
Luz Long, 1936
US track and field star Jesse Owens foot-faults in his first two attempts to qualify in the broad jump at the Summer Olympics in Berlin, leaving him one last chance to advance. Germany's Luz Long, one of the best in the world in the event, sees Owens's dilemma and tells him: "I will place my towel a foot in front of the foul line and you can use this for your takeoff." The trick works and Owens goes on not only to qualify but to beat out Long for the gold medal. Luz is the first one to greet the winner and, recalled Owens, "we walked arm in arm right in front of Hitler's box. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace." Long is killed in World War II, but Owens later forms a lifelong friendship with Long's son, Kai.
Cornell football team, 1940
Cornell, ranked No. 1 nationally and just two wins from an undefeated season, is in a struggle with 3-4 Dartmouth, trailing by 3-0 late in the game. In a confusing sequence of events at the Dartmouth goal line, Cornell scores the winning touchdown as time expires. But by the next day, evidence proves - and the referee admits - that the Big Red had mistakenly been given five downs. Cornell coach Carl Snavely leaves it up to his players to decide what to do. To the players, there is no debate - they give the victory back to Dartmouth.
Esther Kim, 2000
Kay Poe dislocates her left kneecap before the decisive match at the US Olympic taekwondo trials. Her best friend, Esther Kim, is slated to be her opponent and will certainly win the match and the right to go to Sydney with the US team. But just before the match, Kim bows out, saying Poe is more deserving of the Olympic berth. "I wasn't really throwing my dream away," said Kim. "I was just passing it over to Kay. The ultimate goal in life is ultimate sacrifice and for the first day in my life I felt like a champion that day."
British tandem kayak team, 1992
Competing at the World Kayak Championships in Copenhagen, the Danish paddlers are leading the race when their rudder is damaged while portaging. From behind, the second-place British team sees what has happened but instead of passing by to move into first, the duo stops to help the Danes fix their rudder. In an event that lasts nearly three hours, the act of goodwill costs the Brits the race by 1 second, but wins them the Pierre de Coubertin International Fair Play Trophy, awarded each year since 1964 (when it was first given to Eugenio Monti).
Eugenio Monti, 1964
Italian Eugenio Monti had won many two-man and four-man bobsled world championships but had never won Olympic gold. At the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, he and his partner lead the two-man field when their main competition, the British two-man driven by Tony Nash, faces disqualification because a critical bolt on their sled breaks at the last minute. Upon hearing of this, Monti removes the corresponding bolt from his sled and gives it to Nash, who proceeds to set a course record and win the gold. Monti is rewarded four years later when he wins gold at the '68 Games in Grenoble.
Bjorn Dahelie, 1988
In the Winter Olympics at Nagano, Norwegian cross-country skier Bjorn Daehlie wins the 10-kilometer race for a record sixth gold medal (he would go on to win two more). But instead of going off to celebrate, he waits at the finish line in the cold and falling snow. His purpose? He is waiting to give a hug and a pat on the back to Philip Boit, the first Kenyan to participate in the Winter Games, who finishes last, more than 20 minutes after Daehlie.
Wayne Arthurs, 2001
At the Grand Prix tennis tournament in Lyon, France, Australian Wayne Arthurs is holding match point against Israeli Noam Okun (6-4, 5-7, 6-6, and 8-7 in the tiebreaker). Arthurs serves and charges the net, and Okun hits a passing shot return that lands beyond the baseline. Out. Game, set, and match to Arthurs, intones the umpire. No, says Arthurs. His racket had ticked the ball as he tried to hit it. Nobody other than Arthurs notices, but he promptly rules against himself. A startled Okun wins the last two points to stay in the tournament. Honesty costs Arthurs a minimum of $6,000 in additional prize money, valued computer points, and theoretically a shot at the first prize of $109,000.
Kyle Hitchcock, 2001
Kyle Hitchcock, a 15-year-old from Douglas High School competing in the regional golf championships at Boca Raton Country Club in Florida, shoots a 75. But when he looks at the scoreboard, he sees a 74. He first thinks that maybe the score has been posted incorrectly, but looks at his scorecard and realizes that he had been given a 4 instead of a 5 on the ninth hole, a mistake he hadn't noticed when he signed the card. Despite the fact that his honesty would cost him his medalist honors and his team - including his older brother, a senior playing his last season - a trip to the state championship, he points out the mistake to the officials.
Fred Norris, 1961
Fred Norris, Eino Oksanen, and John (The Younger) Kelley are battling for the lead going into the Newton hills in the Boston Marathon. Kelley suddenly falls when he trips over a stray dog that crosses their path. Norris stops to help up the bruised and bloodied Kelley, even though it ultimately costs Norris second place behind Oksanen. "Fred, I don't know how to thank you," Kelley said afterward.
Cleveland Stroud, 1987
Cleveland Stroud, coach at Rockdale County High School in Georgia, is routinely checking some paperwork for spring sports not long after he and his team had celebrated winning their first state basketball title. The name of a player who is ineligible because of poor grades looks familiar, and Stroud soon realizes the player in question was a junior varsity team member who had been called up and played briefly - 45 seconds, to be exact - during a blowout in the state regionals. Stroud decides he has no choice but to notify state officials, who strip Rockdale of its crown. "The kids took it better than I did," said Stroud.
Ten to forget
Mike Tyson, 1997
Realizing the fight is not going well in his WBA heavyweight title bout with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson bites the ear of his opponent not once but twice during the third round, bringing a halt to the fight and adding to his legend as an out-of-control athlete. Tyson is fined $3 million and has his boxing license suspended for one year by Nevada's boxing commission.
Paulino All-Stars, 2001
The team from the Bronx is the toast of the Little League World Series, particuarly lefthanded pitcher Danny Almonte, who catches eyes across the nation with his overpowering stuff that leads to a perfect game in the Series. But it is soon discovered that Almonte is actually 14 years old - two years beyond the Little League age limit - and that his father had falsified his birth certificate. Almonte is also found to have not played in this country long enough to be eligible for the Series. The two transgressions lead to lifetime Little League bans for his father, Felipe, and his coach, Rolando Paulino, who had been accused in the past of using ineligible players.
Woody Hayes, 1978
Clemson's Charlie Bauman intercepts an Art Schlichter pass with 1:59 left in the Gator Bowl to clinch a 17-15 victory over Ohio State. The interception occurs just in front of the Ohio State bench, prompting frustrated Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes to jump out and punch Bauman in the throat. Hayes, who had coached Ohio State to five national titles in a 28-year career at the school, is fired as a result of the incident.
Dale Hunter, 1993
During a Stanley Cup playoff series between Washington and the New York Islanders, Pierre Turgeon steals the puck from the Capitals' Dale Hunter and goes in to score for a 5-1 lead. As a celebrating Turgeon circles nears the boards with arms raised, Hunter comes up from behind and smashes Turgeon to the ice. Turgeon suffers a separated shoulder. Hunter receives a 21-game suspension and $150,000 fine.
James Butler, 2001
Middleweight boxer Richard Grant, having just won a 10-round unanimous decision, approaches opponent James Butler with his arms outstretched to give Butler a post-fight hug. Butler, having already removed his gloves, responds with a bare-fisted sucker punch to Grant's jaw. Butler is suspended indefinitely by the New York State Athletic Commission and faces a second-degree assault charge.
Bill Laimbeer, 1987
In Game 3 of the Celtics-Pistons playoff series, Larry Bird and the Celtics are struggling on offense when Bird can't get a shot off from under the basket as the 24-second clock runs out. But that doesn't stop Pistons center/bad boy Bill Laimbeer (of whom Kurt Rambis once said, "I think his mother and father like him, but I'd have to verify that") from whipping his arm across Bird's face/throat and slamming the Celtics star to the floor. In the ensuing melee, Bird fires the ball at Laimbeer's head. The league fines Laimbeer $5,000 and Bird $2,000.
Boris Onischenko, 1976
During the modern pentathlon at the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Boris Onischenko rigs his fencing sword with a push-button to register false touches. After he is unmasked, the favored Soviet Union is booted out of the team competition and Onischenko is dubbed "Dis-Onischenko."
Bill Romanowski, 1997
In a "Monday Night Football" game with San Francisco, Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski spits on 49ers wide receiver J.J. Stokes during an argument. Stokes is angry after accusing Romanowski of grabbing him in the groin during a pileup, and "I got up and really got in his face," says Stokes, "and then he spit on me right in front of the ref." Romanowski is not penalized in the game but is later fined $7,500.
Izzy Alcantara, 2001
Red Sox minor leaguer Izzy Alcantara, playing for Pawtucket, comes to the plate against Scranton Wilkes-Barre pitcher Blas Cedeno, against whom Alcantara had twice homered earlier in the season. Having been hit by another Scranton pitcher following a home run earlier in the season, Alcantara reacts to a close Cedeno pitch by first kicking Scranton catcher Jeremy Salazar in the shoulder, then charging the mound. Alcantara is fined $450 and suspended for six games.
Terrell Owens, 2000
In a regular season game in Dallas, 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens twice runs out to midfield after scoring touchdowns to slam the ball down on the Cowboys logo. The second time around, he is slammed down from behind by the Cowboys' George Teague. Owens is suspended for one week by his coach, Steve Mariucci, who prefers Owens "go into the end zone like he's been there before."
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"There's something to be said for when you battle the hell out of each other in the playoff series and you line up at the end and shake hands. I battled Dean Evason early in my career every night against the Hartford Whalers and we went to play in the world championships [on the same team] and we walked into the locker room, looked at each other and laughed."
Don Sweeney
Defenseman, Bruins
"My 7-year-old son, Michael, lost a mites championship game. All the kids were crying, complaining about the officiating. He was there next to a kid saying, 'Did you have fun?' "
Ron Francis
Center, Carolina Hurricanes
"In a state [soccer] final, I hurt my ankle. The goalie of the opposing team was yelling to get the refs to stop play. She came over and helped me. I really appreciated her concern."
Jaclyn Quinn
Senior, Watertown High
"I think sportsmanship means that you should be able to go 100 miles an hour and hit someone in the face, as many times as you want to, and be able to get up and shake him in the hand and stare him in the face when you're done with it."
Jeff Lageman
Former New York Jet
"I've watched Nebraska football games about four times. When they lose, which isn't very often, the fans actually stand up and applaud the opponents. And the team shakes their hands. It's very moving."
Ben Crenshaw
Pro golfer
"There's a few instances where referees and umpires have been hit and spit on. If you're going after someone who made a call ... hell, he saw what he saw."
Grey Ruegamer
New England Patriots
"A bad sport would take his negative energy out on his opponent by yelling at him or starting a fight."
Jeffrey Nicksa
Grade 5, Wellesley
"As we were warming up and running around the field before a [soccer] playoff game, the opposing coach told his team to line up and shoot balls at us as we crossed by their net. Not a very sportsmanlike thing to do, but nonetheless it got us pumped and we won the game."
Patrick Rowe
Senior, Duxbury High
"[Bad sportsmanship is] seeing athletes thinking they're better than the game, that they have some sense of entitlement because of who they are. Spitting, calling attention to themselves, and taking away from the team in a negative way."
Ted Johnson
New England Patriots
"It was embarrassing because I was part of it [when playing with the Eagles], even if it was only by association. [Michael] Irvin was injured, the stretcher came out, and the [Philadelphia] crowd started cheering. On the sidelines, I was sick to my stomach. We won the game, and it was the first time we'd beaten them [the Cowboys]. It tarnished the victory. I didn't feel like celebrating."
Charles Johnson
New England Patriots
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