For coaches looking to teach their athletes about the importance of sportsmanship, this weekend was a major step backward. Serena Williams lost her cool at the U.S. Open on Saturday, then on Monday Roger Federer did the same. Michael Jordan left a lasting blemish by speaking ill of former basketball players and executives in his Hall of Fame speech. Even the music world got in on the act with Kanye West dissing MTV Award-winner Taylor Swift.
Of all of these, Jordan's was the most glaring. The tennis outbursts were poor signs of passion and frustration; West's self-righteous reaction was much of the same. But Jordan clearly planned this out. He had the bully pulpit and he wanted to smack down people who had "dissed" him. It was supposed to be a positive celebration of one of the greatest players of all time, yet it will be forever remembered as a bitter speech by a man who could never have enough. It was an unfortunate decision by Jordan.
For coaches looking to teach their athletes about the importance of sportsmanship, this weekend was a major step backward. Serena Williams lost her cool at the U.S. Open on Saturday, then on Monday Roger Federer did the same. Michael Jordan left a lasting blemish by speaking ill of former basketball players and executives in his Hall of Fame speech. Even the music world got in on the act with Kanye West dissing MTV Award-winner Taylor Swift.
Of all of these, Jordan's was the most glaring. The tennis outbursts were poor signs of passion and frustration; West's self-righteous reaction was much of the same. But Jordan clearly planned this out. He had the bully pulpit and he wanted to smack down people who had "dissed" him. It was supposed to be a positive celebration of one of the greatest players of all time, yet it will be forever remembered as a bitter speech by a man who could never have enough. It was an unfortunate decision by Jordan.
