On Second Thought...

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I hope to be back at it regularly again.

Last week the judgment on the Nicolay Davydenko tennis fixing case came in. There were some irregular betting patterns for a match that Davydenko lost in August of 2007. After a year of investigation, the ATP determined that there was no wrongdoing. Eight other players have been banned for betting on matches, and other players said that they were approached by people asking them to influence the outcome of matches.

Last week, in Frank DeFord’s article on Sports Illustrated’s website, he pointed out that match fixing has been a part of tennis for many years. Apart from the issue of betting, I’m concerned with the loss of competition. Whether it is for the sake of making money, or simply to give someone a chance to win a match and earn a few ranking points, the beauty of sport is diminished. We glorify God when we compete, when we strive together, and so perform to our best abilities. I was very disappointed in the ATP’s findings, and hope that more will be done in the future to clean up the sport.

But that also made me think more about the football game mentioned in a previous post. In a blowout, one high school football team gave a special needs player an opportunity to score a touchdown. In the context, everyone involved saw it as a good thing to do, and quite honorable. I wasn’t there, so I trust that the moment was one of joy and kindness.

However, as a friend pointed out to me, this may not be such a blessing. What happens if (when?) the special needs player learns that his touchdown was a sham? What if he is then brokenhearted because of condescension, rather than overjoyed at a (false) success?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer noted that I cannot truly serve another person until I truly acknowledge that I am less than the other person. Otherwise I will be acting from a position of superiority, and will be condescending, not serving. Were the players on the team that was winning the blowout acting in a condescending manner, or were they serving the other player and team by enacting an unforced fumble and allowing the touchdown?

If it’s wrong for one tennis player to throw a match that doesn’t matter to him in order to give another player – a friend – a few ratings points, if that action prevents competition in the truest, God-glorifying sense, then isn’t a winning team gifting a fumble and touchdown also diminishing competition?

Again, I wasn’t there, and I don’t know the player(s) involved in the football game. It may have been a moment of true honor and blessing. But perhaps moments like these diminish the players and the honor of competition, even as they seek to offer kindness to another player and team.