amkean pronunciation

Those "Values" advertisements have been around for a while now and I've always wondered where they come from. Now they have a website listed, but for a long time, it was just a billboard promoting some value. Who pays to advertise persistence? The Foundation For a Better Life, as it turns out. They say they aren't religious and don't accept donations. It's pure good, I guess, which gives them a pass for the billboards featuring Shrek for the value "believe in yourself." A fictional character can be a role model, but it undermines the value when the character is merchandised ad nauseam.

The billboard pictured above actually has a really good story behind it that you've probably heard. Basically, the two women carrying the other are contributing to their own loss by carrying her.

I don't know if it's typical "back in my day" thinking to say sportsmanship has gone downhill. I'm no scholar on the matter, but I imagine some of Ty Cobb's opponents would beg to differ that players were all gentlemen back in 1909.

A story like this softball story is a good antidote to some of the stories which make people think that sportsmanship is going down the toilet. Crazed little league and hockey dads, for example. Sometimes I wish I were a basketball ref and a team pulled the inbounds play stunt where a player pretends to collapse of a life threatening situation and then the ball's inbounded for a winning basket. I would T up the entire team so fast even if the rules don't prohibit the play, which they've probably been amended to do. What a horrible play to teach a team.

Say what you will about World Cup soccer, and I intend to say more, but when a team gets a free kick they don't feel fits the spirit of the game, then kick the ball directly to the other team. This bit of sportsmanship in soccer is, however, heavily overshadowed by the gamesmanship of diving, so never mind.

Labels: sports, sportsmanship