O.T. Has Sportsmanship Become An Oxymoron?

[Drdan]

Don't know if HI's forumites follow soccer (a.k.a. "football"!), but the star player for Italy's national team, Francesco Totti, was suspended for three games for spitting at Danish opponent Christian Poulsen during a Euro 2004 match.

In a way, I feel that it is more of a faux pas than pushing or even striking a fellow athlete. The episode will probably hurt Italy's soccer and national image a bit, which is unfortunate... :grumpy: It will assuredly cause Mr. Totti a lot of financial woes and prestige, which is probably fitting.

The Italian media, while calling the act inexcusable, is trying to explain why he resorted to such a demeaning and crude offense, as if to soften the seriousness of it in the public's eye. They offer that he was under considerable pressure.



Dan

 

[munk]

I don't think it rates with breaking the spine of a hockey player as happened in the US.


munk

 

[Daniel Koster]

this coming from the county housing the colliseum.....do they really need to rationalize the action?

I bet more people get spit upon on a daily basis on the streets of Rome....


I'd just be thankful he didn't kick me between the legs or tear up my legs, etc., like I've seen in other matches....

 

[Larry S.]

I'm afraid that, by definition, this is impossible....see below:

3 entries found for Oxymoron.
ox·y·mo·ron ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ks-môrn, -mr-)
n. pl. ox·y·mo·ra (-môr, -mr) or ox·y·mo·rons
A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist.

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[Greek oxumron, from neuter of oxumros, pointedly foolish : oxus, sharp; see oxygen + mros, foolish, dull.]
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oxy·mo·ronic (-m-rnk) adj.
oxy·mo·roni·cal·ly adv.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Oxymoron

\Ox`y*mo"ron\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ???, fr. ??? pointedly foolish; ??? sharp + ??? foolish.] (Rhet.) A figure in which an epithet of a contrary signification is added to a word; e. g., cruel kindness; laborious idleness.


Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


Oxymoron

n : conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence')


Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

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Thanks!
Larry S.

 

[Drdan]

I don't think it rates with breaking the spine of a hockey player as happened in the US. munk

Wasn't aware that it occured; that's horrible! And I used to think that Iron Mike's "ear nibble" was high on the ladder of horrible sportsmanship!
Was the player attacked purposely with the hockey stick?

Dan

 

[munk]

Yes, and he was blindsided, and thrown to the ice with the other player's weight upon his neck.


munk

 

[Drdan]

Read that as "Good Sportsmanship"... :footinmou

Dan