10 Moments in Good Sportsmanship

John Hickey

13 years ago

John Hickey searched far and wide to find the top 10 most heartwarming sports moments.

10. Adam Van Houten: the 2005 Ohio state golf championships

Adam Van Houten, a student at Mount Gilead High School in central Ohio, had just won the state golf championship. It appeared he’d won by a comfortable seven-stroke margin, but Van Houten noticed a mistake on his scorecard. His playing partner had accidentally given him a five on the 10th hole instead of a six. Since Van Houten signed his scorecard before he’d even noticed the mistake—per golf rules—he had two choices. He could ignore the mistake and win the state championship. After all, what’s one stroke in a seven-shot victory? Instead, though, he reported the violation to tournament officials and was disqualified from the competition.

—Photo woodleywonderworks/Flickrr, kevindooley/Flickr

9) Paolo Di Canio: West Ham United vs. Everton, 2000

The Premier League game entered injury time with the score tied at one. Everton keeper Paul Gerrard went down with an injury, but West Ham played on. A cross found Paolo Di Canio—open net in front of him, Gerrard prone to his side. Instead of tapping into the empty goal, Di Canio picked up the ball and signaled the medical staff onto the field. Di Canio, a controversial and volatile figure, earned a standing ovation from the opposing Goodison Park crowd.

“I saw the goalkeeper was on the ground and in pain,” he said. “During the game, the opposition is my enemy. But when they are injured, they are my colleagues, and I must help them.”

The Good Men Top 10 Moments in Sportsmanship: Adam Van Houten, Paolo Di Canio, Andy Roddick, Luz Long, Tana Umaga, Darius McNeal and Dave Rohlman, Maurice Cheeks, Armando Galarraga, Pat Tillman, Pee Wee Reese

—Photo AP

8. Andy Roddick: Rome Masters, 2005

It was triple match point in the third and final set of Andy Roddick’s match with Fernando Verdasco. After faulting on his first serve, Verdasco’s second serve was also ruled out, giving Roddick the victory. Not so fast. Roddick challenged the ruling, saying that the ball was in and that Verdasco should’ve been given the point. After a review, Verdasco was awarded the point. He then rallied to turn the game and set around to defeat Roddick.

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-Photo AP/Kathy Willens

7. Luz Long: 1936 Summer Olympics

Adolf Hitler wanted to use the 1936 Olympics to flex his Nazi muscles. One of Hitler’s top athletes was Luz Long, the European record holder in the long jump at the time. There was massive pressure on Luz as he competed against rival American and world-record holder Jesse Owens. Long didn’t disappoint with his first jump, setting a new Olympic record. Owens then fell into a deep hole after faulting on his first two jumps. A third and he’d be disqualified. Shockingly, Long offered to help his closest competitor, marking off a spot for Owens to hit on his final jump. Owens reached the mark and won the gold. Long was the first person to congratulate him.

Or was he?

—Photo via Wikimedia Commons

6. Tana Umaga: New Zealand vs. Wales, 2003

In a rugby test match between New Zealand and Wales, Wales captain Colin Charvis was knocked out by a tackle from New Zealand’s Jerry Collins. The hit gave New Zealand possession, putting the All Blacks on the attack. With his team advancing, Tana Umaga stopped playing and ran back to assist Charvis, making sure his mouthguard was out to avoid any choking and placing him in the recovery position to prevent any further damage.

—Photo via Wikimedia Commons

5. Darius McNeal and Dave Rohlman: high school basketball, 2009

It is not too often that a coach sends a player to the free-throw line with the instructions: “You realize, you’re going to miss them both.” But these were the words Dave Rohlman, coach of Dekalb High Schol in Illinois, gave to his captain Darius McNeal in a close game against Milwaukee Madison.

Hours before, the mother of Milwaukee Madison player Johntel Franklin passed away at a local hospital. The game would’ve been canceled, but Franklin insisted that his team play. Franklin came straight to the gym from the hospital, arriving during the second quarter. Since he wasn’t listed on the pre-game roster, Milwaukee Madison was given a technical when Franklin entered the game. But neither of McNeal’s foul shots came close to the rim, barely leaving his hand. The crowd, realizing his intentions, broke into a standing ovation.

—Photo Minimalist Photography/Flickr

4. Maurice Cheeks: Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 2003

Natalie Gilbert, winner of he Blazers’ “Get the Feeling of a Star” promotion, was elected to sing the National Anthem in a game against the Mavericks. Midway through the song, Gilbert froze and forgot the lyrics. Thousands looked on as Gilbert stood helpless. Then Portland coach Maurice Cheeks came to the rescue. He stood with the 13-year-old and sang the rest of the song with her. As it ended, Cheeks gave Gilbert and the Rose Garden burst into applause.

“You know, I don’t know. I think as I saw her stumble on the words, she looked helpless, and I just started walking,” Cheeks said. “I had no idea what I was going to do, what I was going to say. But as I approached her, I just wanted to help her, and I didn’t know if I even knew the words … I just wanted to help her out. I didn’t want her to stand there helpless, nothing to do. So I just wanted to help her out.”

3. Armando Galarraga: Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers, 2010

Pitching a perfect game is one of the hardest things to do in sports. It’s only been done 20 times in the history of the MLB. Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was one out away from joining the exclusive list when a routine ground ball rolled to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera fielded perfectly and tossed over to Galarraga who was covering the base. The ball clearly beat the runner, which should’ve ended the game. But Jim Joyce called the runner safe, and—well, you know the rest.

“And when this guy go talk to me, he can’t even talk, he was crying,” Galarraga said after the game. “And I understand nobody’s perfect. It’s part of the game. His body language said more than a lot of words. His eyes were watering. I gave him a couple hugs. There is going to be a couple more—I hope so.”

Together, Galarraga and Joyce appeared in front of Tiger Stadium the next day. They’ve made numerous public appearances since and are writing a book together.

—Photo AP

2. Pat Tillman

In 2002, the Arizonal Cardinals offered Pat Tillman, one of their young stars, a $3.6 million contract. Pat Tillman turned down every young kid’s dream of playing professional football. In May 2002—in the wake of the recent September 11 attacks—he enlisted in the Army. Tillman made no spectacle of this decision and represented his country just like every other soldier. While serving a tour in Afghanistan, Tillman was killed by friendly fire. His story has been memorialized in print, film, and just about everywhere else.

1. Pee Wee Reese: Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds, 1947

We all know that Jackie Robinson had to endure obscene slurs and hateful opposition when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. But from his own teammates?

Several members of the Dodgers tried to organize a petition to keep Robinson from ever joining the team. Dodgers captain and Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese refused to sign the petition. During Robinson’s first road trip with the team, before a game against Cincinatti, Reds fans booed and heckled him unceasingly. Reese went over to Robinson and put his arm around his shoulder—a gesture that silenced the crowd. The crowd and all of the players now knew that Reese welcomed Robinson into the league. It’s a moment now remembered by a bronze statue outside of Coney Island’s KeySpan Park.

—Photo via everystockphoto.com

John Hickey searched far and wide to find the top 10 most heartwarming sports moments.

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9) Paolo Di Canio: West Ham United vs. Everton, 2000