Good sportsmanship — Not as rare as it seems
Hopeful Olympic candidates suffered the same fate as they, too, tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Professional baseball sustained even more black eyes as it fought to dispel itself from the same issues.
The women of the WNBA fought through a brawl not dissimilar to those of the NBA in the past few years.
Parents of young kids in youth athletic programs rushed the fields and courts to confront, with words and fisticuffs, coaches, officials and even the youngsters.
Battles ensued in every rank from Little League teams to the pros between coaches, parents and athletes.
And all of these things were inundated with press — perhaps because of their shock value and their ability to sell newspapers and bring in ratings.
Sometimes it seems that athletics only bring out the bad in people, that the villains outnumber the heroes in our arenas and on our diamonds.
But the stories that aren't told, the stories that may be given their moment in the sun only to be soon forgotten, are actually much more prevalent. Many athletes are good, solid people, and a good number of them go beyond what anyone would expect just to do the right thing or to help someone in need. Some of these heroes do find the spotlight shining on them a little brighter — like Mallory Holtman of the Central Washington softball team.
Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky, a part-time starter in the outfield, knocked her first home run over the center-field fence. In what could have been just a feel-good story about a girl who had secured only three hits in 34 at bats this season finally hitting a home run in her last regular-season game, turned into the good-sportsmanship story of the year.
The two schools were rivals with plenty on the line during their final regular-season game as the winner would take the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship. But in her excitement, Tucholsky missed first base on her home-run trot. When she turned to tag the base, she injured her knee.
Tucholsky lay in agony just a few feet from first base, and the only option available under the rules was to replace Tucholsky with a pinch runner and record the hit as a two-run scoring single. None of the coaches or trainers could touch the girl just off first base without it resulting in an out, but that was not true of players on the opposing team.
Out of nowhere, Holtman asked if it would be OK for Central Washington to carry Tucholsky around the bases. And the umpires agreed it would be within the rules.
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