COMPLIANCE IN BOTH SPORTS AND BRIDGE
SHAME ON OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY – some members of the Football Team itself and certainly their Coach as well as the other involved miscreants who allowed such a catastrophe to happen. Congratulations to the NCAA Compliance Committee for doing the opposite of what others might have chosen to hide under the same circumstances – and penalizing their heretofore respected great Head Football Coach Jim Tressel and forced him to resign for failing to live up to compliance regulations involving irregularities. Contrary to public opinion, necessary rules are not meant to be broken – especially in this area.
Similarly, the playing of bridge (particularly at an international level and at a very visible venue) demands superior ethics and behavior — not an attitude which will allow one to sign one’s name on a compliance form (for whatever the restrictions are) but wildly and collectively, abandon its responsibility and darken the usual cherished awards ceremony for everyone in attendance as in the Women’s Bridge Shanghai incident.
Until tournament bridge actively prohibits its players from committing such heinous acts by strong discipline — opting instead to cater to shady politics and conniving by excusing such off-the-charts actions, bridge will never rise to the respect level that the game undeniably deserves and should enjoy.
Dear Judy, I don’t really know where I stand on this issue, which I presume was the ” anti-bush ” statement made at an awards ceremony.
On the one hand I firmly believe in (1) keeping politics out of sport (2) sticking to what you have promised to do, or have signed up to, and (3) never biting the hand that feeds you.
However, on the otherhand I also believe in (4) the right to whistleblow, (5) standing up against injustice, and (6) the freedom of speech.
It seems to me that the Shanghai incident was one where the arguments of 1,2, and 3 completely out gunned number 6. Mind you, if they had stood up to condemn the injustice done against Peter Pender, then the arguments no doubt would have been evenly balanced.
Dear HBJ:
I consider the Shanghai Awards ceremony one of the darkest and most disgraeful moments in WBF history. Everyone argues freedom of speech. I agree, except that you lose that power when you step onto foreign soil where your allegance is to your country not to berate your President in front of other nations (especially who are not allies).
If you have signed a prohibitive document, you are duty bound to honor it; if not, pay the consequences. Simple as that.
I am proud that the Committee rose to the occasion in football to set an example and serve as a stern warning that they are people of their word.