To me, Spirit of the Game has two principal components: respect (don’t be an ass) and integrity (don’t be a cheater). I think you could go through reams of paper defining how those two principles should and do play out, which is not my intent here.
My point is that playing with Spirit is much harder than I think we give it credit for. What we are asking of people is to fight against their ego, their desire for appreciation and status. These are basic human desires—humans compete for them in all sorts of arenas (money, popularity, who can hook up with the most attractive member of the opposite sex, and, of course, sport). I believe it’s possible and worthwhile to attempt to overcome those desires, but it’s a much more arduous process than just deciding to do so.
As a player, I’m probably worse than most in the Spirit category. When I lose my temper, I’m prone to make bad calls, treat the rules as guidelines, or raise my voice in argument. I’m not proud of this behavior.
At the same time, I value the challenge. It’s an opportunity to get to know the demons that lurk inside of us, and, with hard work, allows us to get rid of one or two. I value a sport that asks its athletes to take on this challenge.
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