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What is more important : winning or taking part ?

Gotchya

State Vice-Captain
In a cartoon featuring Hagar the Horrible, Hagar's assistant quotes, 'It is not winning that is important but taking part'. In reply Hagar says the quotation was coined by a loser. There seems to be some truth in this when we realise that winning often means a lot to people taking part in sports. It seems then that the saying is just mere lip service and expresses a sentiment which is unrealistic and it is even doubtful if it was ever accepted at all. Competetive as the cricket played today is, major events mean loads of wealth for the participants what are we 'playing' for ?
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
Vince Lombardi - "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep the score?"

It's very true that "It's the Taking Part.." is said far, far more often (if not exclusively) by teams that get beaten week in, week out (from first-hand experience) but without them, there wouldn't be anyone for the better sides to beat.

Whilst Winning has to be what's played for, Taking Part is almost, but not quite as, important.

As for money, I don't think that it's reached the point yet where the love of the game has been surpassed by the cash, as it has in football, and that all cricketers still enjoy playing.
 

Gotchya

State Vice-Captain
As for money, I don't think that it's reached the point yet where the love of the game has been surpassed by the cash, as it has in football, and that all cricketers still enjoy playing.
How would you put it in the context of the current faceoff between the icc/players/boards ?
Surely, money is a problem here...
 

Kiwi

State Vice-Captain
Winning is everything. I hate the 'Take part' attitude. When u are really young it is alright but when u get older u should always try to be the best, and nothing short of it.
 

Gotchya

State Vice-Captain
If such a philosophy as 'taking part is more important' is to be promoted, i guess the whole world order will have to be changed ! Perhaps when there is abundance in the world for everything, only then may we realize such an ideal.


Then again it is i think man's eternal wish to overcome the rest that will never allow him to settle for anything less then a win.

By the way how would you explain the "Killer Instinct"?
 

Anil

Hall of Fame Member
The first priority should be to compete to the best of your ability. If you are good enough to win, you will. Even if you lose, there is no shame because you have put in your best effort.
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
I like the idea of playing to win.

I bowl in international tournaments, and if I do not give of my best, then I am letting myself (and my country) down.

Giving of my best refers to the effort I put in - it does not necessarily mean playing my best but it DOES mean trying my guts out.

It also means playing by the rules (not even making an attempt to 'bend' them) and it also means that come the end of the event, win or lose, I can sit down with my opponent and have a beer, chat, shake his hand etc and get ready for next time.

If playing to win means cheating, sledging my opponent, bending the rules just to give me the edge I otherwise wouldn't have, then winning would not be worth it.

You can fool everyone else but you cannot fool yourself.

Now saying all that doesn't mean that I would not take every opportunity to pressurise my opponent as much as possible - I would.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
always win, while your on the field..you've got a job to do & if your own team mate gives you stick you know that back in the changing rooms he'll still hand you a beer so you always play hard.
 

Paid The Umpire

All Time Legend
You should play to win, but if you don't win who gives a ****.

Hah, I love winning but it aint the be all and end all.

I think it is better to lose in a close game, than win by a huge margin.

After all "If stick and twigs, wore silly wigs..."

Hmmm, that last sentence didn't make any sense, but this one neither did.

You should always play to win, but if you have to resort to playing unfairly to do so, then it aint worth playing for. Last season I gave many descisions from square leg (as the SL ump [you know with the orange jacket]) and never did I cheat, infact I gave more out than the rest of the team... Hmmmm did I cheat NO, did they MAYBE.

You should never make the game into a farce by not playing with your heart in it.

Hmmm, they entire post made 5% sense. A new high!:D
 

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