Winning at all costs is not within the spirit of the game

Sport is about winning, whether participating in a team or individual environment. At the very highest level of professional sport, there is so much more at stake and a higher price on achieveing success. But just how far would you go?

Down the years there have been many situations of teams and individuals crossing that line to gain the advantage, which quite frankly is not within the spirit of competing.

Let’s face it there are no prizes for second place and legends are not made by those that do, but surely all the hard work in the preparation and the performance on the day is sufficient?

Unfortunately for many this isn’t the case and is something we have seen all too often down the years. The desire to be the very best is all good and well, however when it evolves into an unhealthy obsession, winning at all costs is in breach of fair play and has no place in sports greatest theatres.

Here are some situations when that line was crossed and where winning at all costs was the only priority.

Champions League Final 2017/18 – Sergio Ramos

Real of course were always going to be favourites, after all they were chasing their third consecutive Champions League title and fourth in five years. That said, there was a quiet confidence that Liverpool could get the result, especially considering the form of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

You can bet these three would have been the focus of Zidane’s tactical approach, in particular Salah, and who better to execute this plan than the man with a heart of stone, Sergio Ramos.

Ramos is fast cementing his name as one of the very best defenders in history, their win on Saturday night making him just the second captain after Franz Beckenbauer to lead three winning sides in Europe’s premier competition.

The 32-year-old is a player of class, someone that is as comfortable as an attacking midfielder when he has the ball at his feet, as he is in defence, however he is one player that is prepared to go above and beyond to achieve the result. He has more red cards than any player in the history of Real Madrid, and also holds the accolade of the most yellow cards in the history of the Champions League.

Midway through the first half Ramos got tangled up with Salah and ended up falling on him in a challenge that former Egyptian international Mido declared was intentional. In fact, I am pretty sure the whole of Egypt and red side of Liverpool would be inclined to agree with that appraisal.

This challenge effectively ended Salah’s Champions League, not to mention Liverpool’s chances. When Salah left the pitch, Ramos was seen to be smirking, although this could have been completely unrelated.

In the 46th minute, Ramos appeared to elbow Liverpool keeper Karius on the face, which went unseen by the officials. It looked a hefty blow and moments later Real got their first goal when the keeper threw it straight into the path of Benzema’s dangling leg.

In the second half there was more play acting as the defender faked contact to the face in the hope of getting Mane sent off.

Ramos has a history of this behavior as Juventus midfielder Juan Cuadrado found out in last year’s final. The Colombian stepped on Ramos’ foot only for the Hollywood star to exaggerate the challenge and get him sent.

There is no doubt that Ramos is one of the best defenders of his generation, with a trophy cabinet full of silverware, it is how he goes about achieving this success that is sometimes questioned.

Michael Schumacher -Australian GP 1994

Michael Schumacher remains one of the  greatest F1 drivers with 91 wins and no less than an incredible seven World Championships. His focus and desire to be the greatest was always evident and his ability to produce fast laps during crucial times was one of his key attributes.

He was also regarded as one of the best drivers in wet conditions, his record of 17 wins from the 30 races he participated in wet conditions underlining this fact.

Schumacher was unquestionably a winner. His desire so great, it bordered on obsession and with this came a win at all costs attitude, as Damon Hill found out in 1994.

Coming into the final race of the season in Australia, Schumacher led Damon Hill in the championship by a single point. On lap 35 and seemingly in control of the race, the German went off the track and hit the wall with the right wheel.

Returning to the track, there was a clear opportunity for Hill as he attempted to pass on the next corner, only for the German to shut to door and collide with his Williams. As a result, both drivers were forced to retire, effectively handing the championship to Schumacher.

Public opinion was of course split on the incident, although reality is that Schumacher had a championship to gain by ending Hill’s race and a championship to lose if he didn’t.

In 1997, again in the final race and with a one-point advantage of Jacques Villeneuve, Schumacher turned in to stop the Canadian from overtaking, resulting in a collision that put him out of the race and the championship. A few weeks later in an FIA hearing he was found guilty of a manoeuvre that was instinctive and deliberate, the punishment, disqualification from the entire 1997 season.

Schumacher was a champion, a winner and always on the edge in search of success.

Shame it wasn’t always fair game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GitoA5eKSXc

Lance Armstrong – Cycling

During his pomp he was untouchable in the Tour De France like no other rider before. Following years of domination by Spaniard Miguel Indurain in cycling’s most grueling race, the sport was ready for a new hero, and that man was Lance Armstrong.

Between 1993 and 1996 Armstrong enjoyed limited success with stage wins and a World Championship, however in 1996 the bombshell was dropped when he was diagnosed with potentially fatal metastatic testicular cancer.

After a two year fight he overcame the disease and embarked on a period of dominance that saw him win seven consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999. With the success came allegations of doping, something that was synonymous with the sport at the time.

In 2012, USADA concluded an investigation that Armstrong had used performance enhancing drugs throughout his career and named him as the ringleader in the most sophisticated and successful doping program the sport had ever seen.

As a result, all his achievements from 1998 were stripped, including his seven Tour de France titles. He also received a lifetime ban from competing in all professional sports.

In 2013 he admitted that the allegations were true and that he did cheat to gain the advantage over his opponents.

South Africa v Australia – Warner, Smith and Bancroft

This much anticipated series was set up to be a thrilling one. Two of the best Test teams in the world with quality batsman and searing pace attacks. Two teams that played their cricket hard and fair, well so we thought.

Australia arrived off the back of a convincing Ashes Series win over England, while the Proteas warmed up with victory over India.

The Aussies started in spectacular fashion with a 118 run win over the hosts, only for South Africa to bounce back in Port Elizabeth with a 6 wicket win of their own.

By now though the series was boiling over following a number of incidents on the pitch and an explosive confrontation between South African keeper Quinton de Kock and Australian vice-captain David Warner off it.

With the series locked at 1-1, Newlands was braced for another fiery encounter, but what happened on the third day was very unexpected.

Former Proteas fast bowler Fanie De Villiers had noticed that there was something very unusual about the amount of reverse swing the Aussie bowlers had extracted in the series to date and asked the host broadcaster to keep an eye on the fielders and see if anything could be captured.

Spectacularly it was. Should I say opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was caught, putting what appeared to be sandpaper in his pocket, only to remove it and drop it down the front of his trousers when he realized it was seen on the big screen.

The player denied it when questioned by the umpire, however in a press conference later that day Steve Smith admitted that the “leadership group” hatched a plan to alter the condition of the ball to gain an advantage. Their initial explanation was that it was tape with some dirt on it, although it later emerged that sandpaper was used and not tape.

As a result, Warner and Smith received a one-year ban each by Cricket Australia, while Bancroft got seven months. Coach Darren Lehman claimed he knew nothing of the plan but submitted his resignation at the end of the series.