WP: On distinctions of class

I have always been a fan of golf. I like playing it. I like watching it on the telly (although in recent years it has become an excuse to nap on the couch). I like how enduring it is, both as a game and with regard to individual players. How many sports are there where you can watch, even grow old with, your favorite players with the passing of time? Not many. This weekend was a poignant reminder of golf’s timelessness. Were you to tune in to the British Open, you could perhaps have fallen under the impression that you had been magically transported into the 1980’s…there, swimming gracefully and comfortably atop the leaderboard was “The Shark”. Perhaps he looked a little older, but the confidence, grace and that winning grin that was part and parcel of the younger version of Greg Norman was still present.

It was great to see him back on the highlight reels. The class and dignity that he and many like him bring to the game, sports in general really, make you want to cheer for them. We want them to succeed, first of all, because we ourselves are faced with the fact that our best years may be behind us. We can then live vicariously through these giants of years-gone-by as they enjoy one last hurrah…one last exultant stand at the top of the mountain, arms raised aloft. It lifts us up letting us also feel ageless, triumphant, even if just for awhile. I, for one, hope that this isn’t just an isolated event and that we can tune in every now and again to find the Shark hunting his way through the pack.

A second reason we long for them to endure is due to nagging doubts about the future. Are there those in this new generation ready to take up the mantle, to represent their respective sports with the same commitment, dignity and class demonstrated by those before them? Only time will tell. Hopefully this new breed will emulate the pattern set before them. While every sport has its colorful figures, those who provide interesting chapters along its timelines, the overall tone of, and inevitably respect for the sport is set by those who themselves respect its storied history and traditions. Especially is this important for those blazing new trails.

Enter Danica Patrick. Women hailed her entrance to the IRL as if it were the second coming. The IRL saw her as a much needed marketing windfall. How did she handle these great expectations? Well, for at least the second time now, we have a very visible altercation between Ms. Patrick and another racer, this time also a female.Who says you can’t have a good dose of soap opera with your sports? Is this type of friction between racers new or unique to women? Nope. Is it deserving of any more scrutiny than are conflagrations among Danica’s counterparts? Not at all. But it IS scrutinized. As such, she should hold herself to a higher standard of conduct than her peers. Is it fair that there is a divergent standard? Hardly, but reality always trumps expectation. Dignity.

Then there is the other stuff. What other stuff you ask? Try an image search on Google for “Danica Patrick”. Out of 100 images, how many show her next to a race-car, fully clothed. Two or three maybe? Now do the same search for any male racer. The results are reversed. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I would never begrudge her whatever income she can come by through endorsements or even photo spreads. It is completely within her right to pursue these as part of her career. But, what is it that she hopes to bring to the sport? Is it her wish to be known as an opportunistic drama queen? Or as a deftly proficient DRIVER (male or female)? Class.

Dignity and Class. Ask yourself, when Danica returns to racing at 53, will you be rooting for her to win? Not likely. And I can assure you that FHM and Maxim won’t be knocking on her door either.