- Dec 14, 2009
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I still fail to see why we've deemed cheering when second place is called "low class". Is there ANY other sport that considers acknowledging a win "distasteful"?
In football, teams rush the field the moment the game is over. Olympic swimmers cheer the second they touch the wall. Gymnasts get excited and start hugging their coaches and teammates as soon as their competitor's scores are announced. Hockey teams leave the bench and tackle each other on the ice when the final buzzer goes off.
It is a very typical practice in athletics. Why is it considered tacky when cheering?
The only time I consider it tacky is when year after year one program, friends and fans criticizes other programs for not waiting till first is called so they could celebrate their 3rd or 2nd place finish, but when they win they "forget" and are "caught up in the moment" about what they have been so critical at others about. Yet when others did it there were complaints. If you don't like it when others do it to you, don't do it to others.
Perhaps if a team that has gone thru much adversity and was not expected to be in the top 5 let alone top three, they would want to celebrate that accomplishment even if it it is not first place. To that team that placement is special to them even if it is not special to others. You have no idea how the coaches built the athletes and parents up for the event. To that team 2nd place may be as impressive and important to them as 1st and they would like to be able celebrate that accomplishment with their friends and fans. Pushing them (figuratively speaking only) off to the side so we can celebrate first place - even though unintentional sends the signal that 2nd place don't matter.