M:TG - Is this unsportsmanlike conduct?

[Odesio]

*Originally posted by Enderw24 *
**
So then here’s a question: what’s the difference between purposely losing legitimately (playing a bad deck) and just purposely losing (playing a deck that cannot win). In one, he looks like an idiot and is shrugged off. In the other, he looks unsportsmanlike but gets famous. Which is better? **

There’s no difference and one really isn’t any better then the other.

Originally posted by Ivar**I thought for unsportsmanlike conduct to occur, there had to be some sport involved.

**

I think maybe in this case you’re taking sport a bit to literally. Although I don’t play M:TG I do play a bunch of war games which certainly rate high on the geek scale. Would you agree that there are standards of behavior that a football or baseball player should follow? Well there are standards of behavior that one should follow when they play a game, even if it is just Monopoly.

I’ve been to a few tournaments for my war games and here are a few examples of unsportsman like conduct which can mar what would otherwise be a fun outing.
#1. Excessive Complaining: I’m sorry that the dice aren’t going your way. Please don’t curse, pitch a fit, or slam your fist onto the table. These things make me uncomfortable and means that I’ll avoid playing with you in the future if at all possible.

#2. Rule Disputes: If we have different interpretations of the rules don’t get upset. We can get a third party to settle the dispute or we can work out some sort of agreement. I’m a reasonable person and I’m here to have fun not bitch at someone.

#3. Don’t Quit: Sometimes for whatever reason the game doesn’t seem to be going our way. Don’t just throw up your hands and quit because you’re not winning. That’s the behavior of a spoiled child.

#4. Don’t Gloat: If you win don’t rub your oppenents face in it. If you lose don’t hold a grudge against the person who won. Win or lose we’re both here to have a good time.

Well those are just three standards of behavior I think people should live up to when they play a game or a sport. But maybe I’m just weird.

Marc

[Joe_Cool]

Why is it poor sportsmanship for this “nuckfugget” (credit: Zenster) to throw a card game to maximize his personal benefits (after all, he should have played to the end, even in the face of a certain loss), but it’s considered good stragegy for a pitcher to intentionally walk a skilled batter, just because he might get a hit? I mean, shouldn’t the pitcher give the batter his best pitch, in the name of sportsmanship?

The tournament benefitted as well. I mean, would it have been better for somebody who didn’t even want to be there to win? He did give more deserving players his spot. Especially if wanting to win makes you deserving.

Bottom line: What’s the big deal?

[Odesio]

*Originally posted by Joe_Cool *
**Why is it poor sportsmanship for this “nuckfugget” (credit: Zenster) to throw a card game to maximize his personal benefits (after all, he should have played to the end, even in the face of a certain loss), but it’s considered good stragegy for a pitcher to intentionally walk a skilled batter, just because he might get a hit? I mean, shouldn’t the pitcher give the batter his best pitch, in the name of sportsmansh

**

There’s a big difference. Letting the batter walk is a strategy that is ultimately done in order to win. Kind of like sacrificing a pawn to win a game of chess or punting the football. It isn’t the same as entering a tournament with the intention of losing.

**
The tournament benefitted as well. I mean, would it have been better for somebody who didn’t even want to be there to win? He did give more deserving players his spot. Especially if wanting to win makes you deserving.

**

The tournament did not benefit. Someone who wanted to play could have taken his spot before he even arrived. If the OP is correct then this guy didn’t feel very confident about his chances in the tournament because he wasn’t good at it. Then he shouldn’t have participated and his behavior was boorish at best.

**
Bottom line: What’s the big deal? **

Well I’m not exactly losing any sleep over this. But I think I’ve explained why it is a “big deal.”

Marc

[capacitor]

Want to hear something really rude? I was in a draft tournament at Neutral Ground, New York, and someone next to me drafted a Time Spiral (2 Blue, 4 Mana cost, discard hand, shuffle library and graveyard together, draw seven cards, untap six lands, one of the most powerful cards in the game). That guy decided to quit right then and there, not even playing a game!!