It's all in one's perspective & what satisfies you. I'm all up for "playing and winning fair & square" and "The better (team) on the day wins" but I'm also against letting the opposition take you for a ride!
What my coach & I meant by "It's a war out there (on the field)" is:
1) Winning is everything! You play to win.
2) It's not for entertainment. If you want entertainment, get into the stands or play in your own backyard.
3) You strategize & counter strategize as per the situation on the day, on the field but your objective is to win & only win.
[Ex: If the ref's decides to play for the home/other team, you elevate your own game that you beat the opposition & in that situation the opposition includes the bloody ref.; If the opposition plays rough, physical you do the same. Else they will break your legs and all you will win is sympathy. I don't play for sympathy!)]
4) In today's world, the sportsmanship has been redefined to off field tactics or when the whistle goes off - You're friends again! But when on the field, the only friend's you've got are your team mates.
[Ex: If you must need to commit a foul you do it. It's called a professional foul. It doesn't matter if you broke his legs or broke your own for the cause. For sportsmanship - You always shake hands & buddy up off the field. I've experienced this & have been on the recieving end too. This is understood worldwide now. If you still wish to ignore it under the pretext of the old school of thinking, you will only end up on the recieving side - bruised & bruised badly.]
There's a lot more to it why it's a war on the field but to keep the thread short, i'll put down one last & important one.....
5) Like in a war you dont wait for your enemy to shoot & miss, it'd be foolish to allow your opponent to draw first blood. 'Cuz if you're doing so you're throwing yourself to his & luck's mercy, expecting them to miss. What if they dont?
Doesn't this take us back to strategy?
In the context of the Ind vs Aus game, we were fools & are paying the price for being on the backfoot allowing the Aussies to draw first blood, despite knowing that they will always be up to something!
In the end, maybe I'm wrong. May be. But, I only play offense. The only way I know of winning is to score more goals than your opponent else you'd either lose or draw - both are not the options one should focus on. The objective is to WIN! <I play football >
The difference between the sport & the war is you socialize - shake hands & become friends (new/again) or whatever, once the final whistle goes off. That's what's left of the sportsman's spirit.
How many really remember Courtney Walsh for ending up on the losing side for showing the spirit in 1987? or How many really question the greatness of Maradona for the "Hand of God"?
My point is when one remembers the winners - for ex: of the World Cup 2006, they will not always blame the Italians for the head-butt controvercy against the French. The Italians will only be remembered as the side that lifted the covetted trophy!!!
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Winning is everything...