This month, Masta A and Docta J are switching roles to keep things fresh. Hope you enjoy this temporary change.

The Issue

All athletes strive to achieve glory and fame

Those are the main goals for every game.

Practice is needed for success to be seized

Practice so tough that all drop to their knees.

If they slack off, then it’ll show on game day

A big loss is the price that they must pay.

Don’t try to protect them with mercy rules,

Pity just makes them look more like fools.

Masta’s Diagnosis

Some people feel the need to show compassion toward players and teams being dominated by their opposition. But receiving such pity is actually punishment that causes the defeated parties to develop mercy rule dependence, which prevents them from correcting their flaws and maintaining their dignity.

Docta’s Analysis

We’ve all heard of the mercy rule; if a team is pushed past the point of no return, this rule comes into effect. Certain restrictions are now placed on the winning team. People have to hold back their offense and stick with defense. The rule supposedly gives the losing team a chance to claw its way back into the competition. 

I beg to differ – the mercy rule is only for statistical reasons. It does absolutely nothing to help the other team. In fact, the mercy rule embodies humiliation and defeat. 

There is no official mercy rule in professional sports, but society expects teams to back down after forcing opponents to eat their dust. 

For example, there was a huge uproar in the sports community when USC speared UCLA 28-7 in a vicious football game by throwing a touchdown pass late in the game even though they were clearly ahead. Sports fans and critics bashed on the Trojans for running up the score rather than following the unofficial mercy rule. In this case, I feel that USC had every right to throw the final touchdown pass. They played incredibly well, coming up with defensive stops and attacking aggressively on offense. If UCLA couldn’t handle the game, they deserved to lose, and lose badly they did. Don’t blame the winning team for competing; blame the losing team for playing so badly and expecting the mercy rule to bail them out from an ugly loss.

Public opinion considers running up the score as a breach of sports etiquette. But the definition of sportsmanship is conduct befitting athletes, demonstrating courtesy, competitiveness, and grace in defeat. Nowhere do I hear anything remotely close to the mercy rule. If it is implemented, athletes and their standards are lowered. No longer are they competing to the full extent of their abilities; instead, they are backing off to spare their opponents from suffering the humiliation of losing by a wide margin.

Is this respect or is it actually more humiliating to acknowledge the fact that your opponents must step down because you can’t compete at their standard? If a team does not compete to its full capability, it is blatant disrespect. 

Looking from my perspective as a competitive athlete, if I am on the losing end, I don’t want officials to take pity on me. I’ll  fight to the end however badly my team may lose by. If I am winning, I can always play sub-par to show that you aren’t at my level or I can continue to give one hundred percent. It’s your call.