Newsflash: We All Hate Losing

Last night I watched one of my few TV vices/habits: the Celebrity Apprentice.

If you're unfamiliar with the show the premise is pretty simple.  Two teams participate in a simple business competition.

For example, they might try to sell the most snow cones. Or design the most effective advertisement. In the end, one team wins and one team loses. A member of the losing team is sent packing. The team member who is removed from play is determined by Donald Trump who points at that person and says, "You're fired."

Celebrity Apprentice is the same game, except the money is for charity and the players are celebrities. Last year was a lot of fun to watch so I got hooked into watching again this year.

Newsflash: We All Hate Losing

Last night, I thought Melissa Rivers and Joan Rivers made themselves look completely classless.  Melissa got fired. Typically when contestants in this game lose, they give an interview as they ride away in a limo. Obviously guys like Hershel Walker and Dennis Rodman and even Tom Greene hate losing.  But losing is part of playing.

For many years, I coached youth sports. I used to tell my players: the only guarantee in sports is that you will lose.

Everyone loses. Not everyone wins, but everyone loses.  The greatest champions of sport have all lost. Babe Ruth struck out --- a lot.

Michael Jordan banged the game winning shot off the backboard. Tiger Woods has blown a putt.  Don Shula's mighty Dolphins crushed the Redskins.

A few years later, John Riggins and the Redskins walloped the Dolphins.The New England Patriots were undefeated and lost in the Superbowl.
Here's what I taught my players when I was a coach:  Champions lose.

When champions lose, they get back up. They don't cry. They don't curse the officials or the rules or the game. When champions lose, they congratulate the opponent on a fine job.  As a champion you earn and expect respect. As a champion you give respect and appreciate your opponent, win or lose.

Melissa Rivers was fired last night. After losing, she stormed off, cursing her competitors and cursing her opponents. She stomped away refusing an interview. It's true: interviews after a loss are never as much fun as interviews after a win. But interviews are a part of the losing process. Interviews are something that is owed to the fans, and without the fans, there is no money in the game.

Sore Losers

Melissa's reaction after losing was classless, plain and simple. Losing is not pleasant. But losing with class and losing with dignity is the mark of a winner.

Joan Rivers is Melissa's daughter. When Joan learned that Melissa lost, she launched a verbal assault on Melissa's competitors. Now, the mother of a champion should know that champions win and champions lose.

I don't win every time. I don't like to lose. But I don't attack when I lose.

Contact the writer at http://will.nesbittontheweb.com