What makes a winner?

Good afternoon peeps, the Wizard is back with a tidbit of uplifting news. I know recently professional sports has been given two black eyes and a broken jaw, what with the steroids in baseball, Kobe Bryant's infidelity, the hockey lockout, and so on. I thought it about time to give a little airplay to the good that still exists when the human spirit competes in an admirable fashion. If you don't know, Andy Roddick is the current American wunderkind in the realm of professional tennis. He broke onto the scene when he was a teenager and if you have not yet heard of him, his 130+ MPH serves are sure to get your attention as his game continues to mature. That, however, is not the reason I am writing about him. Last year he was in a hotel when a fire began. He stayed on his balcony, catching people jumping from the floor above until the fire trucks arrived and they all escaped the deadly blaze by ladder. That is not the reason I am writing about him, although it is quite remarkable and definitely newsworthy. The reason I chose to include Andy in this blog is because his recent display of sportsmanship at the Masters in Rome exemplifies the important lesson taught by sports. If you prefer mainstream media spin, feel free to read the inappropriately titled Sports Illustrated article here(personally I think they totally missed the point, but I guess bad spin sells better). Long story short, Andy Roddick was on the verge of winning the match. He was top seed in the tournament and has proven to be a dynamo on the clay court. It was a sweltering day and the score was 40-Love in his favor when his opponent hit a second serve that flirted with the baseline. The line judge called it out. The match was over and Andy had won in straight sets, almost. Andy Roddick walked to the mark the ball had left, examined it, and disputed the official ruling, contending the serve was actually an ace. The judge accepted Andy's challenge, which had come before his opponent even had a chance to contest the ruling. The match continued and Andy was eventually eliminated after about two and a half hours of play. SI says his sportsmanship backfired. That his decision to be honest even when judges ruled erroneously in his favor resulted in a "bad finish". I disagree. Sure Fernando Verdasco ultimately won the match, but is that the real story? I think the biggest victory belongs to Andy for achieving more than a win on the court. His real accomplishment is providing us a reason to continue to cherish sports for the life lessons they teach us, and to let those qualities be the ones that dominate the game and our lives. I know he has reminded me that there is a LOT more to competing than scoring more, hitting harder, jumping higher, and running faster than your opponent. Can one twentysomething really effect that much difference in the world of sports? My answer is a resounding YES!! Advantage Roddick.