Curtis Martin and Gabby Douglas: Two Perspectives On Competition and Sport

Curtis Martin at the Football Hall of Fame
(photo from Football Hall of Fame)

Curtis Martin, who played running back for two NFL teams, was inducted yesterday into the Football Hall of Fame. What's notable about the event was Martin's speech at the Canton, Ohio ceremony.

The address is a moving testimonial about hard times and dedication. Martin talked about his Pittsburgh childhood in bleak, graphic terms. He witnessed his father literally torture his spouse. He was terrified to watch television because tongue-in-cheek scary scenes seemed all too real. Martin's mother trained him to use the key to get into their residence, because she was working two or three jobs to keep the household afloat. She did this while wearing makeup to hide the bruises from the beatings her husband administered.

Martin eventually helped his mother understand and recover from her suffering. He somehow found room in his heart to love his father. Martin was also fortunate enough to have a high school coach who convinced his student-athlete that the only way to avoid jail or a swift death was commitment to football.

The future pro did so, while never losing his skeptical view toward football's lucrative, violent aspects. Yet Martin does not come across as cynical or the product of posturing. He kept the sport and himself in perspective.

Gabby Douglas

Compare Martin's thoughtful, poignant comments to those of current American Olympic darling Gabby Douglas. I found the gymnast's outlook on competitive sport to be chilling. As Douglas recounted to The Washington Post, "'You have to just not be afraid and go out there and just dominate...You have to go out there and be a beast. Because if you don't, you're not going to be on the top."

There is a difference between victory and domination, one that an increasing number of American athletes and fans either don't recognize or simply dismiss. The concepts of winning and being a champion are healthy ones; domination steps across the line into neurotic notions of conquest and submission. Domination has become an ugly common denominator in areas such as college football, in which teams that kick sand in weaker opponents' faces are rewarded with higher rankings (which typically translate into higher financial returns for athletic departments). Remember when sportsmanship was considered a useful value for colleges to instill in their young charges? Not any more. Those days are long gone. My alma mater, Wisconsin, shamed itself last season by running up the score on an inferior opponent. The reason? Rankings. On that day, I felt embarrassed to be a fan of the UW football team.

The idolization of "dominating" athletes diminishes and distorts their human drama, especially outside of the arena. Curtis Martin didn't buy into the glory. He kept his values in focus, and his ego in check. He honors the Football Hall of Fame with his induction. Let's see how Gabby Douglas handles fame and her current perch at the top of her game.