Re: Do you play?
Played ALOT of softball, basketball, some soccer when younger. <br /><br />w.r.t. playing dirty, I always played hard but cleanly. Now if an opponent played dirty, I could easily find it in myself to change my philosophy to match. <br /><br />A couple things you may want to keep in mind. When playing in an organized league, the nature of the competition (season standings, playoffs, etc.) can sometimes boost the desire to win and blur peoples objetivity when it comes to playig hard (competitive) versus playing dirty (cheating). Hopefully in a pickup game one would be able to be more objective, as most are probably there because they enjoy PLAYING (which may be at a VERY competitive level), not out of a need to always win. <br /><br />Secondly, organized play offers you at least a degree of protection from retaliation should you play dirty. Do it enough in a pickup game, and someone is going to eventually take you out in retaliation, perhaps at a time when you can't anticipate it or protect yourself. You might want to keep in mind that dirty play in a pickup game is going to significantly increase the chances that you may get seriously injured. Is a blown out knee or broken ankle worth the 'advantages' you gained by playig dirty in the past?<br /><br />Suggest you take an honest look at yourself and determine why you play. Is it more because you enjoy the sport, or is it more because it offers you an opportunity to 'win'?
