Baseball season is upon us, and all of Canada is aglow with the newfound success of the Toronto Blue Jays. This has not been without controversy, however.
Numerous sports commentators have made clear their views regarding the Jose Bautista "bat flip" of the 2015 playoffs.
Among others, Hall of Fame pitcher Goose Gossage referred to Bautista as a "disgrace to the game."
Bautista made perhaps the most thought provoking response to his critics when he pointed out that baseball is an international game.
He and many other major league players come from the Dominican Republic.
According to Bautista, "We're loud, we're emotional... It's ingrained in our DNA, and it doesn't change when we're playing baseball."
And this is the beauty of sport in the 21st century. The best leagues in all sports are comprised of players from all over the world, and sports are a part of every culture.
Some cultures are very outwardly expressive and some are not.
In contrast to Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar is the product of a private school in California.
He is featured on numerous highlight reels for the incredible catches he makes; but, despite his excitement, he maintains a look of calm composure on the field. That is just who he is, and that is alright.
I recently watched a clip of the New Zealand national baseball team doing the Haka ritual before an international competition.
Rugby fans have long appreciated the All Blacks performance of this intimidating ritual before games, and why wouldn't baseball players representing their country do the same?
When it comes to "respect for the game", sports regulate themselves.
In all of my years of coaching, I believe that one of the most important lessons I have taught my players is to respect their opponents.
Everyone has the desire to win, and everyone is going to lose at some point.
The role of an athlete is to do her very best.
When we do not respect our opponents, it is only a matter of time until we are going to pay for our arrogance.
Ultimately every athlete knows within herself when she is embracing the joy of the game and when she is being arrogant.
If she does not know, she will eventually experience what may be a bitter lesson. The challenge then is to learn and to become a better person.
The bottom line is that we need to take a step back and look at sports from more of an anthropological point of view.
Like them or not, they are an important part of culture for billions of people, and they do a great deal in promoting international understanding.
The very best athletes come from all over the world, and each player is an individual with their own style.
Instead of pointing the finger at each other and saying, "you can't do that," let's look at athletes as the unique entertainers that they are and enjoy the celebration of life that we call sport.
