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Tuesday night a large group of students, many of them athletes themselves, filled the seats at Smothers Theatre to watch a group of super-talented athletes debate the age-old question: is winning really the “only” thing?
And at least in this instance, it was obvious that both sides truly wanted to score a victory.
Using the British Parliamentary style of debate, introduced to the Dean’s Lecture series by visiting lecturer of physical education Dr. Simon Jenkins, the two sides fought either for or against the proposal, “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”
Debating in favor of the proposal — Pepperdine men’s basketball head coach Paul Westphal, former men’s tennis coach and Davis cup champion Allan Fox, and Pepperdine senior Alison Klingel. On the against side — four-time Olympic gold medalist John Naber, former major league ball player Ryne Sandberg, and Damaris Hinojosa, a senior on the Pepperdine women’s basketball team.
From the get go, it was obvious that the two sides weren’t going to be pulling any punches, but it was Jenkins, who organized the event and also oversaw the debate, who took the first shot.
After Klingel and Hinojosa gave their opening arguments for and against the proposition, Westphal took to the stage and began a one-minute tirade on Jenkins that left Smothers in an uproar. After Jenkins had joked about Fox’s choice of footwear in his introduction, Westphal let him have it about his own selection of attire.
“I don’t think you should be saying anything about my partner’s shoes when you picked out those pants,” Westphal joked. “I’ve been sitting up here for a few minutes, and I’ve gotten a good view, and let me tell you, those things are ugly.”
Yells of “shame, shame” came from the audience, which was laughing and clapping furiously. Not missing a beat, Westphal turned to the fan who led the calls.
“No, really I don’t know why you’re saying ‘shame, shame.’ Maybe the podium is blocking your view, have you seen these things?” Westphal continued to joke.
And just like that, the debate shifted into full gear.
For the next hour each speaker gave a colorful argument over why or why not winning, in the view of Christianity, was the ultimate goal.
“Sport is secular, not sacred,” Hinojosa said in her argument. “Most coaches are not concerned with salvation, their primary concern is to win games and gain worldly titles. Sports coaches do not take on leadership in a biblical sense, because the reality is they are hired and fired on the basis of their win loss ratio.”
Her Pepperdine counterpart gave an equally inspiring retort.
“Winning is not only prevalent in worldly activities, but in the pursuit of Christian excellence as well,” Klingel said. “Paul calls us numerous times throughout his writings to be the best, and to win the prize. In Phillipians, he writes, ‘I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.’ We are called to succeed, to win.”
Westphal, who spent more than 20 years as an NBA player and coach, said it’s an obligation for athletes to play to win — not to would be to disrespect the nature of sports.
He entertained Smothers with the stories of the 1993 NBA championship series, in which Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls beat his Phoenix Suns in six-games, 4-2, and made them laugh when discussing his days as an amateur tennis player.
His most poignant argument might have been his description of former Boston Celtic great John Havilcek.
“Havilcek said his favorite part of basketball wasn’t hearing the cheers of fans at home, but hearing the silence at an opponent’s gym when he made the shot,” Westphal said. “To not root against him, for the fans not to want him to lose, would be robbing him of the glory of his victory … to want to win is not un-Christian.”
Naber, who hosted the Wide World of Sports for a number of years after his Olympic greatness, appeared to be a favorite of the audience. He talked about the spirit of the ancient Olympic Games and talked about why playing “to win at all costs,” was not the ultimate goal of athletics.
“The purpose of sports is not to entertain us with wins and losses; its true purpose is to inspire,” Naber said. “Watching professional sports today is like watching the lions versus the Christians in ancient Rome. There might have been some personal sacrifice involved, but there was nothing there to inspire us.”
He recalled the time when, as a senior in college, he was able to win easily in the 100 and 200-meter backstroke because his No. 1 competitor couldn’t compete because of hepatitis.
“That title really meant nothing to me … to succeed in sports is to win when your opponent is at your best … it’s not just about who finishes first.”
The final two speakers, Fox and Sandberg, helped round out an evening that was entertaining for all.
Sandberg, whose son Carl is a freshman on the Pepperdine baseball team, wasn’t afraid to poke fun at the his former team, the Chicago Cubs, who qualified for the playoffs only twice during the 15 years Sandberg was a part of the squad. Sandberg noted the fact that despite the team’s dismal record, fans continue to arrive year after year at Wrigley Field to root for the Cubs.
“Obviously,” he joked, “It can’t be all about winning.”
The former MLB star also stirred the crowd with an anecdote about the late-great Cubs announcer Harry Carrey.
“One of the favorite things about being a Cub was hearing Harry Carey yell out, ‘Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win!’ But the thing was, the Cubs didn’t … I guess only Harry could have pulled that off.”
At the events conclusion, it was clear the real winners were those in the audience, who were treated to a night of jeers, cheers and Chicago Cubs jokes.
Submitted March 20, 2003
MALIBU, CA
