billw55, on Mar 18 2010, 03:18 PM, said:
I think the key question here is: as professionals playing in an elite event, is it considered normal to exploit the rules for advantage, in any way that is legal? Or is there still an expectation of sportmanship above and beyond the letter of the laws? I don't know the answer to this question.
For example in professional tennis - if an opponents winner is called out by the line judge, in error, and the player can see that it was good - shall the player overrule the linesman, against himself? On rare occasion we see this happen, and the player is praised for his/her sportsmanship. But in reality, far more often the player simply accepts the ruling, and nobody really criticizes them. After all they are professionals, this is their livelihood, and these are the rules after all. Right? Or not?
From the replies here, there seems to be disgreement on how the game of bridge stands - a unforgiving contest of professionals, or a gentleman's game? I wonder.
This varies from sport to sport.
Snooker and golf it is routine to call penalties on yourself and would be viewed extremely dimly if you didn't.
Soccer is very much the opposite, and cricket is going that way having been much more of a gentleman's game in years gone by.
Cricket and tennis are going the same way, you can't rely on the players any more so technology is coming in.
I can only echo your last paragraph, I'd like to see bridge stay a reasonably gentlemanly game, but fear it's going the other way.