Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Sportsmanship died in December, 2016 in a gymnasium on the Peninsula after many years battling classlessness and tackiness. It was a long, slow and painful passing.

Sportsmanship lived a long, healthy life in sports arenas across the nation. In its younger years, beautiful, enthusiastic and joyous High Fives, handshakes and the dreaded pat on the behind were practiced. In later years, chest bumps and hopping up and down in unison became its trademark.

It was in the prime of Sportsmanship’s life that the taunts, intimidation and a sense of oneself above the team disease first showed its ugly face. Unfortunately, there’s no cure, as society hails these vicious acts of ignorance as cute and entertaining. Sportsmanship was unable to fight the hatred.

Players, parents, coaches, athletic directors, security and administrators turn a blind eye. Games are no longer about a team putting forth its best effort against an opponent putting forth its best eff...