2006 WBC Sportsmanship Award
January 10, 2007

The third and final leg in the BPA Triple Crown is its Sportsmanship Award. Coupled with the Caesar for prowess on the gameboard and our GM of the Year which honors those who sacrifice their time to make the events possible, the Sportsmanship winner completes our virtual Hall of Fame by reminding us that there is no fun to be had with these games without an affable and enjoyable opponent with which to cross vicarious swords. While some get caught up in the quest for “wood,” our Sportsman of the Year always subscribes to a higher standard…a shining example of sportsmanship that we should all aspire to. These folks are the ones that make it all bearable for our GMs and contribute most to the “club” atmosphere of the convention. Their shining example contributes to the remarkable esprit de corps and camaraderie for which the WBC has always been noted by those in the know.

The object of a tournament is to win, so it is somewhat perplexing to see so many nominees selected because they do not put their own best interests ahead of helping others. While such sportsmanship is laudable, it puts the rest of us mere mortals on the horns of a dilemma. Just how much are we expected to help our opponents in a tournament? And does that make me a bad person if I fail to correct an opponent’s error rather than take advantage of it? This is especially true in a multi-player game where perhaps not all the players are so charitable. Is this allowable table talk or kibitzing? The answer will vary from one person to the next depending on what they expect from a tournament experience. Surely, for some the “game is the thing” and anything that makes for a tense and enjoyable finish is laudable. Apparently, the majority of our members side with that view as they elected another one of WBC’s good guys Sportsman of the Year for shooting himself in the foot by pointing out an opponent’s error and arguing that he should be allowed to change it since the next player had yet to move. Such self-sacrifice won Phil Barcafer a free stay at WBC this summer as our 2006 Sportsman of the Year.

The 2006 Sportsmanship voting by the membership was the heaviest ever recorded with no less than 14 of the nominees recording double digit vote support. Rounding out the top six finalists were John Webber, Steve Likevich, Rob Flowers, Greg Schmittgens and Mike Kaye in that order.

Past Sportsmanship Winners

Chuck Stapp
1992 - NJ

Tiger Von Pagel
1993 - FL

Rob Kilroy
1994 - PA

Ian Lange
1995 - AE

Jim Matt
1996 - MI

Ed Connery
1997 - NJ

Frank Sinigaglio
1999- NJ

Robert Sacks
2000- NY

Bret Hildebran
2001 - OH

Kaarin Engelmann
2002 - VA

 

James Jordan
2003 - MD

Steve Okonski
2004 - MD
Bruno Sinigaglio
2005 - AK
Phil Barcafer
2006 - PA
 
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