Is winning everything?

At the rugby World Cup medal presentation, I noticed a couple of our players removing their medals only seconds after having them hung around their necks.
I found this rather disrespectful, but I've noticed in recent years that many top sportsman have this rather snotty attitude about coming in as runner up, or, heaven forbid, third.
We've all heard the comments, 'I threw my medal in the bin'', or 'I gave it away' and 'I've no idea where it is'.
The general feeling being that second is nowhere.
What's wrong with being proud of what you've achieved, and celebrating it?

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If I was given a medal in a big event whether I came first or last I would still cherish it.

I think elite sportsmen - and a fair few people who are not so elite - are in the "winning is everything" mindset because they believe that attitude will help them win.
Personally I think folk can do their best without that nonsense and still have the grace to admit it when they are outplayed - or accept that it wasn't their day or that they could have done better.

We used to call people who had a hissy fit when they didn't win "spoilt brats" but now being a twat when you don't win seems to be increasingly accepted as it being a mark of their commitment rather than a lack of character or poor sportsmanship.

Chris Mason.

There are three Universal truths. They are impermanence, suffering and non-ego.