A couple of final thoughts and comments ( I'm aware that earlier on I said that that was my last 2 cents ... add another 2 cents:

1. To Jwatkins: Well said. Great post.

2. To those of you who profess to believe that there is nothing unsportsmanlike in behavior involving a grossly superior wrestler who (for lack of a better word) "toys", with his grossly inferior opponent (i.e. engages in conduct - however described - in which no competitive advantage - once again however described - is either sought or gained) the effect of which is likely to cause the inferior wrestler to feel embarrassed or perhaps humiliated, I want to be the first to forewarn you that your thoughts in these regards might just one day change.

There may come a day when you or yours is unnecessarily taken advantage of, embarrassed or subjected to humiliation.

This could take place in business, when a co-worker or business rival goes out of his or her way to gain advantage, the effect of which causes you to suffer embarrassment and/or humiliation. It's not that anything that they did or said was "illegal", it was just conduct that was simply unnecessary, just not right, not playing fair.

This could take place on a wrestling mat (i.e. your son wanting to try his hand at wrestling and one of his early opponents - a much stronger, more experienced, technically proficient wrestler - not just "beats" your son, but does so by repeatedly taking him down with a threatened pin, only to effortlessly release him with a smirk or a smug grin on his face, so that he can repeat the process ... again and again. And at the end of the match, the superior wrestler is greeted with laughter and high-fives by his coach and team-mates, while your son, sheepishly makes his exit off of the mat with a severely wounded ego, thinking that he wrestled horribly and wondering whether he is really cut out for this sport; worried that he may have disappointed his dad, his mom, or siblings or his coach ... and o yeah, knowing that all of this took place in front of his teammates, friends and peers. I have difficulty believing that your paternal response to your son will be: "...well, if your afraid to get humiliated on the mat, why even wrestle...".

I well understand that you may use that experience as "motivation" for your son, and if your son has some pretty tough mettle, he himself may use that experience as "motivation" for himself, as well - by doing everything within his power to prevent himself from being placed in that position again. That's what we want and hope for.

But, I'd venture a guess that this uncomfortable experience will remain tucked away in your mind for some time ... and suffice it to say, that you will not likely find yourself thereafter rooting for the bully who, for no good reason, took advantage of your son. You probably will not waste any time searching for justification nor rationalization for this conduct (i.e. well ... he was just gearing up for state, or I guess that he just needed some extra practice,or maybe he just needed to hone his take-down skills ...) No, if you are like me you will lay in wait for legal revenge: if not at the hands of your son (by a sound thumping on the mat, at a later date), then, at least, at the hands of another wrestler who can give that bully a taste of his own medicine.

Not that the superior wrestler did anything illegal, mind you, but for most of us sportsmanship at least contemplates some dignity and graciousness in both victory and defeat. As for myself, I can not see any thing dignified nor gracious in that sort of behavior.

Sportsmanship (and its opposite: unsportsman like behavior) is an intangible - a somewhat difficult concept to describe, but for most of us, we know it when we see it, and more specifically, when we (or ours) personally experience it. Trust me.