In 1914 Grantland Rice wrote:
"For when the One Great Scorer comes
To mark against your name
He write — not if you won or lost
But how you played the game"
For many years, we believed or hoped that "how you played the game" was important. But then a different quote became the first rule of sports.
It is attributed by most to Vince Lombardi whose use of it gained national attention. But it appears this quote originated by legendary UCLA coach Red Sanders, back in the Grantland Rice era:
"Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
The New England Patriots have shown that the transition from the first quote to the second is complete ("Brady suspended for 4 games," May 12).
Sam Begg, Ellicott City