Society & Culture Refusing to shake hands

[foley_falcon]

We have seen when people refuse to shake hands when Brock McLean at the start of the year refusing to shake hands with Brett Kirk, during the World Cup with a couple of coaches (http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/wo...-shake-Parreira-s-hand-wags-?urn=sow%2C250450) and the last couple of weeks at my soccer matches I have come across some other incidents.

Two weeks ago we won and one of the opposition players simply refused to shake hands with anyone after the match, safe it was to assume it was because of the loss.

Last week it was a close match and it was getting heated. Not long until the end of the match and one of their players had the ball, I did a slide tackle and cleanly got the ball off him and rolling it out of play. While I was still on the ground fixing up my shin guards he came past and kneed me in the face. Bit of pushing and shoving after that but the match went on.

The end of the match came, scores at 2-2, and it was time to shake hands. I was happy to shake hands with everyone but this one bloke. He approached me and I chose just to ignore him and head back to my team. He wasn't happy.

In hindsight I probably should have just shook his hand but at the time it felt like if I did then it was letting him win and would have made him feel like he got away with it.

So I want to know from you guys, when is it okay to refuse a hand shake with someone? Or is it never okay? Any stories of similar incidents?

 

[DeanoT]

It takes a certain level of class to shake hands after a loss, especially one that hurts.

Not that LeBron James would know anything about class....

Following losses in both games 3 and 4, James and the rest of the Cavs scored a victory in Game 5, making it 3–2, to send the series back to Orlando. In Game 6, he scored a playoff low 25 points and the Cavaliers lost the series to Orlando. James' postgame behavior incited some controversy when he left the game floor without shaking hands with his opponents. Jalen Rose a former NBA player and current ESPN commentator, said James' actions were "immature and ingracious." James later told reporters "It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them, I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. ... I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebron_james

 

[darylfromnoblepark]

it's just a game ffs.
when are some of these idiots going to realise that in the grand scheme of things, sport, especially sport played as recreation, is just a small part of life.
fwiw, i think you were a poor sport not to shake hands.

 

[blues4flag]

Poor form on your behalf. It's gonna get heated on occasion during the game but once the siren sounds, handshake, no hard feelings, move on. It's only a game.

 

[hamG]

Obviously there is always a line. But I guess you want the balance, some dude slips a knee to your head, you return it one way or another and then you shake hands after.

Then that is where you find a blokes sporting character, if he dishes but can't take it or if he dishes and takes it sportingly. Same deal for both parties

But if you get kneed in the head and choose not to shake the guys hand then so be it, he knows why. Its all choice based on how you perceive the spirit of the game or the bloke. Some people are just plain *****.

 

[Copernicus]

It's probably hard in that situation to shake hands, but really we all know about white-line fever and unless the bloke is some kind of criminal sociopath, off the field he probably wouldn't mind having a beer and a yarn, even if he did slip the knee in on the field. So it's probably best to forget about it and shake hands and call a truce.

 

[GOEAGLES 08]

i can some times get niggily with opponents on a basketball court, frustrate the hell out of them etc etc but afterwards i always shake there hand, give them a wink* or something like that. ive only had one person not shake my hand, was a realy w***er anyway so next time i played them i made sure i got stuck right into him(within the rules ofcourse) because you know there a sore loser and they will spit the dummy/loose there cool.

although i did have a chuckle when wayne bridge didnt shake john terry's hand. have no problems with that given the circumstances.

 

[darylfromnoblepark]

i can some times get niggily with opponents on a basketball court, frustrate the hell out of them etc etc but afterwards i always shake there hand, give them a wink* or something like that. ive only had one person not shake my hand, was a realy w***er anyway so next time i played them i made sure i got stuck right into him(within the rules ofcourse) because you know there a sore loser and they will spit the dummy/loose there cool.

although i did have a chuckle when wayne bridge didnt shake john terry's hand. have no problems with that given the circumstances.

fair call, the only exception i could ever think would be acceptable.

 

[crazyman27]

Anybody else find it feels way better when you beat a team and you can see that they are pissed off about losing? (hesitate to shake your hand, dont congratulate you etc.)

Way more satisfying than when the opposition players give you a smile and have a chat when you shake their hands.

When I played high-level volleyball (a highly psychological sport) at school, one of the things that was drilled into us was you should play the same way no matter whether you're winning easily, or getting smashed. So if somebody (who wasn't aware of the score) happened to catch a few points in the last set after you'd been destroyed in the first two sets, they shouldn't be able to tell if you were ahead or behind.

I'm a super-competitive person though, so others may have different views.

 

[TheStinger]

I played Ice Hockey when I was younger and at the end of every game both teams line up and shake each others hands. In the NHL in america it's always good to see the two teams after a hard fought playoff series line up to shake hands.

I've only ever refused to shake hands with an opposition player once and that was after a basketball game. There were two brothers on the other team and on one trip down the court one of the brothers tried some fancy move on me and I picked his pocket cold and got the ball out to a team mate for an easy layup. As he ran past me I chuckled to myself at his folly. He was most displeased.

The brothers must have had a chat at halftime because soon into ther second half a long and high rebound was coming out near the 3 point line and I was directly under it. I jumped straight up in the air only to have the other brother, in the guise of going for the rebound, slam into my back and headbutt me in the back of the head.

I hit the deck like a sack of spuds and a scuffle ensued over the top of me as my team mates came to my defence. I managed to recover and get back on the court, all the time making sure the sniper didn't take another shot.

Needless to say I didn't shake either brothers hand, not that they were in a rush to shake mine either.

 

[jordanrobbo3]

Played in a game earlier this year which was pretty tense with a fair bit of niggle, with players from both sides being sent off. My team won by under a goal and after a few of us celebrated on the siren went to shake the other mobs hands. I was first in line and stuck out my hand only for the other bloke to say "nah go f*** yaself boys". He looked like an absolute tosser who couldn't hack a loss, and we all laughed in his face accordingly.

The best games are the ones that are played at 110% from start to finish, in the right spirit, and once the siren goes you shake hands and share a beer and a chat.

 

[scotty4]

saw this happen with coaches today, absolute nonsense.

 

[swiftdog]

During a hockey match, that we lost 2-1, I played well on one of their attackers. In fact, I tore him a new arseh*le whilst managaing to set up a few forward thrusts myself. He was clearly a better player than me.

Didn't shake my hand after the game. Apparently he was disgusted by his performance against me, yet he still found a way to shake the rest of the team's hand. I didn't niggle or do any crap like that, just beat him fair.

Absolute w***er

 

[vonn]

Always shake hands with the opposition team after a loss, even if they pissed the **** out of you. When we lost in netball and I'd always shake their hand, hell I don't have to mean it but it's not as if it's the hardest gesture in the world.

However, if they are absolute filth like this one girl I played against who more or less tripped me over 300 times, just shake their hand then barge into them "accidently."

 

[360noscope]

I really hate it when so called professionals like Brock McLean refuse to shake hands, particularly when nothing has happened between the pair in question.

But whatever goes around comes around I guess...

I have had many personal experiences of people refusing to shake my hand after the game playing low-standard AFL and you just have to find ways to deal with it...

 

[DB10]

Wayne Bridge refused to shake hands with John Terry after Terry was caught banging Bridge's wife when they were team-mates. acceptable in that situation tbh.

 

[flight23]

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[Thewlis Dish]

I really hate it when so called professionals like Brock McLean refuse to shake hands, particularly when nothing has happened between the pair in question.

I think refusing to shake hands beforehand is completely different to shaking games after the match, unless it's a situation like in soccer when both teams line up to shake hands pre-game.

 

[Football God]

LOL when i was in junior footy had this kid who always wanted to get into punch ons.. game didnt really get heated up but this kid would crack it when someone did something to him and he got run down with the ball (wasn't very talented)

Anywhos, after the game when we are in a line shaking hands they pass eachother, the opposition kid puts his hand out to shake his hand. what does my team mate do? punches him in the head and knocked him out cold.

Received 7 weeks from memory.

 

[DeanoT]

Wayne Bridge refused to shake hands with John Terry after Terry was caught banging Bridge's wife when they were team-mates. acceptable in that situation tbh.

Mentioned twice in this thread already.

 

[lions_den]

Was caught fapping by someone, was awkward, I said hi and went over to shake hands, they refused. Dog act.

 

[Rustin Cohle]

I never shake hands with someone who makes a poor call to knock me out of a poker tournament, even if they offer their hand.

 

[ash_1050]

I never shake hands with someone who makes a poor call to knock me out of a poker tournament, even if they offer their hand.

This annoys me, if they suck out with a poor call accept the fact that's poker and it happens. The other way of looking at it is always be nice to donkeys, that way they will want to play with you again.

 

[WALL-e]

Won't shake hands with people who do dog acts etc, but will always shake hands with every team member after a win or loss.

 

[Mr Gor]

If anyone kneed me in the face or made some gutless cheap shot I wouldn't shake their hand. **** em. They're cowards. People that take advantage of someone else's sport game mindset in which they're not expecting a punch/kick/elbow are dogs.

That said, I'm a fair player who never loses sight that it is in fact a GAME that I'm taking part in. Have been on the receiving end of a few cheap elbows in bball where if I was a more violent person it would've been grounds to retaliate and get into a brawl. Wouldn't shake hands with any of these ****bags.