Cheering for your rival when they do something great doesn’t make you smaller. It makes the game bigger.

Sport shrinks when the only good thing that can happen is your own success. Acknowledging something excellent from the other side costs you nothing on the scoreboard and makes the whole thing worth caring about, because the standard you are measured against just got real. Pretending a rival is not good does not make you better. It only makes the win smaller when it comes.

Say one honest thing about an opponent this week, out loud, in front of your own people. That play was unbelievable is enough. Notice how quickly the room follows you.