Any athlete will tell you, the worst quality to face on the field is bad sportsmanship.

Personally, I find it quite hard to wash the taste of taunt out of my mouth. Whether it is the girl who decides to introduce her elbow to my ribcage during a friendly lacrosse game or that one sneaky friend who magically winds up at Candy Castle whilst escaping Lord Licorice in the world of Candy Land, any competition is bound to bring out the worst in certain competitors.

Fortunately, these misconducts don’t go unnoticed by spectators, and in particular, a league as publicized as the NFL.

On Thanksgiving Day, The Detroit Lions’ Ndamukong Suh contradicted traditional holiday spirit, and overall classiness, by stomping on Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith, leading to his ejection from the game.

Ultimately the league suspended Suh for two games without pay, to which the 2010 Defense Rookie of the Year immediately appealed.

Come on now, really?

If the circumstances of Suh’s unsportsmanlike penalty had been of a different nature, a controversial excessive celebration rather than an aggressive show of instability, the repercussions would not be as serious.

It is one thing for a player to pretend to shoot himself in the leg after a touchdown, a hilarious celebration made by Stevie Johnson of the Buffalo Bills. But to intentionally break the rules in an attempt to cause harm is on a whole other level.

It deserves to be taken seriously.

In the end, it boils down to the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. No matter if it’s on the court, in the classroom, or during any of life’s changing scenes.

So next time that four foot nothing gives you attitude on the field, remember to eat some humble pie, keep it classy, and carry on.