Swine Flu's Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Will Swine Flu kill sportsmanship as we know it? In order to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, several sports entities have either actively encouraged or outright ordered that athletes ditch that time-tested, germ-infested ritual, the handshake before or after a game. The Swedish soccer association, Canadian Olympic Committee, Ohio State football team and New England Small College Athletic Conference are among those trying to kibosh the palm-to-palm. "Shaking hands is just a way for us to increase the risk of getting ill," says Bob McCormack, the chief medical officer for the Canadian Olympic team. Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Winter Games, and the Canadians may refuse to high-five their guests? Chilly. (See TIME's photo-essay "Soccer in the Time of Swine Flu.")

Teams do have good reason to be cautious. Players from the pro leagues on down to high schools have contracted the virus. And to be fair, the clean-mitts camp has pushed for alternative gestures of good grace like fist-bumping or nodding at foes while saying, "Nice game." (See how not to get the H1N1 flu.)

But don't athletes often mix spit and sweat while battling for hours? "The real-world value of skipping this tradition is negligible," says Tom Fekete, chief of infectious diseases at Temple University School of Medicine. Even the head of emergency preparedness for the Vancouver games, virus expert Dr. Bonnie Henry, thinks a handshake moratorium is excessive. (Can these Canucks get on the same page? "Tell Dr. McCormack to call me," Henry says with a laugh.)

Meanwhile, although some NBA players say they have started washing their hands more often and sharing fewer towels, "it's hard not to shake someone's hand," says New Jersey Nets guard Rafer Alston. "It's something we're taught at birth. Are guys going to stop what they've been doing for 20 years? Nah. Not everybody does the fist bump."

See pictures of thermal scanners hunting for swine flu.

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