For years now, egotism and showboating in pro sports have been setting the wrong examples for younger athletes. Recently, though, stories of great sportsmanship in high school football have received a lot of attention, raising the possibility that gracious behavior might actually trickle upward.

The first story came out of Arkansas, where a player finished a long kickoff return by taking a knee at the 5-yard line to end a 34-16 win over an opponent reeling from the death of a player in a traffic accident. Four other players were hurt in the crash.

The second story came out of Missouri, where a team winning by a 46-0 score agreed to give up its shutout and allow a member of the opposing team to enjoy the thrill of scoring a 65-yard touchdown. The player who scored has Down syndrome, stands 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. Players from the other team, Maryville High, jogged alongside the runner and his teammates, making no attempt to tackle him.

No one expects NFL players to give away points in this fashion. But respect for vulnerable opponents is a fairly universal value. In pro sports, that often translates to concern for vulnerable fans, as the Falcons demonstrated in New Orleans three years ago. Several of them, including then-coach Jim Mora, admitted that they hated losing less than usual that day, because they knew the host city needed an emotional lift in the Saints' first game back at the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina.

In Detroit on Sunday, new Lions coach Jim Schwartz struck just the right note after his team ended its 19-game losing streak. After talking briefly with his players, Schwartz sent them back out to the floor of Ford Field and told them to share the celebration with Detroit fans who have remained loyal to a moribund team in a cratering economy.

It was a small, gracious gesture that didn't cost a thing. And it was almost worthy of a dominant high school football team.