What a contrasting sports day I had Thursday.

The way it started. The way it ended.

My day began with a morning visit to the Heinz History Center & Sports Museum, where I was invited to be part of a media panel discussion during the 2019 WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit.

Five other high school sports reporters and myself fielded questions about the best act of sportsmanship we've seen examples of outstanding sportsmanship among WPIAL student-athletes, etc.

The Knoch-West Allegheny football playoff game from 2011 came up, when Bob Palko kept his West Allegheny team on the field for a life lesson, watching the postgame vigil at Knoch Stadium in remembrance of a Knoch cheerleader killed in a car crash days earlier.

Butler senior basketball player Ethan Morton was lauded for his every-day practice of sportsmanship and respect for the game.

Seneca Valley was one of four schools receiving the WPIAL Sportsmanship Award for 2018-19. The Raiders joined Peters Township, West Greene and Winchester Thurston in receiving award banners to be hung in the respective gyms of those schools.

There were 88 schools represented at this event, more than 600 people.

An enlightening day for everyone in attendance, to be sure.

Then there was Thursday night.

The end of the Steelers-Browns football game in Cleveland was about as far from sportsmanlike as one can get.

Cleveland's Myles Garrett sacks Steeler quarterback Mason Rudolph in the waning seconds of the contest. He lays on top of him, prompting Rudolph to try forcing his way off the turf.

Garrett rips off Rudolph's helmet and gets up. As Rudolph pursued him to get his helmet back, Garrett whacks him over the head with it.

A mini-brawl ensues. Steeler center Maurkice Pouncey throws some punches at Garrett, then kicks at his head while Garrett was on the ground.

The ugliness resulted in Garrett getting suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Pouncey received a three-game suspension.

We all received a sickening feeling in our stomachs from having to watch this.

These guys are supposed to be professionals. Somehow, proper behavior should be associated with that.

High school athletes are kids. A learning process is associated with that.

A handful of kids at the Sportsmanship Summit willingly raised their hands in admittance of being ejected from a sporting event. Guaranteed, each learned from it.

Obviously, pro athletes are more talented than kids.

Apparently, pro athletes can learn some things from kids, too.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle