Oh, The Good 'Ole Days

Rules, rules and more Rules! At what point will common courtesy step in? Maybe never again. I recently read a story that left me shaking my head.

"Conn. Prep Football Adopts Score Control Policy"

This makes me almost as sad as the day I read an article about San Francisco schools outlawing tag at recess because it created an unfair environment among kids.

Back to football, or soccer, or futbol Americana...This article is about a new policy to help 'manage the score' in high school football games. Under this new policy, a coach will be suspended from a game if his team wins by more than 50 points! Really?

From time to time, this issue comes up, particularly in football. A few years back, Bob Stoops, the University of OK's ball coach was chastised for drubbing Texas A&M, even though in the fourth quarter he ran the ball on a 4th and 10 from the 15 yard line, and his player scored a TD (third string btw)! The question I pose is this, "How is a policy really going to make sportsmanship happen?" That is what the heart of this policy is out to fight. However, how is a coach supposed to pull back the reigns, when they were letting their players run all week in practice? Some say, play back ups. Well what happens when the backups are better than the other team's starters?

The problem is the system, not necessarily the coaches. Now while I see that some coaches are out of line, putting a score limit isn't the right thing to do. When I was in H.S. if the score was a 35 point run away by the 4th quarter, the game was called. Opponents of this policy say shortening the games limits the time backups have to play. Now when was it a requirement that H.S. players HAVE to play? Why are we worried about the time backups get?

What happens when it is the end of the season, and a team that should be in a lower division is getting pounded by a top team. The coach of the team getting pounded doesn't like the other coach and w/ the score 45 - 2 in the first half pulls his starters with the other team heading in on the 20. The winners score, play the waterboys the rest of the first half and the entire second and win 52 - 2. Now this top team's coach has to sit out the first round of the playoffs, where his team is seeded second because the 2nd tie breaker is point differential!

Oh the world we live in...