A 94-point margin? THAT would be rude.
Friday January 16, 2009
A high school girls basketball team in Greely, Colorado won a game this week by the surprising margin of 94-1. As is obvious from the score, the losing team didn't manage a single field goal in the game -- the only point Justice High School could muster came on a second-half free throw.
After the game, the winning coach, Nathan Buxman of Frontier Academy, told reporters, "I think it's important to respect the game and to respect your opponent."
Right.
I'd like to personally offer Coach Buxman a vigorous slap upside the head... to be followed immediately by a passionate lecture on the virtues of non-violence.
(Hat tip: Deadspin)
Comments
Tsk… No justice for Justice High, eh?
That really is uncalled-for.
I think playing sports and learning about being good winners and losers is important. Period. However, what could possibly be gained by letting a blowout like this happen? The winning girls didn’t improve their skills, they weren’t challenged. I’m pretty sure the self esteem of the losing team wasn’t so great that night either. Nobody benefits from this. The game had been called when the winning team was up fifty points and saved everyone wasted time, energy and god only knows how long standing on the field feeling humiliated.
And by field, I mean court.
What surprises me is that this was — according to the report — a league game. In my experience, high school divisions tend to be split in such a way that there wouldn’t be such a huge difference in talent.
I mean — not a single field goal? In an entire game? One would think you could pit a high school team against the Tar Heels and they’d score at least once by blind luck.
I’m not a fan of competative sports. If you are going to bother keeping score then no mercy! Can’t have it both ways. Either play for fun or paly to win or lose and no crying about it after. I’m sure there is a training factor which goes along with talent.
Not sure I understand the attitude about the coaches comment on respect? But I did’t wacth the clip.
I once played in a parochial school game where we beat a team 71-2 and did everything in our power to let them score. We ran the clock. Hung waaaaayyyy back on defense. I was the lousy second string center and my coach left me in most of the game. Sometimes these things happen. My coached liked to win, but not at all costs.
I do believe in honest competition, which I do not see as being at odds with my concurrent belief in limits to humiliation.
I’m with you, Beth.
I have no problem with blowouts at the pro level — or even at the Division I college level…
But when we’re talking about high school kids… I just don’t see the benefit to this sort of game — for either side.
“One would think you could pit a high school team against the Tar Heels and they’d score at least once by blind luck.”
Along those lines, before the UNC-Miami game(I was in the waaaay back of the riser seats) I actually got to see the UNC Junior Varsity team(the guys they send in once the game is a foregone conclusion and we’ve scored a hundred points) play what I believe actually was a high school team. (The scoreboard said Methodist) The final score was 101-22.
But I always thought leagues like that had mercy rules where if one team led the other by a ridiculous margin like that the game was ended.
Justice High School is a school of teens who are forced to go there by court because they have no where else to go. It is full of at-risk youth who rarely have the time or motivation to do much more than survive. The girls on Justice’s team managed to have enough will to choose to start a basketball team in a hard situation. They don’t yet know how to do simple things because they haven’t had the time to learn them. This is why they made no field goals.
Coach Buxman spoke before, during, and after the game many times with the opposing team’s coach. They had a good conversation in which the other coach -asked- Coach Buxman to play against them like they were any other team.
The girls on Frontier’s team may not have ‘gone easy on them’, but what they did do was compliment the other team on what they did do well. It was a huge learning experience for Justice’s team, and I doubt -their- coach would say it was humiliating.
Say what you will, but those actually involved with the event don’t seem to have the problems that outsiders do. Yes, the girls on the Justice team were upset. But I’m sure their coach explained to them that it meant they needed to work harder and they needed more time. A fresh new team against a state-qualifying team? It’s never going to be pretty.
As far as mercy rules? Now THAT sounds humiliating!
I jus tran across this, and I’m sure no body evens looks at this any more but I have to comment here. Caitlin is 100% correct. I coach and was blown out in a game with Frontier as well, and their coach asked me several times during the game what I wanted him to do to help us out. He would never run up the score on purpose for any reason, he is a man of strong character, trust me. Justice isa tam that is learning the game plain and simple. No one wants to be involved in a game like this but sometimes it happens. Its a difficult position for both coaches. But I can tell that the statements made above are in correct and the coaches comments are taken out of context. unless you were there or know the parties first hand, I’d reserve judgement.