Posted on 01/06/2012 5:51:36 AM PST by rawhide
Connell (Wash.) High's Cole Vanderbilt was a relative unknown in the basketball world, but all that changed two days ago, when a viral YouTube video turned him into one of the most hated players in Washington.
As the Tri-City Herald reported, Vanderbilt turned into public enemy number one when Michael Christenson decided to film a game between Connell and Highland (Wash.) High to prove to parents at Highland that the basketball league needed better officials.
As it turns out, the clip did more than just spotlight an officiating problem; it also made seniors Cole Vanderbilt and teammate Kennan VanHollebeke look like the dirtiest players on the court.
Someone apparently didn't appreciate the fouls -- the fifth foul is definitely of the flagrant variety -- because before anyone could blink, the video had gone viral, with one website proclaiming Vanderbilt to be "the dirtiest basketball player in America."
Even though you could probably make a case that most of the fouls, while aggressive in nature, weren't of the flagrant variety, there's no doubting the fifth foul is definitely the kind of bushleague garbage that should get you kicked out of a game.
It's clear from the way Vanderbilt goes after the Highland player that he had no intention of going for the ball; he was merely trying to make sure the player never had a chance to make it to the hoop.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
Poor or biased officiating is a leading cause of mini-riots and fights at basketball games.
What a thug that fat “player” with the beard is. His parental units must be proud.
Just damn. The levels of failure are almost too many to count.
My daughter played varsity basketball in HS. Some games were so frustrating that I wanted to ring the official’s necks. I never cared if her team won or lost, but the bad officiating would just really sting. It really crushes morale as well.
I think the problem is often that the refs are just not very good. This isn’t the pro’s after all.
But this video, especially example 5, is really hard to take. Someone could have been seriously injured.
—What a thug that fat “player” with the beard is. His parental units must be proud.—
The guy needs to meet the other team in a dark alley. No knives. Just chains.
What a friggin’ animal, and he’s grinning through the whole thing. Puke should be barred from ever playing again.
I totally agree with you!! I blame that chronic behavior entirely on the coach. If I was coaching, that kid’s azz would be collecting splinters on the bench...
Parents Say Teen Injured in High School Hockey Game Won’t Walk Again
Published January 06, 2012
FoxNews.com
I think he is a not very skilled bb player who was frustrated.
The most flagrant foul I saw, was the undercutting of the player (tripping the guy) as he was going for the layup. The refs should have the power to eject, and should have ejected the player immediately. That was very dangerous and could have resulted in permanent paralysis.
As a bb player many years ago, I always really hated to be responsible for undercutting a player going for a layup, because putting myself in that position mentally, I knew exactly how it would feel. Therefore, I would try my best never to have this happen.
To do this intentional, in a game situation, is bizarre.
“Vanderbilt, at 6 feet 3, 280 pounds, and VanHollebeke, at 6-4, 235, both played offensive and defensive line on the Eagles’ Class 1A state-championship football team in the fall. Both are listed as centers on the basketball team.”
Hard to believe that this was just “bad” officiating and not “crooked”.
These were deliberate technical fouls, three of them very clearly so.
At least two of the players in white needed to have an elbow to the groin or face and/or a team pile on - knock down. I also believe that as a coach, there is a time to pull your team off the court, when they are getting assaulted with the approval of the officials.
I could be wrong, but I blame the coach as well as the kid for allowing him in a game with the skill level.
bump
Actually, I saw a lot worse than this back when I played at the Hampden Rec Center (inner city Baltimore) back when I was a kid in the Sixties.
We used to have a rule: It’s not a foul unless the offended party is down and bleeding.
And we also had our own methodology for dealing with guys like the fat, bearded boy: punch the living crap out of him. Worked exceptionally well.
Fat boy really needs to be ‘humbled’ if you know what I mean. What gets me is after #4 or 5, he is just standing laughing with one of the refs.
The ref called him on it, and IIRC, ejected him from the game, the parents booed him, the team shunned him, and the coach removed him from the team after the game.
That's what should have happened. Even the kid's own parents chastised him.
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