Posted on 10/15/2008 3:43:57 AM PDT by prisoner6
ESTERO, Fla. - The Estero High football staff gathered in head coach Rich Dombroski's office late Friday, almost in stunned silence.
Earlier that night, Estero lost to Naples High by 13.
Not by 13 points. By 13 touchdowns. That's right: Naples 91, Estero 0.
< snip >
A half-hour away in Naples, Eagles coach Bill Kramer - the man on the winning end - could use one of those.
He looked at the scoreboard late in the game, saw 91-0, and said he felt sick to his stomach. Kramer's team ran only 31 plays and he kept most of his best players on the sideline - for the entire game in some cases. But still Kramer knew what was coming.
Soon after the game ended, his inbox began filling with angry e-mails, some from Estero parents wondering why so many points were necessary, some from Naples parents wondering why their kids didn't play more in an effort to pad their stats.
(Excerpt) Read more at highschool.rivals.com ...
In any case it bugs me that parents get upset about these lopsided scores in their kids sports. And why should the winning coach feel "sick to his stomach" because his team won?
In my graduating year ('68...sigh) my high school football team wom the state class B championship. Since then the team has steadily gone downhill. When my kids attended hte same school the football team had became a joke. They pop champagne bottles if they lose by only a TD or 2. Quite often we lose by scores like 63-0 and I don't think the parents whine about it.
Of course I have threatened to take the field myself and show them how to play, but I suppose security would have something to say about that.
and from the article
parents wondering why so many points were necessary
Tha's simple, it's because it teaches both the winners and losers valuable life lessons.
prisoner6
Was the losing team co-ed? Staffed by ACORN?
The coach saying he felt sick to his stomach may have been PR-ing. He has some sort of record now, one that will be mentioned over Budweisers across the nation.
When I was in my 1st year at Grand Valley State University in 1989, GVSU beat Valparaiso by the same score of 91-0. IIRC, our starters were out of the game by the middle of the 2nd qtr.
As a member of the Lakers Marching Band, we had to play our fight song 13 times.
Not as bad as.....
The October 7, 1916, American football game between the Georgia Tech Engineers and the Cumberland College Bulldogs (now Cumberland University) was the most-lopsided game in the history of college football. Georgia Tech won, 222–0.
Now that score will turn your stomach.
LOL1 THat brings back similar memories for me. I was always in the band and was drum captain when we won the championship. we did win with some pretty high scores and had to play the fight song just like you did. By the end of the season we never wanted to hear it again!
Then when my kids were in the band they rarely got to play the fight song. Briefly here's why in a headline and some excerpts...
Carlynton High: Cougars aim for redemption after 0-9 season in 2007
"Last season, going 0-9 and people just giving up -- I'm haunted by that season,"
Carlynton's senior class never has experienced a winning season. In their three years of high school football, the Cougars had a 5-22 record.
So far this year the Cougars are 3-4 on the season.
9/05 At Monaca WPIAL-A Section 3 6-1 68.11 69.01 L 15-65
9/19 H Springdale WPIAL-A Section 1 4-3 51.55 52.45 L 6-35
10/03 H Avonworth 7-0 74.63 75.53 L 18-55
To be fair we did win this one.
9/12 A Leechburg Area WPIAL-A Section 1 0-7 2.37 3.27 W 48-14
Mercifully my youngest son graduated last year.
prisoner6
some from Naples parents wondering why their kids didn’t play more in an effort to pad their stats.
Ah the greed of Americans. Not the quality of play for their children but the quantity..
Great job of teaching your kids to be future Democrat Politicians.....
I was on a basketball team that lost the first game of a preseason tournament to the defending state champs by over 100. That’s right, they lapped us on the scoreboard. We played the same team in the regional tournament during playoffs and nearly beat them (they won by 1 point). Things can turn around very quickly in high school sports.
pathetic! What ever happened to winning? I believe that in any competition I am in, be it business or just plain life, I will strive my very best to totally obliterate any and all competition. I will be fair (meaning no underhanded stuff), but you can bet it that I will not be merciful.
Obama will legislate progressive scoring laws and touchdown redistribution. He’s not trying to penalize the success of winners but share the scores so that others can be successful. He doesn’t care that total game scores will go down because score sharing is about fairness.
pathetic! What ever happened to winning? I believe that in any competition I am in, be it business or just plain life, I will strive my very best to totally obliterate any and all competition. I will be fair (meaning no underhanded stuff), but you can bet it that I will not be merciful.
“parents wondering why their kids didn’t play more in an effort to pad their stats.”
...this isn’t about winning or losing...this is about how high school football gets you into a good Div-1 college football program...and that gets you a better chance of being noticed by a pro scout...the road to playing in the NFL begins very, very early.
High school sports, as opposed to collegiate or professional sports, are primarily designed to instill important values in young people, such as the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, etc.
Humiliating a weaker opponent for the sake of inflating your own sense of self worth is not a legitimate value that should be taught at the high school (or any) level. It is unChristian and wrong.
That said, I don't think that was what was happening here. The article indicates that the winning team ran only 31 plays and kept its best players on the sidelines. That's really all it can do (although I would like to know how many passes it threw). But what you are talking about is simply inappropriate in sports.
Reminds me of the Bullwinkle episode where Wossamatta University’s football team demolished DeQuoins Grammar School. “A little mix-up in the schedule,” said Bullwinkle. They also defeated Barely Normal and Watchmaker’s Institute (Tick Tock Tech).
Maybe they wouldn't have lost so much if your kids weren't drinking.
Just kidding!
I agree. My high school over 40 years ago had a season where we were frequently beating our opponents by more than 50 points per game. We had a bunch of players who were going to big-time college programs and the rest of the kids who weren't were almost as good. The coach went on to be head coach at a Pac Ten program.
In our most egregiously lopsided win, the coach started the third string and had the fourth string in by the middle of the first quarter.
When taken to task after the game by those who thought it was "unfair" he responded: what am I supposed to do? I try to teach these kids to play football, and to give me 110% every day, even the guys who suit up and practice every day but never get into a game. So, we're in a game where I'm able to give these kids a chance to play. Am I supposed to tell them not to do their best? It may be the only game they ever play in. After the game, coach XXXX spoke with me at length. He told me some of his players felt cheated they didn't get to face our usual starters. His kids had great heart. And so do ours. All of them.
However I am not going to slow down so they can catch up, I will not do poor research so they can have a chance, I will not prepare a weak hedging strategy so that the can save face.
The reason is ever since I was young my main competition was myself, and if the 'other' competition cannot keep up then too bad for them. I will not slow down.
I will help you if you ask, for instance if you want some assistance with some information. I will not sabotage a person, and will go out of my way to help. Just know that in the actual pitch I will be out to win and win everything! I will not hold back.
I see nothing un Christian in that.
General Secretary Obama will make sure no high school football team can ever do this again.
He doesn’t want to punish this team, he just wants to make it fairer for teams behind them. So he’s going to spread it around a little bit.
Several years ago in Ohio my team won 76-0. The game was called by coaches mutual consent after 3 quarters. Apparently these officials don’t know that rule is in effect in Ohio. Same thing Freshman and Sophs playing but still head and shoulders above the other team.
bump
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.