Fired coach: I was accused of running up score

Palm Beach Post ^ | Dec. 7, 2001 | Marcus Nelson

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Brock Berlin to Kelvin Kight is not running up the score.

Well, not this season, at least.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Personally, I don't see what the big deal is about running up the score, if done in the context of trying your best. How can bad teams improve if much better teams go all soft on them? I personally think it's more of an insult if a team ahead by a lot of points stops trying, as if to say "you're not worth our full effort any more".

I can see taking your starters out to rest them in the fourth quarter, but for my money, whichever players are on the court should play as hard as if the score were tied. If that makes the score lopsided, so be it.

I'm not saying I'd enjoy being on the losing end of a game like this, but if I were playing such a game, and I drove to the basket, and nobody bothered to stop me, I'd be insulted. Play hard. Play fair. Don't show me up, but don't treat me as not worth the effort, either.

Anyone agree with me?

[1L]

I've officiated a lot of 67-11 games (or similar scores). If this coach wanted to run up the score, this team would have broken 100 easily. 67 in a girls varsity game against a team that is not competitive is not only not high, it's very low in my estimation. This team can shoot and rebound well, and I'm sure they went into their "stall" offense soon. But when the player has an open shot they MUST take it, otherwise they will pick up bad habits that will carry with them to future, competitive games.

This "principal" should be fired and the coach reinstated. This decision is mindless and shows me that he can not effectively lead.

[Dakmar]

It's Palm Beach. Maybe they counted wrong.

LOL. Or they forgot which basket the ball was supposed to go in: "I meant to score for our team."

[is_is]

ROFLMAO !!!!!

GO HORNS !!!!!

[theshog]

"...(Wellington Principal Rod) Montgomery said. "Hopefully everyone will rebound."

Rebound? If he doesn't want them to score, why should he care if they rebound?

[1Old Pro]

Sheesh, more political correctness. This is why some schools don't allow the score to even be kept at games.

[1L]

whichever players are on the court should play as hard as if the score were tied.

There's no question that this is true. If I'm coaching, any player not playing hard is benched. I will simply slow down the offense, take as much time as possible getting the ball across the division line, pull up on fast breaks, and go into a very loose zone defense. However, the players must take the open shot, they must block out on rebounds, they must hustle after loose balls, they must agressively challenge the shot, and they must not make dumb mistakes. If that results in a blowout, sorry Charlie. That's life.

[Dakmar]

Agreed 100%. Should smarter kids be required to stop answering test questions after they've got 60% of them because that's all the dumber kids will get?

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Link to follow-up story from Sunday.

[1Old Pro]

 

Should high school teams be allowed to run up the score on their opposition?
	Yes	83%	761
	No	17%	161
Total Votes			922
Should Teresa Krellner have been dismissed from her position as Wellington’s basketball coach?
	Yes	12%	130
	No	88%	922
Total Votes			1052

[stevem]

I've done high school basketball on radio for many years and I once saw a junior varsity game prior to a broadcast of mine where one team led 97-11 with one minute to go and set up a play to get a three-point shot for their starting two-guard. It was successful and the team hit triple digits. I lost all respect for that program for doing that.

I've seen games like the one you described and have to admit there isn't much excuse for it. I've seen games that were extremely lopsided even though the two teams were really evenly matched. One team was just ice cold the whole game. If it's a home and home series for the league, sometimes they make up for it later in the season.

Coaches that don't work to make it fun for their teams i.e. making sure lesser players get a chance in games like this, especially at the high school level, really aren't very good coaches.

I always told the parents of my kids that, as a coach, it was really more fun to lose a game by 1 point (especially if it was a war of strategies) than to win a game by fifty points. I won and lost more of those one point games than I care to remember, although, they were about equally split.

Coaching can be incredibly fun if you do it right.

[stevem]

This looks like a nonsense poll because the story shows they did NOT run up the score.

[FReepaholic]

>>...It's Palm Beach. Maybe they counted wrong....<<

Yeah, maybe the losing team should sue to have a recount.

I'm sure that many of the players MEANT to score but were confused.

Maybe Jesse and the gang can come down and represent all these "disenfrancshised scorers".

[Random Access]

Her actions resulted in severe damage to the self-esteem of the other team. She refused to follow the precepts of "outcome based basketball". It is obvious that the other teams have a "hoop challenged disability" and according to the ADA should have been provided with a larger diameter basket. She also did not place the required lead-substitute ball and chain on the ankles of her players as the principal requested.

LOL. You hit it right on.

I remember back in the late 1950's my little league team got blown away something like 25 to 3. It had no lasting effect on me.

Oh, by the way... most of us here in the "State Prison Mental Ward For The Low Self Esteem" (SPMWFTLSE) are looking for pen pals. Even if you do not want to write, we would appriciate drool towels for Christmas.

[boycott]

Instead of developing a running game against teams like Vandy, Spurrier would rather score 73 points. He sure could have used a running game against Tennessee and Auburn.

UF had the best talent in the nation this season. However, they have two losses. No running game + No defence = No NC.

[sean327]

This same thing happens in Pop Warner football, even with the 30 point slaughter rule. A year ago the team I coached went into half-time up 26-0. I had my 3rd string QB in and I was rotating my O-linemen in at fullback and runing dive plays with them. We ended up winning 42-0. I felt bad for the kids on the other team, but was happy that kids on my team got to do some things they might not have other wise. You can empty your bench, but that is not going to stop the kids in at the time from playing hard. Plus just seeing the grin on my centers face after he ran for a 5 yard touchdown, shows what the game is about, its about the kids.

[sean327]

This same thing happens in Pop Warner football, even with the 30 point slaughter rule. A year ago the team I coached went into half-time up 26-0. I had my 3rd string QB in and I was rotating my O-linemen in at fullback and runing dive plays with them. We ended up winning 42-0. I felt bad for the kids on the other team, but was happy that kids on my team got to do some things they might not have other wise. You can empty your bench, but that is not going to stop the kids in at the time from playing hard. Plus just seeing the grin on my centers face after he ran for a 5 yard touchdown, shows what the game is about, its about the kids.