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How an 8-year-old's first touchdown resulted in a $500 fine, coach suspension
Post Standard, Syracuse NY ^ | October 26, 2014 at 11:02 AM | By Allie Healy

Posted on 10/26/2014 9:03:23 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines

Elijah Burrell did what he was taught to do if he intercepted the football -- score a touchdown. But the 8-year-old's pick-six play wasn't much to celebrate after the team was fined $500 for violating the Gwinnett Football League's mercy rule...

the Lawrenceville Black Knights were winning against their opponents, 32-0, in the fourth quarter. Burrell then intercepted a pass and went through with the touchdown, failing to comply with the league's mercy rule.

That six-point score caused the Georgia-based team to surpass the 33-point rule, which earned the coach a week-long suspension and the team a $500 fine.

(Excerpt) Read more at syracuse.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: burrell; lawrenceville; mercy; touchdown
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(Note to moderator: Posted, per site categories, in "Culture/Society" as a "Discussion of health, education, welfare, drugs, abortion, environment, housing, unions, employment, social security, religion, arts, humanity, sports, and other cultural and societal issues, and not posted for "general/chat purposes")

This just goes to show what a nation of politically correct wimps we've become. Rather than celebrate this little boy's achievements, we punish him and his coach in the name of "fake self esteem" for the other kids.

We really have turned into the world of Harrison Bergeron, haven't we?

1 posted on 10/26/2014 9:03:23 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Liberals are morons.


2 posted on 10/26/2014 9:04:29 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam should be outlawed and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

PC will kill us all.


3 posted on 10/26/2014 9:05:58 AM PDT by fwdude (The last time the GOP ran an "extremist," Reagan won 44 states.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

In six man football, the game stops when one team has scored 45 points over their opponent.


4 posted on 10/26/2014 9:06:04 AM PDT by Slyfox (To put on the mind of George Washington read all of Deuteronomy 28)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
The "mercy" rule...
The opposing coach could have thrown in the towel. Shades of boxing cant.

Pitting these two teams against each other was the basic error. Those in their league KNEW that. Blame it on the schedulers.

5 posted on 10/26/2014 9:07:33 AM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: Slyfox
In six man football, the game stops when one team has scored 45 points over their opponent.

Now THAT sounds most reasonable.

6 posted on 10/26/2014 9:08:05 AM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: cloudmountain

That’s what I was thinking. Any score at that point was going to violate the mercy rule. The other coach should have called it. Seems to me he was using the mercy rule as a sword, not a shield, at that point.


7 posted on 10/26/2014 9:09:11 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Can’t take back the kid running it back, but don’t go for the PAT, don’t put it on the scoreboard or stat sheet...

What’s so stinkin’ hard about that?


8 posted on 10/26/2014 9:11:43 AM PDT by SZonian (Throwing our allegiances to political parties in the long run gave away our liberty.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
As someone who has coached both children and adults in sports, I would say that the focus on the "PC wimps" aspect of this overlooks a much bigger issue.

This problem didn't start when we allowed ourselves to let a "PC wimp" mindset to take over our youth sports. I'd say the problem started when the whole idea of adults coaching children in organized sports began in the first place.

I saw a fascinating interview with Wayne Gretzky a few years ago. He was careful to be very diplomatic and spoke highly of youth hockey coaches in general, but he was also pretty open about his opinion that the countless hours he spent playing hockey in his own backyard were far more instrumental in his success than any "youth hockey coach" was.

9 posted on 10/26/2014 9:11:57 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("The ship be sinking.")
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

This is ridiculous. Was it weight football?

When my son was in grade school, I talked my husband into being an assistant coach and it was good thing. They had a team from Canada ask for a practice game and when they showed up, they had a team full of Samoans. My husband found a scaled and weighed every single one and asked their birth dates and allowed them to be ten or fifteen pounds over, but that was it. They could barely field a team.


10 posted on 10/26/2014 9:12:45 AM PDT by Eva
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

He should have run towards the opponent’s endzone, the back to his, then to the opponent’s, then handed off to let team mates run around some. Then put the ball on the ground and dance around it until the other team gets close to it. That would have been a lot less humiliating than just scoring on an interception.


11 posted on 10/26/2014 9:13:04 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (The IRS: either criminally irresponsible in backup procedures or criminally responsible of coverup.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

insanity is running the world these days


12 posted on 10/26/2014 9:13:14 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: cloudmountain

It makes more sense to just declare the game over when a certain score spread takes place


13 posted on 10/26/2014 9:14:01 AM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
For you listening and viewing pleasure:

Weird Al's "First World Problems"

Millions of parents around the world worry about where their child's next meal will come from instead of worrying about damaging his or her self-esteem.

Hint: If you're worried about your childrens' self-esteem being damaged, don't let them play competitive sports.

14 posted on 10/26/2014 9:15:40 AM PDT by Texas Eagle
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To: GeronL
It makes more sense to just declare the game over when a certain score spread takes place

Yes, it does.
That should be done even through high school. The college and pro scouts can see what they have to see in even two quarters.

15 posted on 10/26/2014 9:15:52 AM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: CodeToad

Gwinnett Co used to be a nice place to live back 15 20 years ago. Then all the liberal do-gooders invaded the area and took over with their typicle bad ideas.
Once the infestation starts you have to move...


16 posted on 10/26/2014 9:16:06 AM PDT by Autonomous User (No 18 Holes after a Head Rolls.)
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To: Alberta's Child
Bobby Orr played hockey on frozen ponds from the age of 5 with little or no adult supervision. By the time he played his first organized hockey with actual coaches, I think he was 14, but was already playing at a superstar level.

I think there is something to be said for just letting the kids play and staying out of it.

17 posted on 10/26/2014 9:16:31 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: GeronL

In the end, everybody got a trophy. Thereby advancing the idea that you ALWAYS win. Then when someone like the kid in Marysville gets rejected, there is no understanding of that rejection and there will be no trophy this time. Too many of the issues today revolve around someone not being able to cope with reality, rejection or loss. What these youngsters are missing is the opportunity to learn how to deal with negative outcomes. Kind of like real life. Sometimes things just go to s**t. Yeah, it sucks but you have to understand how to move forward and learn from it.


18 posted on 10/26/2014 9:19:30 AM PDT by rktman ("The only thing dumber than a brood hen is a New York democrat." Mother Abagail.)
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To: Slyfox

If the NFL had a mercy rule, Oakland would never play a game.


19 posted on 10/26/2014 9:20:20 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Zimmerman, Brown, Fast & Furious, IRS harassment, Philly ignorance: holdering in 1st degree)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

I would not allow my son to have played in such a wimp league. To have any value in life kids need to learn early that life’s game shows no mercy.


20 posted on 10/26/2014 9:21:44 AM PDT by ontap
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