sportsmanship debate

Every situation is different, but I don't see what the problem is there either. If they had started taking a knee in the third quarter, would that have been good sportsmanship?

I play golf with a group of guys that I consider great friends, and we are very competitive with each other. Sometimes I kick their butts, sometimes they kick mine. If I was down 14 skins or something like that, and I felt like one of them was trying to take it easy on me - maybe missed a 5 footer on purpose - I'd be pissed, and they know it. They would feel the same way. I beat one of them by 19 skins when it was just 2 of us playing one time. Guess what happened the next time we played.
 
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Zguy28

New Member
This is an issue that hits close to home. SMYFL recently received complaints (even on this forum) about a few of the scores from their opening day.

Sometimes you can only do so much.
 
This is an issue that hits close to home. SMYFL recently received complaints (even on this forum) about a few of the scores from their opening day.

Sometimes you can only do so much.
I would rather lose fairly, with honor, than be patronized to by the other team saying "X # of scores is enough, lets let them lose by no more than this."
 

Zguy28

New Member
I would rather lose fairly, with honor, than be patronized to by the other team saying "X # of scores is enough, lets let them lose by no more than this."
Me too.

However, there are ways to also "go easy" without letting the other team's players know it. Such as when your backup running back "accidentally" fumbles the ball. Or having your linebackers take a bad angle on a tackle but selling it to look real.
 

migtig

aka Mrs. Giant
Me too.

However, there are ways to also "go easy" without letting the other team's players know it. Such as when your backup running back "accidentally" fumbles the ball. Or having your linebackers take a bad angle on a tackle but selling it to look real.

Seriously? :confused: Don't they throw professional players in jail for stuff like that? We are encouraging kids to "cheat" when they are winning so the losers won't feel bad? WTF? Losers should feel bad, or else they will never strive to better themselves.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Every situation is different, but I don't see what the problem is there either. If they had started taking a knee in the third quarter, would that have been good sportsmanship?

I play golf with a group of guys that I consider great friends, and we are very competitive with each other. Sometimes I kick their butts, sometimes they kick mine. If I was down 14 skins or something like that, and I felt like one of them was trying to take it easy on me - maybe missed a 5 footer on purpose - I'd be pissed, and they know it. They would feel the same way. I beat one of them by 19 skins when it was just 2 of us playing one time. Guess what happened the next time we played.

Totally unrelated.

In High school, a coach should start playing back ups when it is out of hand.

In golf, you have a moral obligation to destroy your friends and they you. There is no let up. No mercy. So it is written, so it must be done.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
I think this is ridiculous. I can see being annoyed because you just want the game to be over but who cares if it hurts the other teams feelings. It is suppose to be competative and make you want to strive to do your best.

Rivals High - Nine-TD effort in Arizona HS football game sparks sportsmanship debate

From the article;

Every kid that dressed played. That spoke a lot on their behalf. They made every effort to keep the score as low as possible. If they wanted to, they could have went three digits on us."

It just got out of hand. :buddies:
 

LastSon

Man of Tomorrow
Sometimes a team is simply overmatched. And I'm sorry, but its really hard to tell a kid who is a 5th string running back on varsity who never gets to see the field to not try and take it to the house if he gets into the open field. Every situation is different, but as long as the coach pulled the starters once they were comfortably up, and wasn't calling a lot of passes and going for it on 4th downs and stuff like that, I don't see anything wrong with it.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Sometimes a team is simply overmatched. And I'm sorry, but its really hard to tell a kid who is a 5th string running back on varsity who never gets to see the field to not try and take it to the house if he gets into the open field. Every situation is different, but as long as the coach pulled the starters once they were comfortably up, and wasn't calling a lot of passes and going for it on 4th downs and stuff like that, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Yup.

:buddies:
 

Zguy28

New Member
Seriously? :confused: Don't they throw professional players in jail for stuff like that? We are encouraging kids to "cheat" when they are winning so the losers won't feel bad? WTF? Losers should feel bad, or else they will never strive to better themselves.
What? Are we talking about professional players here?

The only reason point shaving is illegal is because gambling is allowed on pro and college games.

I'm talking about 8-10 year old kids doing things to spare other kids humiliation or make them feel a little better. Get over yourself. In youth football at least, its not usually the players fault when they get blown out. Sometimes it is because of talent discrepancy, but most of the time its coaching. Why should a child suffer needlessly because of poor coaching?
 

migtig

aka Mrs. Giant
What? Are we talking about professional players here?

The only reason point shaving is illegal is because gambling is allowed on pro and college games.

I'm talking about 8-10 year old kids doing things to spare other kids humiliation or make them feel a little better. Get over yourself. In youth football at least, its not usually the players fault when they get blown out. Sometimes it is because of talent discrepancy, but most of the time its coaching. Why should a child suffer needlessly because of poor coaching?
So you are saying, what you teach 8-10 year olds, doesn't encourage them to repeat that behavior as adults that they learned as children?

I'm saying, play your best, and if you lose, you play harder. Nobody appreciates anything that they didn't have to work hard to get. That goes for sports and that goes for everything else in life. You think teaching them they are all "number one" really is fair? What happens when they don't have any coping mechanisms in place and find out the truth, that they aren't number one, that they aren't entitled, and they have to work hard to get what they want?

"Children suffer needlessly" because they lost a freaking football game? Cheese-n-rice. Are you going to hold your kids hands their whole life, go on dates with them, take them to work, do their work for them? Failure has to happen in order for anybody to succeed.
 

libertytyranny

Dream Stealer
So you are saying, what you teach 8-10 year olds, doesn't encourage them to repeat that behavior as adults that they learned as children?

I'm saying, play your best, and if you lose, you play harder. Nobody appreciates anything that they didn't have to work hard to get. That goes for sports and that goes for everything else in life. You think teaching them they are all "number one" really is fair? What happens when they don't have any coping mechanisms in place and find out the truth, that they aren't number one, that they aren't entitled, and they have to work hard to get what they want?

"Children suffer needlessly" because they lost a freaking football game? Cheese-n-rice. Are you going to hold your kids hands their whole life, go on dates with them, take them to work, do their work for them? Failure has to happen in order for anybody to succeed.



:yeahthat:

The "everybody gets a trophy" mentality is no good. I understand wanting everyone to be happy..and that giving an 8 yo a trophy and they are happy and you feel good...but what does it really teach them? Its like the poster in another thread praising an adult with a child cuz they make 8 bucks an hour..it is praising and rewarding mediocrity. In life not everyone gets a trophy and even children should learn to lose with grace and dignity...and use it as motivation to work harder.
 

Pete

Repete
Me too.

However, there are ways to also "go easy" without letting the other team's players know it. Such as when your backup running back "accidentally" fumbles the ball. Or having your linebackers take a bad angle on a tackle but selling it to look real.

You can't really do that anyway. Most of the kids go to the same schools and it comes out eventually typically during a trash talk episode.

"We beat you guys bad."

"Oh yea at least we scored"

"Pffffft we fumbled that on purpose."

"Nuh uh"

"Uh yea, right Billy, didn't the coach say fumble it and fall down?"

"Sure did"
 

TWERP

New Member
:yeahthat:

The "everybody gets a trophy" mentality is no good. I understand wanting everyone to be happy..and that giving an 8 yo a trophy and they are happy and you feel good...but what does it really teach them? Its like the poster in another thread praising an adult with a child cuz they make 8 bucks an hour..it is praising and rewarding mediocrity. In life not everyone gets a trophy and even children should learn to lose with grace and dignity...and use it as motivation to work harder.

BINGO. :buddies: People get rewarded for being mediocre and accept it because "it's ok, I still got a trophy"
 

Zguy28

New Member
You can't really do that anyway. Most of the kids go to the same schools and it comes out eventually typically during a trash talk episode.

"We beat you guys bad."

"Oh yea at least we scored"

"Pffffft we fumbled that on purpose."

"Nuh uh"

"Uh yea, right Billy, didn't the coach say fumble it and fall down?"

"Sure did"
What can I say, I don't endorse giving trophies to anybody but the champion. I think trophies for everyone is stupid too.

I also have a zero tolerance policy for trash talking from my players on or off the field. Its why I tell the officials to give no warning and flag my players for it immediately.

Not to mention that I've never heard a kid trash talk after a 4 or 5 touchdown beating.
 
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