from what i've heard, in any sport the coach can "throw in the towel" to stop the match, game, set, etc. why are we having this discussion. if the team/kid/whatever is getting beat that badly they can forfeit/give up the game to end it early. its not the other teams/kids fault. dont punish the better team or athlete. i'm sorry but i've always said in situations like this, quit crying or get better.

thats my 2 cents and if you dont like it, tough.

and hotdog....if they score 50+ and they are in the highest class available what do u do then? hmmm? its just like saying with skutt....they have won too many championships move them to A, lol. instead of getting better, beating the best team, ppl are trying to fix the problem easiest way. and dont say i'm one of those class A ppl who dont want skutt in A, i'd love to see skutt in A.

Anarchist, I know where you're going with the idea about kids getting purposely beaten into the ground.

First off, you have to have coaches that don't coach to purposely and unmercifully beat their opponent into oblivion. If you have coaches who have a "stick it to 'em" attitude, then that should be something for the administration of a particular school to deal with, not with the state athletic association.

Second, if your team/athlete is on the receiving end of a pounding, what can you do to make a positive out of it? I coached a wrestler a few years ago who had to wrestle Allgood at the state tournament. Allgood took bottom in the third period, and I had my guy cut him. Why? I told him I wanted him to go on his feet with Allgood as much as possible. If he could learn to be competitive with guys like Allgood, it could only make him better. (Side note: He actually got in on a pretty deep double--that Allgood countered beautifully, incidently--but at least he wasn't afraid to take the shot)

quote:

These misguided attempts at leveling the playing field will lead to serious disapointments down the line.

Is that why there are so many Skutt bashers and the push to move them to class A on this site?

Lance - thanks for the understanding... The re-reading of the article still brings up a valid point (although it doesn't directly say that)... There are coaches who are jerks, and live for running up the score... If the school won't snap them back (the school board and the parents are more than likely a driving force with that), then someone should... It only takes a few to ruin things for everyone.

Again... The oxymoron to this is individual competition sports where team score is kept. Not much one can do against a team with 14 gifted wrestlers, a team of gifted golfers, tracksters, etc...

And yes, HB, I am in touch with my "inner liberal"... You should try it some time... It'll make you feel better

This message has been edited. Last edited by: anarchist,

possibly

There have been good points made on both sides, but I have to go with the side that says that this rule is ridiculous. I coached for 30+ years and agree that no coach should "run it up", but lop-sided scores happen, and kids live and learn through it. In a sport which is not "physically" head to head like golf, what do you do if you get thumped. He shoots a 36 and you shoot a 48. Do the parents sue to get stokes removed, and does the coach get suspended. How about a 6-0 set in tennis? Is it too taxing on the guy who lost. I don't like Steve Spurrier, but his quote in his book said, "If you don't like us scoring too much, get a better defense". I know it isn't possible to recruit in high school, but it does say, if you don't like it, learn from it, get better, and quit whinning about someone else or someone else's team being better.
I had a wrestler who got pinned every match as a freshman, got a little better as a sophomore, and placed 3rd at state as a senior. There was not societal adjustment. He just worked harder and got better.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Munster,

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-i agree with spurrier to an extent. if you dont like it get a better defense, but i dont agree with running up the score.

ooops.....i meant to hit the quote button not edit, lol.


that was my response

Whitey, quit putting words in my mouth, or post! LOL

Let's leave the Skutt references out of this conversation, please.

This is a legit issue that deserves it's own focus.

This issue can resolved by examining the duties of the persons involved in a game situation. A coach's first duty is not to the school or "the game" or the other team or regulatory bodies but to his or her players, all of them comprising the team, and that duty consists of training such players to perform at their best and then allowing them to do so if at all possible. That duty is followed by the coach's duty to the parents and supporters of those kids in allowing the players to play, and be visible while so doing, as a reward for hard work in practice. Bear in mind that many parents want their child to be seen to be good, even if on a reserve team, by other schools or colleges. Pounding a solid reserve halfback up the middle for fear of letting him show his skills by breaking outside and running up the score is a breach of the coach's first two duties. A player's duty to coach, team, and parents is to perform at his or her best while in the game.

As to the opposing team, coaches and players only owe it a duty of non-physically-injurious play and,I argue, at peak performance level: Nothing is more insulting than playing against someone who obviously "backs off" out of pity.

Any other structuring of duties creates an untenable conflict of interest for the coaches.

Well said dswitz

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Let's leave the Skutt references out of this conversation, please.

If I didn't bring it up, someone else eventually would have.

This is an example that appears to apply in this situation. A dominating program eating everyone's lunch and no one is happy how it got accomplished. The double standard state strikes again!

actually i think i was the one who brought it up first lol.

Apples and Oranges. If a team that dominates where they have distinct asthetic advantages over everyone else then an issue of inequality is valid and people have every right to complain. In this case, Skutt is competing against teams that don't have any of the same characteristics. I have no problem when one team beats another handily when the two schools have similar enrollments and similar demographics.

People are asking to make an example of O. Skutt by moving them up a class, and they are not equal because they are a private school (accused of recruiting, by the way)... Demographic are similar to a great deal of Omaha Schools.. Upper to upper middle class taxpaying families. Enrollment's an upper half NSAA Class B school

Side note. Unless there's a tax break that I don't know about, I for one am asking "Why are people paying oh my God amount in property taxes to support the public schools, then throwing oh my God amount more into private school tuition?" I understand it's a choice, and I'm just thinking out loud...

So... Now do we take the "Skutt Principle" and apply it to every parochial school that dominates their respective class in extracurricular activities in an attempt to level the playing field? I'm smelling a lawsuit.

Answer: Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Level Playing Field.

Question: What are three things that don't exist beyond childhood fantasies?

I think all High school sports should have some sort of mercy rule. Baseball has had the 10 run rule forever and it has been a good thing. Wrestling has the tech fall and the pin.

Some people forget the reasons for sports. It is not to show the world that you are so good that you can run up the score.(thats what the Pro's are all about) high school sports should be kept on a positive note about HEALTHY competition and teamwork.

I will never forget the time Brett Allgood had to wrestle a girl at a dual. He kindly took her to the mat and pinned her in 4-5 seconds. There was nothing to be gained for anyone to watch Brett throw her around like a ragdoll for 6 minutes.
How about the kid who let the Mentally challenged kid pin him, he got national exposure for that.

What happens if you get to 48-0...and you're on the 2 yard line about to score? take a kneel down? hand them the ball? what on earth do you do? there should be a MERCY RULE instead of a suspension...it's not the coaches fault the other team sucks/their team is extremely good.

exactly.