running up the score
Very good story in Friday's Washington Post about a football game between 2 high schools in West Virginia. They're 10 miles apart, yet 10 years apart in terms of their players' abilities. Long story short: The one team's best player has a shot at the national single-game rushing record. His team is up 35 at half, he's already run for more than 300 yards. He figures he's done for the night. Instead, his coach keeps him in the game and goes no-huddle the entire 2nd half. Late in the 4th quarter, the kid got the record. You can imagine the reaction from the losing team and, now, nationally.
Is there any question the winning coach did the wrong thing? I believe there is.
Is it better to pat your weaker opponent on the head, empty your bench and win by 40? Or to keep your 1st team in, win by 60 and, in some small way, honor that weaker opponent? Of course, this was an over-the-top case. Nobody should be going no huddle in that situation. But what is the best way to handle a blowout? I've always thought I'd rather be humbled by the best than pitied by the second-best, and that part of the fault lies with me, for not having a better team.
What do you think?
posted by Paul Daugherty at 8:12 AM
7 Comments:
at 9:22 PM 
PATRICK LYSAGHT said...
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at 4:08 AM 
OrangeD00d said...
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at 11:52 AM 
Anonymous said...
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at 7:30 PM 
Paul Daugherty said...
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at 2:47 PM 
Anonymous said...
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at 11:37 AM 
Anonymous said...
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at 2:53 PM 
Anonymous said...
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Post a Comment*You cast yourself as the losing team's coach. Try being a second teamer on the winning squad.
I coach HS lacrosse, we have a pretty good program so we often get big leads. I make sure everybody gets plenty of playing time, but I'm also not going to penalize my starters for being better than the other team by taking away their playing time too much. That's what they practice and do all that off-season work for. Their reward is game day.
I'll definitely take my foot off the gas in terms of what plays we run, etc. And we'll sometimes let guys play other positions (defense play offense, new goalie, that kind of thing), but I worry sometimes if that mightn't be perceived as rubbing it in, too.
I make sure my guys know how I feel about running it up too bad. And they know how I feel about taunting or otherwise showing up the other team in any way. I don't care if you're a scrub or the star - your butt's next to me on the bench.
We play aggressive and hit hard. Then we help the other guy up, and after the game, we shake their hands and thank them for their effort.
I had to think about this some before commenting. Provocative.
Why should the better team "let up" and show "mercy"? This isn't war. We're not sparing innocent civilians. It's a game: A sporting contest for entertainment.
Doc might be right on this. What lesson should we learn by not giving the full game's effort if you're the better team? Do we ask students to simply pass a test and not try to get a perfect score?
Finish the game. I don't care about no-huddle. Run your offense and defense full throttle if you want.
The only reason it's a bad idea is if a player gets hurt. That wasn't the issue Doc raised. There's nothing "morally" wrong with playing out the game with your best effort. Saving solidiers for future battle would be fine if that's the coach's strategy. But, if he chose to play out the game at full speed, good for him.
Tell her I said hello back, Chena
I have no problem with the coach letting the kid play and get the record. However, no huddle in the 2nd half and not returning kicks for more yardage is not the way to go about getting a record. If the game is not altered in the second half and he gets it, good for him. In this case, the coach went too far.
To me it's pretty simple. The kid that broke the record is a running back. Whether they were running the Run N Shoot or the Wishbone, the kid still got his record on the ground. Running the football. I'm sorry, but if you can't line up and stop the other teams running back from going for 600+, maybe you need to get better? Put 11 in the box and force them to throw. I'm betting they don't, but I'm also betting they don't instruct the QB to genuflect after each snap. Or maybe they could hike the ball to noone and then all sit back and watch the ensuing scrum? Ever seen someone try to corral a greased pig? It's a hoot, should Babe stop trying to run away? Football's a game, play it or get off the field.
It was an ego thing for the coach and the player. What's the point in getting a record against an undermanned opponet. Why would the coach even know about the record in the 1st place? Did he check into it before the game? Seems to me he wants some of the glory this kid will receive when he breaks the record. High school sports should be about teaching and values. Pursing a meaninless record against an undermanned opponet only strokes their own egos. I agree it hurts your team in that the 2nd team players have to feel like their contributions to the team mean so little in relation to the pursuit of the coach's and the stars perosonal agendas. Doc has it all wrong here - kids would quit playing unless they started because you would never take out the starters. Opponents would quit scheduling you if they were to be set up just to break records. It's a matter of respect.
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