Letting up on an opponent is sportsmanship? Or just silly?

[Guest Shoreline]

Reason I point this out is this topic stems from a recent article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_...d_point_shutout

Texas girls hoops team seeks forfeit of 100-0 win

DALLAS – A Texas high school girls basketball team on the winning end of a 100-0 game has a case of blowout remorse. Now officials from The Covenant School say they are trying to do the right thing by seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory.

"It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened," Kyle Queal, the head of the school, said in a statement, adding the forfeit was requested because "a victory without honor is a great loss."

The private Christian school defeated Dallas Academy last week. Covenant was up 59-0 at halftime.

A parent who attended the game told The Associated Press that Covenant continued to make 3-pointers — even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points.

"I think the bad judgment was in the full-court press and the 3-point shots," said Renee Peloza, whose daughter plays for Dallas Academy. "At some point, they should have backed off."

Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello told The Dallas Morning News that the game turned into a "layup drill," with the opposing team's guards waiting to steal the ball and drive to the basket. Covenant scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and "finally eased up when they got to 100 with about four minutes left," he said.

Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. It is winless over the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia.

There is no mercy rule in girls basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest, said Edd Burleson, the director of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Both schools are members of this association, which oversees private school athletics in Texas.

"On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds," Burleson said. "They showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome."

In the statement on the Covenant Web site, Queal said the game "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community."

Covenant coach Micah Grimes did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press on Thursday.

Queal said school officials met with Dallas Academy officials to apologize and praised "each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner."

Civello said he appreciated the gesture and has accepted the apology "with no ill feelings."

At a shootaround Thursday, several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity. They also said they are excited about some of the attention they are receiving from the loss, including an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to see an NBA game from his suite.

"Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing," said Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the team. "Keep trying, and it's going to be OK."

It's interesting to me that, in the last quote here before I cut it off, they suggest to keep playing even if you're losing, but why not keep playing even if you're winning like in the WC/WJC's?

[betterREDthandead 58]

Because in the WC/WJC's of hockey, victory margin counts.

And it varies from sport to sport. There's a fine line between disrespectfully running up the score and disrespectfully not trying. In basketball, I think it definitely crosses the line to be running a full-court press when you're up by that much.

[norrisnick 1]

My stance on running up the score is such. It's disrespectful to the losing team to stop trying unless they stop trying first.

Half-assing it is not good sportsmanship.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I picked the 3rd choiced, but for me it would be a combo of 2nd/3rd if I could choose both.

I went back up to check out one of my alma mater's football games live that wasn't going to be on TV anywhere. We've always been a solid I-A program with a few top-25 finishes here/there since I went to school there from 1999-2004, this year we finished 11-2 and in the top-10. Anyways the game was against a I-AA opponent. As long as my school took the game seriously and didn't turn the ball over or shoot themselves in the foot, no reason for it to be a fairly easy win by at least 30 points.

We were up 42-7 at halftime, and won 67-7.

Would I have felt guilty? No. Because after the first series of the 2nd half where my school scored, all the starters weree pretty much done for the night around the beginning of the 2nd half. The backups still took it to them. I wouldn't apologize for that. What do you expect them to do, acccidentally fall down so you don't score a rushing touchdown. Kneel 20 plays in a row just to kill time?

I'm not going to intentionally run up any score against an overmatched opponent or when a game is all but settled early by keeping starters or stars in the game. But if my backups are in, they better damned well still try hard and execute the game plan given the current game situation. I'm not going to purposefully not score.

It wasn't their fault the other defense couldn't stop the 2nd/3rd stringers.

Edited January 23, 2009 by SouthernWingsFan

[BlakChamber 8]

I believe Mr. Edwards said it best.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Jesus, why even keep score? Just give everyone a trophy and take them out for ice cream after the game. And if the little s***s still arent happy give them sprinkles. Then when they smile, slap them in the face and tell them their puppy died.

Real life sucks. Deal with it.

I do think it's a bit over the top to be full court pressing with that kind of lead, but they were protecting a shutout for cryin out loud!

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I think it was Jimmy Johnson that offered the words of wisdom, "I'll stop trying to score when they do."

[seeinred 1,488]

Yet again, a perfect example of why women's sports suck. And I don't mean that in a chauvinistic way. To forfeit a game you won, even though you were kind of a dick when you won it isn't sportsmanship, it's downright idiotic.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

You know, I laughed when I first saw this, and I have to say I am sorry for laughing. . This is down right stupid for the Texas team to do that. To kill a team that bad is just... once you had a 50 point lead you should of told your players to go easy on them. This is... this is.. stupid, and then to forfeit the game? I say this Texas team is as stupid as it gets.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

You know, I laughed when I first saw this, and I have to say I am sorry for laughing. . This is down right stupid for the Texas team to do that. To kill a team that bad is just... once you had a 50 point lead you should of told your players to go easy on them. This is... this is.. stupid, and then to forfeit the game? I say this Texas team is as stupid as it gets.

I wouldn't have let up.

When a game is all but over early like this one is, no I'm not going to continue to play my first stringers or superstars. In this case of a basketball game without a shot clock I'm assuming, no I'm not going to try to go on a fast break everytime or shoot the first chance I get.

I'd still want my 2nd/3rd stringers to play the game under the current game plan or situation, and that'd still require at least trying to score in all likelihood.

Could they have let up? Maybe. But it's not their fault the other team's defense was bad that game. Similar to the story I gave above.

[HomeNugget 2]

I think it was Jimmy Johnson that offered the words of wisdom, "I'll stop trying to score when they do."

Exactly. I read the winning coach got fired. Meanwhile the losing coach hasn't won a game in four years and just got blown out 100-0. How is that fair?

[sether 5]

I'd have kept playing would have let the second and third stringers play, it wouldn't be my fault as a coach if the other teams can't stop my backups.