If you haven't heard, this girls varsity basketball team in Texas beat an opponent 100-0, resulting in media criticism and the eventual firing of the teams head coach. This team, although it has not been mentioned by media, has beaten other teams by large margins. They have held opposition to 5 and 7 points in other games.
This situation, in my opinion, is ridiculous. I played varsity high school basketball for four years. My team was pretty good for two years and very bad for two of those years. We lost games by 70 points... that bad. So I have been on both sides of the spectrum. I've won games by 50 and lost games by 70.
The key word in all this is: VARSITY.
Yes, I know, high school is a very impressionable time in a kids life. But in sports, especially at the highest level... to say that this is "unsportsmanlike" and "embarrassing" is totally uncalled for.
The only people at fault here A) the team that lost by 100 points, for participating in a league where such scores are possible... and b) the league itself, for letting a team like this (one that apparently has a roster full of girls with learning disabilities) participate in the first place.
The coach has said that he took off a full court press after the first three minutes because he knew the other team was not good. He had his team play a zone the rest of the game.
The problem is that these media people, of which I will hopefully be a peer to one day, DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BASKETBALL!
They see this 100-0 score and think it's ridiculous. But it was 88-0 at the end of the third quarter, meaning that the winning team only put up 12 points in the final quarter. You can't tell girls in high school to slow up or not play hard, because (since they are impressionable as high school athletes) they might go out and slow up the next time they have a lead.
The firing of this coach and the media criticism is completely undeserved.
Now, if this coach was full court pressing the whole game and practicing other methods to run up the score, I could see how it would be unsportsmanlike. But this coach did nothing wrong.
The visiting school should be embarrassed, as well as the league and the state of Texas' high school athletics association.
To the coach of the winning team, I extend to you my congratulations on a good, team win. I also give to you my sympathy in regards to you getting caught up in this blown out media fluff-story.
