[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Last month there was a lengthy discussion regarding profanity and I cannot forget what string it was in BUT I got on my soap box about the use of vulgarity and how the NFHS and NCAA rules handle the penalties for using a vulgarity. The F-word is a vulgarity and the NFHS penalty for using a vulgarity is disqualification for players, substitutes, and bench personel, and disqualification and ejection for the head coach.

I am no prude but whether it is a high school game or a college game, there is no place for vulgarity. A flagrant technical foul is the only correct action to take. I am the most ferverent defender of the First Amendent you will find but a basketball game is not a democracy. A basketball game is just that a game. And why do I say that, please read on.

UCLA went 30-0 1972-73 and won the NCAA title, but North Carolina State Univ. went 27-0 that year but was on probation and was not allowed to play in the post-season. The next season the two teams met late in the regular season and both team were undefeated. UCLA had Bill Walton and NCSU had David Thompson. UCLA won that game, but the two teams would meet one more time that season, in the Natioal Semi-finals. NCSU won that game in double overtime in one of the all-time great basketball games ever played. And the comment I will always remember is the Norm Sloan (NCSU head coach) telling the press that it was nice to win but there were 500 million Chinese who didn't even know that the game was played.