[Goose]

All this brings up another question/situation.

True story that I can personally vouch for.

During my highschool years, Team A is good, real good. Team B is basically a bunch of country boys merely out to participate. Team B decides to play a few varsity guys during the JV game. Team B beats Team A's JV.

Now, Coach of Team A is fit to be tied. Losing to Team B whether it be Varsity or not, is a completely shamful in his eyes. He then decides to press Team B for the entire varsity game. Score ends up 160-ish to 20-ish. In fact, this game set the single highest scoring game in Pa. history up to that point (1970-71 era). Coach of Team A took huge flack from the media for intentionally running up the score and he admitted doing so.

Now, fast forward into the current situation. Let's see, could we T the coach for taunting? How about unsportmanship? I guess it comes down to, what would you do?

I see this as no different than the blowout where one team is showboating, or on the other hand, how about the team that jacks up 3 after 3 late in the game when they are ahead by 30. Could that too be considered taunting?

Caution here. Basically, the way I see it is that I am getting paid, and I get paid whether we go 4 OT's or whether the game is an outright blowout.

I once wrote a paper on what I considered the 3-5 most influential rules to change the game of basketball. One of them was the 10 second backcourt count. Believe it or not, before that count, you would have college games with scores of 4-2. Actually, I believe it was a game involving UCLA back in the 20's or 30's where they got the tap and then just sat down on the court. Neither team made a attempt to play. In fact some players even left the court. Then in the last minute of the game, they decided to play. This was basically the last staw and thus the birth of the 10 second backcourt count was instituted. Hey, living in the birthplace of basketball does have it's advantages when basketball history is needed.

Anyway, at what point are we to become judge and jury as to what constitutes a travesty? The way I see it is you are hired to do a job. Who cares is the game is good or not. Who cares if the players make asses of themselves. Taunting is another matter, but it would be hard to call taunting on a player if there were no jestures or verbal assults at another player.

anyway, just my 2 cents.


goose