T'able offense?

[Adam]

BITS, I think we're in more agreement than not. I'm really fleshing this thing out more than trying to argue a point or justify a point of view. I'm still not sure, and perhaps it's because I'm seeing (and hearing) this differently in my head than you are.

If it's a quiet comment on his way by, I agree with letting him walk on this. Then it's a last word issue. However, I was picturing a final "shot" quite a bit louder and angry, sort of a "well, I'm already done, may as well tell him how I feel." Upon further review, I think it was most likely the quieter scenario.

Originally Posted by BITS

The word "shows" disturbs me too. To me, in this context, this has just one meaning, as in "I'm gonna show 'em!", a phrase that inevitably follows receiving some kind of personal insult or injury.

That's not at all what I meant, and it's not the only meaning allowed by the context. In rec ball, letting players walk all over you shows other players they can do the same. Taking care of business shows them it won't be tolerated. It has nothing to do with some sort of sick power trip or vendetta.

And by "free shot" I simply meant to portray this as how I envisioned it; like a MLB manager who's just been ejected for balls-and-strikes deciding he may as well get his money's worth. Depending on the volume and tone, I'm not sure where the OP fits.

Was it a conciliatory tone or a combative scream? Most likely, it was somewhere in the middle.

Originally Posted by BITS

And if, in this case, it leads to future escalation (I assume you mean by that player in a future game), then at that point you've got your clear justification for ejecting him.

No, I mean by the other players in the same game. Each game is new, IMO, so I'm not concerned with that for this game. I picture other players seeing him get away with a few choice parting words and thinking they can do the same.

I started to compare it to a hs game, but realize that's not fair. It's wreck ball, my point was we don't have a different standard for a first T than for the 2nd just because the 2nd removes him from the game. If the player does something that earns him a T, then turns around later and does the same exact thing, you ding him both times even though nothing he did by itself warrants an ejection. NFHS (for one) has determined that in this case, ABS warrants ejection.