fess up

[bainsey]

Here's a case of excessive tunnel vision that sticks in my craw.

JV boys, regular season finale, I'm the trail. Second quarter, H-32 is driving, but runs into a couple of defenders who have LGP. I have nothing. He loses the ball, which rolls out of bounds, and he follows it. A frustrated H-32 pounds the wall padding, and my partner has the T.

The kid pounds the padding so hard, that a 4'x3' paper sign ("We Love Our Seniors") falls to the floor. I am so fixated on and slightly amused by the stupid sign, that I forget to freeze what's in front of me, and I miss H-32 pulling his jersey out of his shorts in frustration. Coach V wants another T, which I should have called, had I not assigned myself to clean up duty.

H-32 is pulled from the game by his coach, never to return (school rule). After the game, the home A.D. thanked us for not whacking the kid a second time.

"He got very lucky," I replied. "He created one hell of a diversion!"