Sportsmanship and its decline

[kdf5]

I've pasted a link to the Lincoln Journal Star and their article on sportsmanship. Thought it might make for an interesting thread, even though it's about basketball, I think you could inject the name of any sport. There are links in this article to a couple other related articles too.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/...5065500388.txt

[Edited by kdf5 on Feb 24th, 2005 at 01:23 PM]

[mikesears]

Yorges said Omaha Gross boys basketball coach Mike Dempsey analyzes the calls officials make in every game film he watches.

Dempsey has come to the conclusion that, on average, there are 12 calls a game critical to the outcome. Out of those 12, he usually finds that the refs are wrong on about four, the coaches miss about four and the other four could go either way.

"When you think about it, missing one call a quarter is probably not too bad," Yorges said.

Correct me if I misread something.. but a coach analyzing the calls sited as a credible source? If this were stated by an official, it would have more credibility.

[Ed Hickland]

A great set of articles. A must read for officials, coaches, fans and players.

As for coaches doing any evaluation of officials. It is much the same as the fox evaluating the hens.

Totally objective evaluations are what is needed. A coach evaluating calls means he did not look at no-calls. The 12 calls that decide a game. No call ever truly decided a game. The call is made because it was there.

Coaches who blame officials often are the reason fans react the way they do.

I heard an official say don't make those calls because coaches don't like them. As an official I don't like those calls either. My suggestion -- have the coach tell the player(s) to not make those fouls.

[kdf5]

Originally posted by Ed Hickland
...My suggestion -- have the coach tell the player(s) to not make those fouls.

The old "we'll call a perfect game when you play a perfect game".

I loved the kid who said: "It's not that we're bad or that it's the officials, it's just that they're better". Wise beyond his years. He should be commended for his attitude.