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Pacific SportsBlogOkinawa-based sports reporter Dave Ornauer on military-related sports in the Far East. |
Rule 39-0*: Sign of respect or misrepresentation?
Posted September 21st, 2007 by Dave OrnauerCoaches, players, administrators, whole football communities in Europe and the Pacific are debating the merits of an extension of DODDS-Europe's "courtesy rule" passed for this season that mandates coaches report victory margins of no more than 39 points to Stars and Stripes in Europe.
In 1989, National Federation of State High School Associations adopted what's called the "mercy rule." Teams leading by 40 points or more must remove key players from the field and the game clock becomes a running clock.
I'll call DODDS-Europe's extension to that Rule 39-0*.
Those in favor view the rule as a sign of empathy and respect that a winning team should show the ballclub on the losing end of a lopsided score. Bad enough, they say, that a team suffers a blowout loss; it's unnecessary to be reminded of the nightmare in the Sunday sports section.
"It's sometimes difficult for young athletes to recover from that," DODDS-Europe athletics director Karen Seadore told Europe Stripes. "We're teaching kids good sportsmanship and concern for others."
"I don't want to see any kid get embarrassed," chimed in Jim Hall of Naples American in Italy.
But when does showing respect for the vanquished end and misrepresenting the truth begin?
Some players in Europe and a handful of Pacific coaches believe such games are what they are and should be reported to the newspaper as such.
"We know the score because we were there," said senior running back Chuck Pope of Lakenheath in England. Lakenheath lost to Heidelberg of Germany last week 48-6; the score was reported to the paper as 45-6.. "Kids need to deal with it. They need to man up."
"Reality is just that -- reality," Zama American coach Steven Merrell said, adding that Rule 39-0* "appears to be an extension of other areas of society in which we try to 'sugar-coat' things to avoid hurting feelings."
Stripes' managing editor Doug Clawson called 39-0* an "intentional reporting of false information to the news media, and find it very disturbing."
What do you think? Is 39-0* a sign of respect and sportsmanship, or does it go overboard?
39-0* Rule Not Necessary
This rule adopted by DoDDS-Europe is pure misrepresentation of the actual game facts and I think it's more there for protection of the coaches (those who support it) and schools (again, those who support it) egos.
I think everyone can agree....the players and a large percentage of the student body, to include the local community know what the actual score of the game was. I see no learning point or rational reason for not reporting the score as it actually was.
These players are high schoolers.....15, 16, 17-years old. They drive cars, work and juggle numerous other family, school and community projects. They can handle the true score of the game being posted in Stars and Stripes. Heck, most of them don't even get the Stars and Stripes and will never see it anyway. This is about coaches, schools and perhaps some parents bruised egos. Those are the people that will read the paper.
As I said previously the players and everyone else knows what the true score was, so instead of intentionally reporting a false score, lets report the true game score and give credit to where credit is due (the winning team) and the losing team should use that loss (any loss for that matter, whether by 1 point or 40 points) as a motivator.
38-0, 39-0, 50-0, 48-6 or 45-6..........they are all one-sided victories. Heck, 38-0 is a kill, but it's okay to report that score factually according to DoDDS-Europe policy. What's the difference in meaning (other than actual point difference) from the preceeding fictional scores?
I say DoDDS-Europe should poll the players for their opinion of this rule and either stick with the current policy or rescind it based on the player majority vote. My guess is the players would vote to scrap it and would want the score reported as it ended on the field.
The other side of this is Stars and Stripes. I don't know much about the rules of putting articles and news stories in a newspaer; however, I would like to think that what I read in Stars and Stripes, of which I pay money for, is credible. I would like to think that the reporter had the facts straight. There should be some integrity involved. Don't put false information in the paper.
This is the no spin zone (and no hate zone)........so what's the real deal with this policy? It's not about protecting the embarrassment of the players at school on Monday (heck, they already went through the weekend with the loss on their shoulders).
More on the 39-0* Rule
In addition to what I already commented on in my previous post, is that now (with this 39-point policy) all DoDDS-Europe football score reporting is suspect. Everything is questionable, whether the score was reported as 45-6, 33-9, whatever, everything is questionable. The integirty of the reporting is questionable.
Lastly, officially what is the true score of the game; what transpires on the field or what Stars and Stripes reports? What I'm getting at is, say the score actually ends at 46-0, but is reported as 39-0. What happens to the player stats for those "missing" 7-points? Do you take away a rushing TD from a player, do you take away a passing TD, an interception, a fumble recovery; every stat that transpires after the 39th point? At the end of the year when DoDDS-Europe names the rushing leader, passing leader or whatever, one has to question the validity of those stats.
Drop the policy.
39-point policy
The rule is garbage!!!! Tell me one state that does this stuff, and what stuff I mean is LYING about scores? Yea keep to the running clock rule...but just flat out LYNG about scores GREAT thing to be teaching our kids? DoDD's Europe sports programs have a lot more problems than just this issue like others have stated of course anytime you question anything about the way the sports programs are run, they will cry poverty. Lastly on the blowouts, usually the blow up happen when you have two schools from different divisions playing each other, example Menwith has maybe 90 student (9-12) and they play Rota which probably has 200 (9-12).....gee what do you think will most likely happen?
If a team gets beat 70-0 then they got beat 70-0, the coaches, kids and parents all know what the score is, if you have coaches running up the score on purpose to pad their players stats so they make the ALL-Europe or All-Pacific teams then they are a problems.
I have coached High School Football over here in Europe for 5 years and some of my teams have been on the receiving end of some big blow outs, of course the scores were reported wrong but when you see it in the S&S EVERYONE knows that ot was a blow out. I have NEVER had a player quit because we got blown out of a game.....DoDD's needs to quit treating this kids like babies, when and if some of them go back to the states they will be in for a VERY RUDE AWAKING!!!
Suck It Up...
39-0* is another useless addition to todays overly sensitive world. As an athlete, I've definitely had my share of lopsided beatings, but I've never wanted the score to be sugarcoated. This rule exists to spare the players feelings? Psssh... If your team can't compete, then that's their problem. In a perfect world there would be parity, but let's face it, some schools' athletic programs are a cut above the rest. DODDS implementation of different sports classifications by enrollment should be a good enough equalizer. The bottom line is people wanted to know the truth, and 39-0* doesen't quite deliver.
Review ALL Athletic Policies
Someone needs to investigate all of the athletic policies emanating from the DODDS-Europe HQ in Wiesbaden. This 39-0* rule is not the end of it. Last summer, the Athletic Director issued a “Coaches Training Manual” which places several extreme requirements on anyone wishing to volunteer their time in support of high school athletic programs. Published in the name of safety, this manual has in it several mandates that go against the grain of common sense. I fear all of these policies, once known, could chase away key volunteers, potentially jeopardizing the quality of life for Service Members and Civilians with high school athletes who wish to do a tour in Europe. These policies all need to be exposed, debated, and more than likely modified or rescinded in order to restore sanity.
Many other rules
Not only does the 39 point mercy rule need to be changed but there are many other rules established by DoDDS-Europe that are nonsense and something needs to be done. One problem is that there is a unrealistic limit on how many players can be taken to away games. This number is different for each division, but for instance, the Division III and IV can only travel with 26 people. In that number is the coaches and staff and then apporximately 22 players. So when the score gets out of hand and the 39 point difference is reached, the coaches cannot put in their second string, simply because they only have enough players to field the team. Also lets say a safety gets injured and now they have to put in their kicker as a safety, who has never played a down besides kiking the ball. This is something that occured at our school and in my oppinion it is how kids get hurt. Now let me get to a personal story. I signed up for a volunteer coach at our high school. I was told they needed all the help they could get and I would definitly be an assistant coach. I recieved a short list of rules that I read of thuroughly, and they were all basic common sense sportmanship type rules. I then began to spread the word around and put my name out there, letting people know that I would be one of the new coaches and to get the kids excited about football again. It was nearing the end of summer break when the kids apporached me and told me they play touch football on the soccer field near my house and they asked if I could come play with them. I first went to the school to make sure this was ok to do. Not only did i get an ok but the secratary posted signs up the hallway of the school for me. So I went up and threw the ball around and gave them some pointers and basically got to know my new and upcoming players. Then the coaches meeting went by and no one told me of the meeting, even though I repeatedly checked with the school to see when it was and got an "I don't know." I come to find out that I went against DoDDS Policy of having contact with the kids outside of the football season which begins 1 week before school starts (which is usually 2 weeks for stateside). I am now having to sit out and if I appear on the field with the kids then they will have to forfeit all games!! Who said mentoring some kids outside of the football season was wrong? I was just getting to know them and throwing the ball around a bit... something the kids begged me for. They simply want to learn more and the DoDDS policies prevent anything that goes against what is best in most situations. And by the way I have requested this "rule" in writing but no one can show me.... hhhhmmmm.
What about the Athlete
"It's sometimes difficult for young athletes to recover from that," DODDS-Europe athletics director Karen Seadore told Europe Stripes. "We're teaching kids good sportsmanship and concern for others."
This concept is far away from rational, as it does nothing but hide the real issue of DODDS Europe athletics. The talent, experience, and opportunities of athletes in Europe are virtually drying up. These young men and women find themselves pursuing hopes and dreams with more obstacles to overcome than their counterparts in the states. DODDS Europe athletics should be working on programs to support the student-athlete in breaking them, and not hiding the reality of them.
Being in the military, these kids don't need to be coddled to overcome losing a football game by over 39 points, but to teach them the concepts of working hard, never giving up, playing as a team, and doing the best they can. We live in a world where our fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers are deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq with the possibility of not coming back.
They have to handle adversity in far higher stakes than a "football game" where the ultimate price could be the loss of a loved one.
Stars & Stripes for all their journalistic integrity, don't forget the athletes that are working hard week in and week out to play a game they love. Don't fault them by not reporting their accomplishments ( this is the only media coverage they get) because of an administrative decision they had no vote on.
The fact of the matter is, these athletes look forward to viewing their accomplishments on your paper, if you take that away, then you only create another obstacle for them to overcome.
Making things worse
Once again - over sensitive administrators are trying to stop kids from getting their "feelings hurt".
Which is worse - knowing that you lost by more than 39 points - or loosing so bad they won't report the real score?
Like the article said - the kids know the score. They played the game. It'll be all the more humiliating that the coaches can't report the true score.
I can see it now - all over Europe - the powerhouse teams are saying in their huddles: "let's beat them so bad that they won't report the real score!"
And the administrators - while patting themselves on the back for their sensitivity - will now have to deal with kids whose feelings are even more hurt knowing that they lost so bad that the true score couldn't be reported.
And how are those kids - with (sob) hurt feelings (sob sob) supposed to explain to someone who asks them why the "reported" score is different than the score at the game?
I was going to make a comment about taking something bad and making it worse - but I don't believe that the pre-39-0 rule was "bad" - though they definitely have made things worse.
It's a sign of liberal nonsense
I sincerely suggest that baby rattles and pacifiers be issued to the DODDS-Europe athletic director and her whiny cohorts. This 39-point nonsense used to be a DODDS 40-point “mercy” rule in the 90s, and now I see where a 35-point halftime lead requires a running clock after intermission, apparently another
brainstorm of our pathetic liberal “educators” to spare the feelings of our poor little babies which they like to call “young men and women.” What’s next?
You get down 21-0 and throw in the towel? As a former sports editor and writer, I worked with many kids in DODDS athletics and never recall a single one of them
traumatized by being on the short end of a blowout. Furthermore, if "no purpose" is served by continuing a game, one of the teams shouldn't be fielding a team in
the first place.
Make up your liberal minds, DODDS. You can’t have it both ways.
Believe it or not, teams have made up five-touchdown deficits before and if I am coaching on the short end of such a score, I don’t need a running clock to kill
any chances my kids might have of coming back. Moreover, if the young “men” and “women” cannot handle adversity, how can DODDS claim it is preparing them
for real life? Surprise: the liberal notion that “everyone is a winner” is a myth. We all know “winners” and “losers.” They are all around us. DODDS certainly has its share.
David B. Hamilton
Major, U.S. Army (retired)