Poll: Is It Wrong To Score Too Much?

[Kagim]

I need to ask, where was the mercy call?

In most youth leagues I've heard of or been in when a team is winning by an embarrassing amount the refs are supposed to offer a mercy call, which ends the game if the losing team agrees to it.

This isn't the teams fault. The players should give a hundred percent from whistle to whistle. This isn't the coaches fault. He shouldn't handicap his team for kicking ass.

Where the fuck was the refs? Where the fuck was the mercy call? People are rightfully pissed, but if they are pissed at the team, the coaches, or the families of the players, they are pissed at the wrong people.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Well, there is always the chance of STDs and unwanted pregnancy...OH! You aren't talking about that..

OT: Even if I was on the losing team, I would be laughing my ass off at the situation. Still, the ref could have called on them to make it a bit more even.

 

[Manicotti]

It would be more embarrassing to know that the other team toyed with you with everyone watching. Losing is one thing, scoring because a person pities you is another. Believe me, its better for them to know they lost to a team that gave it everything they had throughout the whole game then to lose to a team that stop caring half-way through. Plus, the Mercy Rule wouldn't affect scoring, just the clock, and I'm sure it was applied. If not, oh well, the district doesn't have it in the rule book. That is hardly the winning team's fault.

I'm not blaming the winning team, just the coach for pushing this sham excuse for sportsmanship on his team, and the district for not actually enforcing a mercy rule at this level of sports. And yes, I realize that there isn't really a way for the losing team to not feel patronized, hence my statement of the element of fun having been killed no matter what the result is - the mercy clause is just the lesser of the two evils, which I would have preferred and encouraged personally.

 

[BrassButtons]

I don't see how one team doing better than another is poor sportsmanship, regardless of how much better they do. Everyone played fairly, one team was simply better. If the winners were deliberately taunting the losers then I could see the complaint, but simply being better is not unsportsmanlike. It's not wrong to have your hard work pay off--the girls who won should be praised for their accomplishment.

For the losing team, this is when they get to learn how to be gracious in defeat, and how to reflect on their own actions in order to improve themselves.

Honestly seeing people complain that a team won by "too much" saddens me--exactly what values are we trying to teach these kids? "Do your best--but only if your best isn't too far ahead of anybody else."

 

[Tron-tonian]

The winner has a right to the spoils....especially in sports the fact the people are upset shows poor sportsmanship.

When I was playing hockey, running up the score like that usually led to blood on the ice.

It's poor sportsmanship to not just win big, but keep piling it on - ESPECIALLY at this level. Not sure if they use a shot clock, but if they don't, that ball should have been heading around the perimeter for days at a time once they got up by 30-40.


Once your team is up big (and I do mean big - insurmountable big), you put the second and third string in. You kill time. You do what you can to not completely embarrass your opponent - they already know the game is over - just let the clock wind down and go.

I say this having been on both sides of lopsided victories. It happens. But you don't rub their faces in it. It will happen to the victors here eventually, too.

 

[DefunctTheory]

I would have thought the losing team's coach would have been criticized.

In most sports, when you're losing that bad, you just throw in the towel to reduce your embarrassment.

 

[Mortons4ck]

No, unless of course you're throwing the grading curve for your class (making a 97% a C) in which case it is wrong and you are a terrible person.

 

[Merkavar]

Yes, I think this is overkill. Funny how no one these days mentions that it's possible to be a sore winner, too.

how is winning by alot being a sore winner.

if they rubbed it in the faces or something then maybe thats a sorewinner.

am i missing something

 

[Manicotti]

Yes, I think this is overkill. Funny how no one these days mentions that it's possible to be a sore winner, too.

how is winning by alot being a sore winner.

if they rubbed it in the faces or something then maybe thats a sorewinner.

am i missing something

It's flat out overkill that contradicts pretty much every goal of sports leagues in general. I'll just quote one of the above posters.

The winner has a right to the spoils....especially in sports the fact the people are upset shows poor sportsmanship.

When I was playing hockey, running up the score like that usually led to blood on the ice.

It's poor sportsmanship to not just win big, but keep piling it on - ESPECIALLY at this level. Not sure if they use a shot clock, but if they don't, that ball should have been heading around the perimeter for days at a time once they got up by 30-40.


Once your team is up big (and I do mean big - insurmountable big), you put the second and third string in. You kill time. You do what you can to not completely embarrass your opponent - they already know the game is over - just let the clock wind down and go.

I say this having been on both sides of lopsided victories. It happens. But you don't rub their faces in it. It will happen to the victors here eventually, too.

 

[muckinscavitch]

It totally depends on the circumstances. Canada often gets shit in hockey games at all levels and genders in the international level for running up the score because frankly, some teams just can't compete. However, in all of these cases your placement in the tournament is point based (off of wins/ties), and if there is a tie, the tie breaker is goals for and against. In that case, yes it is alright to run up the score.

However, if goals for or goals for and against don't make any difference than no, the score should not be run up.

There is also the outside parameter of whether or not the game is view by many, and whether or not the game is exciting without points being scored...

 

[Mstrswrd]

No. Kick their asses to the ground, and, if you do it by that much, I think you should have the legal right to spit on your opponents.

 

[Hader]

snip

It's basketball, who cares?


OT: I wouldn't say so, what happens happens. When I played hockey I was on both ends of such a situation. I played for one association that was just full of really bad players, and we never won a game for one straight season (though being goalie, I am responsible for an average of 3 goals against per game, and our other goalie was more around 10. not that I intend to be mean, but that really is just fact). On the flip side, my team a few seasons ago went undefeated in the state of Colorado. And we seriously owned some teams pretty badly...after we had any 6 goal lead we would just stop cheering for any subsequent goals.

I don't think it is wrong to gloat over a massive victory like that, but I think some degree of sportsmanship isn't too much to expect from the winning side. Sure, you won, by a freakin landslide, but you do not need to rub it in. Let your playing on the field or the rink speak for itself, you don't need to add to it.

 

[Manicotti]

You mean continuing to play normally? Yes, those are worse than playing normally. Why even bother playing if you're not going to at least try? The other team could just give up if they didn't want the other team to continue trying.

I answered this question already.

I'm not blaming the winning team, just the coach for pushing this sham excuse for sportsmanship on his team, and the district for not actually enforcing a mercy rule at this level of sports. And yes, I realize that there isn't really a way for the losing team to not feel patronized, hence my statement of the element of fun having been killed no matter what the result is - the mercy clause is just the lesser of the two evils, which I would have preferred and encouraged personally.

At this point, "trying" on the part of either team has nothing to do with it.

 

[Nerdygamer89]

This is in the U.S. right? *checks* Yeah, it's in the U.S. My country saddens me sometimes. Everyone is so concerned with self esteem. "We must have more SELF ESTEEM!" "The children must have more SELF ESTEEM!" Self esteem is great, and generally necessary for a human being to function properly/independently, but I seriously think the self esteem movement has made this entire generation into a bunch of pansies. Kids can't even play dodge-ball in school anymore because whatever we do, we can't afford to expose them to any healthy competition. Everyone's a winner, after all!

Blah, anyhow, pet peeve of mine. On topic: who cares? Why is it such a big deal that they beat the other team by that much? They were just the better team and last time I checked it's not against the rules to be the better team.

 

[Rune342]

If you're going to play, you have to be ready for the outcome, good or bad. If you feel bad about losing so badly, practice more and get better. And if you are good, you shouldn't have to hold back.

 

[dibblywibbles]

Crush your opponents. it's your right as victors. haha seriously though 105 points? I'm amazed a high school game got over a hundred points. that has to be some sorta record! we should be congratulating this team for their awesome ability. oh and there is a such thing as a sore winner, but crushing an opposing team isn't being a jerk. refusing to shake hands, telling them that they suck during the game, that's being a sore winner. don't confuse points with attitude.

 

[Senaro]

The other team should have just forfeit the match once they realized victory was out of their reach. No sense in punishing the winning team because their opponents were unable to keep up.

I'd expect people to criticize the ref for not calling the match sooner. That's how it went when I was in baseball in elementary school. If one team had a certain amount of runs at the end of an inning, the game was ended immediately so it wasn't too one-sided.

 

[emeraldrafael]

No. Clearly they werent playing their best. Tahts why in PROFESSIONAL sports if you suck, you get a higher draft pick (ask the Edmonton Oilers).

Just remember, if you have to play them next year, they're going ot remember, and they're going to kick your asses hard. Even if it just means they have to throw themselves against you and break the rules.

So no, its not wrong. if you're more talented, yous hould show it. But as long as your humble afterwords, its oka.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

As long as the coach put in the second and third string players, then no, they should not be criticized. And what the coach said about how it would be humiliating and disrespectful to slow the game down would be even worse, I think.

As long as every player played and they didn't just drive up the score to drive up the score, but because even their backup players were better than the other teams team, then really, what else could the coach and players have done? Missed shots on purpose and play bad defense intentionally? Just as insulting I think.