HS Football team loses 91-0, Team Dad Files Bullying Complaint

Though, apparently, by the time I started writing this up, the complaint had been "investigated" and dismissed.

Quote :

A Texas high school football coach whose undefeated team won its last game 91-0 said Wednesday a district investigation found "no grounds" to support a bullying complaint filed by a parent of the losing team.

State law requires school districts to investigate complaints of bullying. That includes the unusual accusations lodged by a parent following Aledo High School's lopsided victory Friday over Fort Worth Western Hills, which went beyond the usual magnitude of blowouts in Texas high school football.

Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said district administrators notified him the complaint had been cleared Wednesday.

Here's the box score, BTW:
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Every report I've seen says the Aledo coach did everything he could to keep the score down, short of running the "Victory Formation" for the entire second half and letting the other guys score: He started pulling starters in the first quarter and convinced the officials to use a "running clock" for the fourth quarter (time keeps running, soccer-style) and only ran 32 offensive plays, most of which were runs.

But apparently, one dad still found this textbook bullying. Note the word "textbook."

Sportsgrid.com wrote:

The Texas Education Agency defines bullying this way: “Bullying occurs when a person is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.

“Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions. Bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time. Bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength.”

Letter of the law: Steamrolling an inferior opponent would seem to fit the statute. But, as I said, sanity prevailed and the charges were cleared.

No story I've seen released the name of the complaining parent. But I'm betting the folks at Western Hills knows. And his kid probably finds the complaint more embarassing than the loss.

freezy wrote:

Every report I've seen says the Aledo coach did everything he could to keep the score down, short of running the "Victory Formation" for the entire second half and letting the other guys score:

..... does that usually make the loosing team feel better?

All I can think to say is asking how the hell you lose an AmerFootball game 91-0.

KGarrett wrote:

All I can think to say is asking how the hell you lose an AmerFootball game 91-0.

13 touchdowns w/extra points.

Mr.Doobie wrote:

freezy wrote:

Every report I've seen says the Aledo coach did everything he could to keep the score down, short of running the "Victory Formation" for the entire second half and letting the other guys score:

..... does that usually make the loosing team feel better?

At that point, it's not "better", it's "not worse."

Freezer wrote:

Mr.Doobie wrote:

freezy wrote:

Every report I've seen says the Aledo coach did everything he could to keep the score down, short of running the "Victory Formation" for the entire second half and letting the other guys score:

..... does that usually make the loosing team feel better?

At that point, it's not "better", it's "not worse."

Knowing the only reason we scored was because the other team practically picked me up and carried me to the end zone wouldn't make me feel better at all.......

I uh.... can't really think of anyone who would feel better in that situation, tbh.

I heard about this. They showed a video of the Today show covering this story on Xfinity.

Apparently, the winning team actually brought out their B Team players at one point when they were so far ahead, but couldn't tell them to let up since that would have created a bit of a mixed message. Heck, it turned out BOTH coaches had agreed to something like this in case either team got too far ahead. Eventually, the complaintant dropped the bullying charges once she...

Yes...SHE...because the story I saw in the video was that it was one of the MOTHERS that filed the complaint, not one of the fathers.

Anyways, she dropped the bullying charges once she heard the coaches had a plan in case one team got too far ahead.

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Freezer wrote:

Mr.Doobie wrote:

freezy wrote:

Every report I've seen says the Aledo coach did everything he could to keep the score down, short of running the "Victory Formation" for the entire second half and letting the other guys score:

..... does that usually make the loosing team feel better?

At that point, it's not "better", it's "not worse."

Knowing the only reason we scored was because the other team practically picked me up and carried me to the end zone wouldn't make me feel better at all.......

I uh.... can't really think of anyone who would feel better in that situation, tbh.

From what I understand about non-professional sports it is not really a matter of making the loosing team 'feel better' but a matter of not appearing to have intentionally embarrassed them. Like if you are ahead by a certain amount you are supposed to switch to your B team instead of pushing to score up more than you need to win. I know some leagues for some games actually have rules about it, a soccer team I played against once played their A team all game despite clearly being completely superior to us and they got in trouble for it, although that was children's sports so the rules are obv not the same.

I can understand why a parent would see a score gap like that and feel like something was going on, sports teams are supposed to be evenly matched. In this case it appears the winning team was not actively trying to be dicks though, so, whatevs.

John Madden: You know, there's a rule in sports, "Don't do anything great if you can't handle the congratulations."

Reepy wrote:

From what I understand about non-professional sports it is not really a matter of making the loosing team 'feel better' but a matter of not appearing to have intentionally embarrassed them.

So you do that by intentionally letting them get one point?

Does this not sound like rubbing it in to anyone but me? Like, I really cannot see how this is supposed to make anyone feel good or what purpose this serves.

But whatever, I never played high school sports. What do I know?

Reepy wrote:

sports teams are supposed to be evenly matched.

...... then I guess having winners and losers is just a fluke, then?

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Reepy wrote:

From what I understand about non-professional sports it is not really a matter of making the loosing team 'feel better' but a matter of not appearing to have intentionally embarrassed them.

So you do that by intentionally letting them get one point?

Does this not sound like rubbing it in to anyone but me? Like, I really cannot see how this is supposed to make anyone feel good or what purpose this serves.

But whatever, I never played high school sports. What do I know?

You do not intentionally let them score you just do not continue to aggressively score against them when you have already won the game.

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Reepy wrote:

sports teams are supposed to be evenly matched.

...... then I guess having winners and losers is just a fluke, then?

OK now you are just fucking with me.

Reepicheep-chan wrote:

You do not intentionally let them score you just do not continue to aggressively score against them when you have already won the game.

..... what kind of schools did ya'll go to where this is normal behavior? Seriously, this is really weird.

I mean, I really, really don't see how knowing the only reason you didn't get totally mauled was because the other team just stopped trying and put on the kid gloves is supposed to make anyone feel good.

EDIT: I mean, you do know people are totally aware that the "Honorable Mention" award is the "ha ha not really you blow" award?

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Reepicheep-chan wrote:

You do not intentionally let them score you just do not continue to aggressively score against them when you have already won the game.

..... what kind of schools did ya'll go to where this is normal behavior? Seriously, this is really weird.

I mean, I really, really don't see how knowing the only reason you didn't get totally mauled was because the other team just stopped trying and put on the kid gloves is supposed to make anyone feel good.

Again: It's not supposed to make you feel good. When you're that overmatched that your opponent is scoring on every third play, nothing anyone will do make you feel better. The best the opponent can do is make sure they're being fair. Not intentionally running up the score (when you're putting in the third-string and they're still breaking off 60-yard runs, not much you can do about that on either side). You see this even more in women's basketball, where 80pt blowouts are a frequent and expected thing.

Freezy wrote:

The best the opponent can do is make sure they're being fair. Not intentionally running up the score (when you're putting in the third-string and they're still breaking off 60-yard runs, not much you can do about that on either side).

Ok, I'm probably just stupid, because I still don't really see what consolation there is here. At that point whether you lose 40-0 or 91-0 just seems like a moot point. At least respect me enough to keep giving me your absolute best is my logic.

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Ok, I'm probably just stupid, because I still don't really see what consolation there is here. At that point whether you lose 40-0 or 91-0 just seems like a moot point. At least respect me enough to keep giving me your absolute best is my logic.

Respect doesn't ultimately lead to someone charging headfirst and treating their opponent like they were goddamn Tyson, sometimes it's acknowledgement of a gap in talent/skill/training/whatever and evening the emotional field out. I seriously doubt the winning team spent the rest of the game taunting their opponents.

edit: if anything, berserking their way through the second half like I'm sure they normally do would probably have made for a better bullying case

Ok but maaaaybe the losing team might get more out of the game in terms of practice or whatever playing against the 3-stringers who are closer to their skill level? Maybe the audience would like to see the shitty team maybe make a play that comes close to actually doing something so they have SOMETHING to cheer about?

From what I understand games like this happen because teams were matched poorly and unfairly for whatever reason. Maybe there are not enough teams to sort people into enough skill levels (I find this happens a lot in roller derby, could be the reason for the Woman's B-Ball Freezer mentioned as well) or maybe one school is disproportionately tiny and has no athletes or maybe whoever did all the sorting effed up and threw a crap-level team into the league with the good level teams, whatever. Putting out your crappy players when it becomes clear that their good players are worse than your crappy players is just an attempt to rectify that as much as is in your power.

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Freezy wrote:

The best the opponent can do is make sure they're being fair. Not intentionally running up the score (when you're putting in the third-string and they're still breaking off 60-yard runs, not much you can do about that on either side).

Ok, I'm probably just stupid, because I still don't really see what consolation there is here. At that point whether you lose 40-0 or 91-0 just seems like a moot point. At least respect me enough to keep giving me your absolute best is my logic.

If Aledo gave their "absolute best" for the whole game, the score probably would've been closer to 210-0, Doubt that would help the kids' self-esteem.

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Freezy wrote:

The best the opponent can do is make sure they're being fair. Not intentionally running up the score (when you're putting in the third-string and they're still breaking off 60-yard runs, not much you can do about that on either side).

Ok, I'm probably just stupid, because I still don't really see what consolation there is here. At that point whether you lose 40-0 or 91-0 just seems like a moot point. At least respect me enough to keep giving me your absolute best is my logic.

There's also the reasoning that once you're up by 56 points at half time, there's nothing to be gained risking injury to your starters to score MORE points. Even pro teams will put in second string men in the later stages of a lopsided blowout in order to save their starters for the next game. NHL teams will put in the goon line in order to protect their stars from the other team's goon like once it's 5-0 in the third period or something. NFL teams will sit QBs and RBs and such for the last few possessions if they're up by 30 (or have secured a playoff spot with no hope of improving their seeding).

It also gives the second string some actual game time, which could be useful if a starter gets injured, graduates, gets traded, transfers, retires, or whatever at a later date.

Furthermore, deliberately running up the score, even if you're just playing 100%, can often provoke 100% play from the other team. Sometimes that snowballs into 110%. Then no one really pays any attention to the whistle. Then you make national news after a riot burns half the town.  

There's really no reason to keep pushing 100% once the game is THAT well in hand. You have nothing to gain and it can have negative repercussions, even if it's just bad luck with your starter's ankle.

Hawaiian Shirt wrote:

Mr.Doobie wrote:

Ok, I'm probably just stupid, because I still don't really see what consolation there is here. At that point whether you lose 40-0 or 91-0 just seems like a moot point. At least respect me enough to keep giving me your absolute best is my logic.

Respect doesn't ultimately lead to someone charging headfirst and treating their opponent like they were goddamn Tyson, sometimes it's acknowledgement of a gap in talent/skill/training/whatever and evening the emotional field out. I seriously doubt the winning team spent the rest of the game taunting their opponents.

Reepicheep-chan wrote:

Ok but maaaaybe the losing team might get more out of the game in terms of practice or whatever playing against the 3-stringers who are closer to their skill level?  Maybe the audience would like to see the shitty team maybe make a play that comes close to actually doing something so they have SOMETHING to cheer about?

Yeah, both of these.

It's not going to hurt the clearly better team to be magnanimous and put in their not-so-good players to give the other team some kind of chance to complete plays or at least go a bit further with them than being sacked right off the bat/trying to make a pass only to have the ball snatched out of the air every single time. Not to mention it's really bad for player morale to keep on getting monstered. Why sign up for football the following year if this shit's going to happen? I've wrestled people who were way above my skill level and it gets extremely frustrating to be manhandled and submitted before I even have time to counter over and over again. After a while it feels like they're purposely trying to hurt/humiliate you even though they're not, they're just playing the game. I'm an adult and even I need a few minutes to cool down and leave those feelings on the mat. Teenagers are gonna have a much harder time with that, especially if they get mauled in a stadium full of their parents and fans.

And in this case it is a bit of a moot point since it appears that the better team really was trying to let up and the skill gap really was just that extreme. The real issue they need to address is how the teams are sorted into districts and maybe considering a rule about calling the game early when there is clearly no contest and not forcing kids to continue getting creamed for no reason. I mean dang that is discouraging as shit.

Also I am not sure I would term this sort of thing as "bullying" per se but that is neither here nor there.

Reepicheep-chan wrote:

Also I am not sure I would term this sort of thing as "bullying" per se but that is neither here nor there.

Honestly, this is my least favorite part. Systemic oppression by school officials and faculty under the guise of school pride is a big fat Thing, but dumb reactive shit like this is just going to allow assholes to roll their eyes 11% further back at the concept.