Anybody ever hear of this happenening in Rugby (Union or League) ?

[smartcooky]

This really is Political Correctness gone crazy?

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/21/5264501/was-aledos-91-0-football-win-last.html

[TEXTAREA]"Buchanan said he received notice Saturday morning that a bullying report had been filed against him by a Western Hills parent.

Under state law, school districts must provide a bullying complaint report form on their websites. Aledo High School’s principal is required to investigate the allegations to determine whether bullying occurred and prepare a written report on the matter.[/TEXTAREA]

Has anyone here heard of an official complaint against a coach or team for "bullying" when one school team beats another by a wide margin in either rugby code, or even in any other sport?

 

[profitius]

Political correctness IS madness!

 

[Big Ewis]

Political correctness IS madness!

.

 

[TRF_heineken]

This really is Political Correctness gone crazy?

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/10/21/5264501/was-aledos-91-0-football-win-last.html

[TEXTAREA]"Buchanan said he received notice Saturday morning that a bullying report had been filed against him by a Western Hills parent.

Under state law, school districts must provide a bullying complaint report form on their websites. Aledo High School’s principal is required to investigate the allegations to determine whether bullying occurred and prepare a written report on the matter.[/TEXTAREA]

Has anyone here heard of an official complaint against a coach or team for "bullying" when one school team beats another by a wide margin in either rugby code, or even in any other sport?

I have actually.

My High school went as far as having all the parents, coaches, players and any other supporters sign a code of conduct to prevent them from bullying or intimidating opposing school's parents, coaches, players and supporters.

At one stage this was really getting out of hand, with one incident being the boiling point where a coach got into a fist fight with a parent who was shouting at how crap his own son was playing...

 

[smartcooky]

I have actually.

My High school went as far as having all the parents, coaches, players and any other supporters sign a code of conduct to prevent them from bullying or intimidating opposing school's parents, coaches, players and supporters.

At one stage this was really getting out of hand, with one incident being the boiling point where a coach got into a fist fight with a parent who was shouting at how crap his own son was playing...

Wooah there Heineken. That is not what I'm asking.

In the linked story, the High School (American) Football coach has had an official complaint against him for "bullying" purely because his team beat the complainant's team by 91-0. The complainant is calling him a "bully" because when the score began to get one-sided, he supposedly didn't tell his team to "go easy", even though he actually did. He pulled almost all of his starting players, instructed kick returners to fair-catch balls (meaning that they won't advance the ball), instructed his quarterback not to pass (forward) and simplified his playbook so as to not embarrass the other team.

 

[dasNdanger]

Wooah there Heineken. That is not what I'm asking.

In the linked story, the High School (American) Football coach has had an official complaint against him for "bullying" purely because his team beat the complainant's team by 91-0. The complainant is calling him a "bully" because when the score began to get one-sided, he supposedly didn't tell his team to "go easy", even though he actually did. He pulled almost all of his starting players, instructed kick returners to fair-catch balls (meaning that they won't advance the ball), instructed his quarterback not to pass (forward) and simplified his playbook so as to not embarrass the other team.

This has happened a few times in various sports in the US. I think this may be the first time it's been brought up as a bullying charge, but several schools, coaches, and even teams in the past have been severely criticized for lopsided wins like this. They say it's bad for morale, and the winning team should ease up on their play and let the other team have a chance.

Now, while I see it as a good opportunity for poor players to get a chance to join in the game, I don't think a team should purposely allow the other team to score just because it'll make them feel better, or something.

We don't always win in life, and so learning to accept disappointment in a balanced way while young is very important. It's not balanced to suggest that they could have scored more if the other team just let them, as if they're privileged in some way and deserve to win even if they didn't perform as well. And it serves no purpose to attack the winning team or to suggest that they should have let the other team score more, other than to give a poor performing team an excuse not to try harder or train harder. We make too many excuses in life, and I see the 'bullying defense' as just a way for a coach or a team to deflect attention away from their poor performance.




das

 

[InsaneAsylum]

I wish the All Blacks would stop bullying the Wallabies. let us win a game every now and then so that we feel special too

 

[donmcdazzle]

Haha this is mental. We would never take it easy on anyone, even if we were up by 50. I've been in numerous games where we won by over 100 points. In every game the coach would blow up if we let standards slip and starting running half pace or something.

 

[steblin]

Its a big thing in the states, the concept of not running up the score on an opponent. It even gets mentioned in the NFL and College Ball, if a team is easily ahead, yet they're still calling plays for 40+ yard throws or especially trick plays on special teams etc its quite frowned upon. In the lower leagues the general rule, as mentioned, is pull the starters and play conservative, but what they forget is these 2nd / 3rd string players see this as their chance to make an impression so ted to go full bore! I mean whats a player going to do? Play half speed and show himself up to coaches or scouts?

If the opposition are that sensitive to getting a hammering and instead of trying to get better they call them bully's, maybe they should take up a more appropriate sport, like tiddlywinks or something ....

 

[Draggs]

Another concept in the States is to sue someone for any reason.

 

[nickdnz]

I've heard that in some junior ice hockey leagues - when one team scores above 6 goals more than the other team, they can be disqualified. That said I can't find articles which back it up.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Weren't they tossing around the idea of limiting the score in Junior rugby games to 30?

 

[LittleGuy]

Its a big thing in the states, the concept of not running up the score on an opponent. It even gets mentioned in the NFL and College Ball, if a team is easily ahead, yet they're still calling plays for 40+ yard throws or especially trick plays on special teams etc its quite frowned upon. In the lower leagues the general rule, as mentioned, is pull the starters and play conservative, but what they forget is these 2nd / 3rd string players see this as their chance to make an impression so ted to go full bore! I mean whats a player going to do? Play half speed and show himself up to coaches or scouts?

If the opposition are that sensitive to getting a hammering and instead of trying to get better they call them bully's, maybe they should take up a more appropriate sport, like tiddlywinks or something ....

This is an extreme example that will likely get laughed at by most Americans, as well most people here think it's pretty ridiculous to go as far as not keeping score....some junior level soccer games in Canada do this but the kids keep track anyway, and some have argued this was done because of over competetive parents but I digress and back to the main points.

It's not just the States sporting culture either, Gareth Rees apologized to Namibia on behalf of the Canadian team at the 1999 RWC for what could have been perceived as humiliating them when we beat them 72-11 by stressing at the time that we needed to do so in order to ensure a high point differential(most North American leagues use head to head results as first tie-breaker than points afterwords). A similar situation came up at the last World Baseball Classic between Canada and Mexico, we needed a high run differential to help our chances of advancing so a Canadian player laid down a bunt, this was the ensuing result...



I do understand it's essentially the total opposite in New Zealand and OZ. Part of the reason it's done here as well is to reduce player injury, draining the clock with running plays runs out time better and putting out 2nd/3rd string players ensures your team dosen't lose someone to an ACL tear while running in another completely pointless score. Baseball the bunt's/stealing are also injury prone plays. Most scouts take into account that players are participating in what's called "garbage time" here anyway, these are professional talent scouts, obviously they are going to take into account a game is out of reach when evaluating performances.

I have neither time for any of these silly not keeping score things, or accusations of bullying, nor do I have time for things like running in a try when your up by 100 at the 80th minute, just kick the damn ball into touch enjoy your victory and make sure everyone leaves the pitch healthy.

 

[steblin]

This is an extreme example that will likely get laughed at by most Americans, as well most people here think it's pretty ridiculous to go as far as not keeping score....some junior level soccer games in Canada do this but the kids keep track anyway, and some have argued this was done because of over competetive parents but I digress and back to the main points.

Same thing started happening in the UK at school sports days! Started being mandated that their shouldn't be 'winners and losers', man that gets my back up ... learning to win with dignity and keep your head up while losing are important life lessons. Whole rant about nanny state / PC gone mad could start here

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Eish, it must be nice to have these 1st world problems. In SA in certain areas in club rugby you are just happy if you finish a game without getting stabbed by the opposition.. or your own player if things get confusing in a ruck.

 

[smartcooky]

Weren't they tossing around the idea of limiting the score in Junior rugby games to 30?

They do in RFU land. 50 points I think for the Juniors under a certain age, but apparently, it does vary from country to country.

 

[donmcdazzle]

I have neither time for any of these silly not keeping score things, or accusations of bullying, nor do I have time for things like running in a try when your up by 100 at the 80th minute, just kick the damn ball into touch enjoy your victory and make sure everyone leaves the pitch healthy.

Na, score as many tries as you can. If the other team isn't up to it that's their problem. I'd be raging if my team mate kicked a ball out at the end of the game if we could potentially have another crack.

 

[LittleGuy]

Na, score as many tries as you can. If the other team isn't up to it that's their problem. I'd be raging if my team mate kicked a ball out at the end of the game if we could potentially have another crack.

I was going to respond but I really don't know how to without possibly causing a pointless stir, uhhh here goes I guess....as I already acknoweldged the sporting culture is different here than there (I've always thought it's because winning in rugby in NZ is so expected that margins of victory become very important to the players and fans but I have no idea of the validity of this, or perhaps it's seen as disrespetful of your opponent to stop tyring 100% at all times). Aside from even the "moral" questions however the risks to player safety however minimal make the risk/reward of pointless scoring and activity beyond the 80th minute to be too high in my view especially for a side up by a large margin which has no advantage to gain.

I don't really have anything to add to this that's my view it probably won't change, and thats your view and it probably won't change

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

I was going to respond but I really don't know how to without possibly causing a pointless stir, uhhh here goes I guess....as I already acknoweldged the sporting culture is different here than there (I've always thought it's because winning in rugby in NZ is so expected that margins of victory become very important to the players and fans but I have no idea of the validity of this, or perhaps it's seen as disrespetful of your opponent to stop tyring 100% at all times). Aside from even the "moral" questions however the risks to player safety however minimal make the risk/reward of pointless scoring and activity beyond the 80th minute to be too high in my view especially for a side up by a large margin which has no advantage to gain.

I don't really have anything to add to this that's my view it probably won't change, and thats your view and it probably won't change

It even happens in our pro leagues... a few weeks ago the above goal was scored in spectacular fashion by Tomas Hertl, a Czech hockey player who plays for the San Jose Sharks in the NHL. Rather then celebrate the goal and commend this player for the amazing skill he displayed many pundits criticized him for supposedly "embarrassing the New York Rangers" it is professional sport FFS I think this is the type of thing we need to make the sport exciting and should be applauded, not frowned upon.

People are too soft nowadays and need to man the heck up, when I played ice hockey growing up, we were told to play hard every game and if we ran the score up well that was a good thing, nowadays we treat everything and everybody with kid gloves and it is turning our youth into a bunch of soft idiots...guess what kiddies, life isn't fair or equal, better to learn that lesson young IMO!

 

[smartcooky]

...as I already acknowledged the sporting culture is different here than there (I've always thought it's because winning in rugby in NZ is so expected that margins of victory become very important to the players and fans but I have no idea of the validity of this, or perhaps it's seen as disrespectful of your opponent to stop trying 100% at all times). Aside from even the "moral" questions however the risks to player safety however minimal make the risk/reward of pointless scoring and activity beyond the 80th minute to be too high in my view especially for a side up by a large margin which has no advantage to gain.

I think its probably a bit of both.

We do have an attitude here of "play hard, play fair and play to the final whistle", and that applies whether you are dishing out a hiding or taking one!

That is just how it is here.