What’s the worst slap in the face you’ve seen in a high school football game? Mine is now the behind-the-back 2-point conversion pass that took place in Baton Rouge a couple weeks ago. What was the coach thinking? Up 13-0 (en route to 58-0), why is the coach letting these kids go for 2…and throwing a behind-the-back pass to complete the conversion?! That’s just bad sportsmanship. What most of the articles about the pass fail to mention is that a fight ensued soon after. You wanna pull that stunt in the pros, when your opponent is getting paid? Fine. Or try it in college even? OK. But pulling a play that’s clearly meant to embarrass the other team in yet another high school blowout? If I was on the field and a far superior team pulled that stunt against my team, I just might start a fight too.
It’s also not particularly inventive. If you wanna throw that pass against a team that is clearly inferior to you, do it on the first drive and do it on the field where it really counts. Don’t wait until the game’s already out of reach and do it on a 2-point conversion.
See the video after the jump.
on Oct 29th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
In theory, a game isn’t out of reach when it’s 13-0 in the first quarter.
But even so, if they didn’t like being treated that way they should have stopped the pass. Isn’t that the rule, per Bill Belichick and his supporters?
on Oct 29th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Well said Joe.
Cyd, sounds like you’re saying that sportsmanship is relative and depends on the level at which the game is being played. What kind of message is that?
Where do you think young, developing athletes at least partially learn sportsmanship? Could it be from watching elite level college and pro athletes?
on Oct 29th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Absolutely. What’s OK in the pros isn’t necessarily OK in high school. I know you understand that and you’re just trying to bait me into a tit-for-tat, so I won’t delve too deeply into it.
on Oct 29th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
So THAT’S where the line is. I was wondering when physical violence is justified.
on Oct 29th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
yeah no kidding, what is a patriots fan doing whining about sportsmanship!?!?
on Oct 30th, 2009 at 3:53 am
The game was 13-0. Not yet a blowout. If the defense even remotely covered that receiver the ball could have easily been picked off or batted down.
on Oct 30th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Bad sportsmanship all around, and would be so at any level.
on Oct 31st, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Since when is being embarrassed on the field by a superior opponent a justification for illegal retaliation and violence…never. The play was executed when the score was competitive, so what’s the problem with a little trickery?