100 - 0 win. Winners apologize?

[Fifthfiend]

First moving to General because HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL.

Second dude guys I don't know how much some of you follow high school sports but inasmuch as I've had anything to do with it on any level in pretty much any situation like this yes it is the winner's responsibility to not turn an unarguable win into an ultra-douchey blowout, it's like Rule 1 in the Not Being A Douche Book of High School Sportsmanship. It's like you know how in Boxing if one boxer punches the other boxer until he can't get up anymore? Well what he generally doesn't do after that is get on top of the other boxer with his knee to the other man's throat and continue punching him in the skull past the point of unconsciousness. This is sort of like that.

I mean if nothing else once you decide to go ahead and make that your reputation? Pretty much what's going to happen is every other team you play against is going to say "Hey guys look its Team Asshole" and light you the fuck up any way they can, because people tend to take unkindly to the prospect of being on the receiving end of that sort of thing. If a team knows once you've hit fifty damn points over whatever score you have, you're going to go ahead and run up fifty more? You're kind of taking away any incentive they might have had not to elbow you in the face at the first opportunity.

And hell, sugarcoating? At the point of say, fifty points to zero, what all amount of sugarcoating is going on? What point are you making about your relative athletic capabilities by scoring your second fifty points, that you didn't make when you scored the first fifty points (while ensuring that the other team scored zero points)?

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I must say that when I used to play high school sports if we got a ridiculous lead by halftime we would just switch up teams for the second half.
I mean sure you can make arguments about sugar coating wins and things but this is not the echelons of academic competition. Most of these kids just want to have a fun time, get some excercise, have a run. Getting whipped is not fun.
And even if there is some body on the winning team who is set to go onto a professional career theyre not going to get much valuable experience playing to the max against these guys and they're not going to impress any scouts with thier ability to thrash a weak team.

I mean we don't want to disillusion the kids and things but just rubbing in the beating is a bit cruel. It's a bit of fun.

[Krylo]

All I'm saying is that in every competitive thing I've ever done, from video games, to sports, to, I don't know, competitive baking--it has always, always, made me feel a million times worse to have whoever I was up against decide that I was so bad that they didn't even need to try than to just be completely and irrevocably defeated.

Especially on the occasions I didn't find out they weren't trying their best until later.

There's a certain... feeling of honor or accomplishment in standing up to someone better than you who's doing their best, even if you lose. Even if you lose completely and indelibly.

To find out they weren't even trying cheapens and destroys even that.

Maybe I'm the only person in the world who feels this way? I don't know. Whatever. I just know I'd rather lose 100-0 than to have them back off in the second half and start handling me with kiddy gloves. If whoever you're up against keeps on doing the best they can--even when you're losing--it at least shows that they think you're worth trying. You guys think it's poor sportsmanship NOT to back off--I think it's poor sportsmanship TO back off. To stop trying is the far greater insult to another person or team.

[TheWolf13]

The winning school took all the initiative in apologizing and seeking a forfeit. It wasn't like the other team laid down on the court and cried. No one cried foul. Also they are in a division for private schools. A lot of times you get matched up against other private schools regardless of size and skill level. Imagine the New England Patriots playing your high school team and going all out.

If I were the coach of the next team to play them I'd tell my players to try and injure as many of theirs as possible because it isn't against the rules.

[MasterOfMagic]

If I were the coach of the next team to play them I'd tell my players to try and injure as many of theirs as possible because it isn't against the rules.

Yeah, it kinda is?

[Krylo]

Originally Posted by TheWolf13

The winning school took all the initiative in apologizing and seeking a forfeit. It wasn't like the other team laid down on the court and cried. No one cried foul. Also they are in a division for private schools. A lot of times you get matched up against other private schools regardless of size and skill level. Imagine the New England Patriots playing your high school team and going all out.

I'd probably be a bit amazed that a professional team decided they had to go all out on a high school team. Honestly, to me, it would show that said professional team felt that said high school team was WORTH something, because the only time you don't try your hardest is when you're up against someone who isn't worth trying your hardest. Someone you can beat anyway.

Even if it's just a lie that you have to try your hardest to beat someone, it at least shows you have enough respect for them as players, sportsmen, and other human beings, to not treat them like second class players.

Being pitied isn't something I like.

Like I said--maybe I'm the only person who feels that way, but the way I feel about winning, losing, and competing is the basis of my argument. And, honestly, the way the losing team reacted, looking at the story, says to me that they feel the same way about it. Frustrated that they got trounced? Sure, but they took it as a learning experience, and walked away with a feeling that they did their best, and the other team did their best, and it was a good game regardless of the outcome.

If I were the coach of the next team to play them I'd tell my players to try and injure as many of theirs as possible because it isn't against the rules.

Because adults should totally goad teenagers into seriously injuring each other?

That's mature.

[Marc v4.0]

Because all teenagers want to run the risk of possibly completely ruining another persons career and life through debilitating injury or even paralyzation/death.

Taking it a good bit too far to even say that.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Marc v1.0

Because all teenagers want to run the risk of possibly completely ruining another persons career and life through debilitating injury or even paralyzation/death.

Taking it a good bit too far to even say that.

Hey, kids get hurt in sports. Knew a guy once who'd had three knee surgeries in two years, and more after that. He played football. Completely ruined his chances for playing for college. A lot of times, they DO try to hurt the star players.

Edit: Also was friends with a wrestler. Gary actually lost his match because the other guy twisted his knee straight out of its socket. It counted. He was never able to wrestle again and he's living in constant pain due to all the damage to the cartilage.

[Marc v4.0]

Ok, maybe I should have specified it as those teenagers without possible psychological problems

or better, in their right mind

[Kim]

Basically everything Krylo said. If I were say... playing someone in Street Fighter. I suck. I know I suck. But I'd rather suck against someone doing their best than suck against someone going easy on me because I suck so bad. At least I'll learn something, and it's still fun anyways.