107-2 score sparks controversy

[pap49cba]

LINK

 

[John Glass]

great story, it told us nothing about how the game was played. Did the winning team press the entire game ?

Was the story in a California newspaper, and the game in Indiana ?

 

[pinotbear]

Without knowing anything other than what the score and article provide, this seems unnecessary: you can always use the full shot clock, slow the pace of the game, work on things offensively and defensively, relax defensive pressure. I'm not knee-jerk "oh, we need to keep things fair/worry about their self-esteem". I coached 8 years of good high school softball, and know the arguments involved.
When we knew we'd be facing an overmatched opponent, we would (if possible) bring up a couple of JV players to expand the roster. This team either did not, or could not do that.

 

[Uconn93]

Sounds like there was a serious defensive lapse on one possession.....

 

[bruinbball]

Sounds like there was a serious defensive lapse on one possession.....

Actually it was one free throw in the second and one in the third quarter. My question, why foul them? I know things happen but this could have been a chance for the coach to play a "you have four fouls" scenario - if you commit a foul, you sit on the bench.

 

[diggerfoot]

I got into a discussion with a friend of mine recently about a mercy rule being implemented in soccer. He was totally against it, claiming it was a farce that did nothing for the losing team, with the usual arguments of not being patronizing to that effect. My counter position was that the beneficiary of such a rule should be the superior team. Once you've established you can score at will, in soccer or basketball, what further development is to be gained by that? Why not practice all sorts of new stuff to get better or at least gain repetitions for this offensive set or that defensive strategy?

I actually think the argument does apply more to soccer than basketball, where much can be developed by focusing on ball control, but I think the superior team in basketball can look for ways to develop as well. Think about it this way. Practices involve scrimmages, but they also involve all kinds of imaginative situations aimed at developing certain skills. I have no sympathy for superior teams that might whine about something like a mercy rule when they can use their imaginations to perfect things. That, after all, is why I like UConn women's basketball. Perfection's the goal, with winning a byproduct.

 

[Blakeon18]

Back in the day: Lisa Leslie scored 106 points in the first half against some team....in high school....16 minute halves.
The opposing coach took his team to the bus and they left.

When the 1996 Olympic team gave a public practice at UHart before playing UConn each player was of course introduced. No surprise that Rebecca got the loudest roars.
The coach who was doing the introducing mentioned Leslie's total and that she did it in one half. By her tone it was clear that she thought this a great accomplishment.
I forget her name....she was the coach at Purdue in the late 1990's....I think.

 

[UConnFan23]

With the way the big east is headed, maybe we better get used to those kinds of WBB scores and games?

 

[vtcwbuff]

Mercy rules have their place in Tee Ball, Little League, non competitive soccer etc. but they don't belong in high school or college athletics. There are lessons to be learned from getting a serious kicking.

If there were a mercy rule in WCBB most UConn games would be called at the half.

 

[bruinbball]

Back in the day: Lisa Leslie scored 106 points in the first half against some team....in high school....16 minute halves.
The opposing coach took his team to the bus and they left.

When the 1996 Olympic team gave a public practice at UHart before playing UConn each player was of course introduced. No surprise that Rebecca got the loudest roars.
The coach who was doing the introducing mentioned Leslie's total and that she did it in one half. By her tone it was clear that she thought this a great accomplishment.
I forget her name....she was the coach at Purdue in the late 1990's....I think.

Must be Ann Donovan or Nell Fortner - pretty sure it was Ann.

 

[John Glass]

Coaches can easily control the score. I have been on both sides of blowout games, if you are winning by 20 or so, ease off the press, then empty the bench in the 2nd half game.

The athletic director should also have a long talk with coaches who run up the score.

 

[Vowelguy]

late 90s was Nell

Must be Ann Donovan or Nell Fortner - pretty sure it was Ann.

 

[Blakeon18]

Must be Ann Donovan or Nell Fortner - pretty sure it was Ann.

At that UHart site it was definitely Fortner.

 

[bruinbball]

Wow...my mind is berzerk! I have Nell Fortner's head attached to Ann Donovan's name in my head and Lin Dunn's head attached to Nell Fortner's name. I am losing it! ;0)

 

[caravaggio]

Here are links to Leslie's scoring story, one from which side of the experience:


Leslie: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135992/1/index.htm
Opposing team: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/feb/26/sports/sp-nucrowe26

Frankly, I think it was very poor sportsmanship, especially in comparison to Geno's orchestration of Nykesha's scoring record controversy.

Wow...my mind is berzerk! I have Nell Fortner's head attached to Ann Donovan's name in my head and Lin Dunn's head attached to Nell Fortner's name. I am losing it! ;0)

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't like going for an individual record against an injured and overmatched opponent. It is selfish and unfair.

 

[pinotbear]

I don't like going for an individual record against an injured and overmatched opponent. It is selfish and unfair.

You're being polite: it is arrogant and vicious, self-centered in the extreme.

 

[diggerfoot]

Mercy rules have their place in Tee Ball, Little League, non competitive soccer etc. but they don't belong in high school or college athletics. There are lessons to be learned from getting a serious kicking.

If there were a mercy rule in WCBB most UConn games would be called at the half.

I don't much care if there is a mercy rule in high school or not (the current topic of discussion), as one might infer from my focus on what the superior team might gain, rather than the inferior one. Yet I find your reply to my point about how the superior team might benefit interesting. If we could quantify and compare lessons learned for the inferior team versus extra development for the superior team, do you think the added value of lesson learning for the inferior team from a 100 point defeat vs. a 50 point defeat to be greater than the value of the superior team developing different aspects of their game?

I say there is a benefit from a mercy rule for the superior team if they use it properly, while neither much of a benefit nor a loss for the inferior team. Your point as a counter would mean that so much is gained by losing as much as possible that it outweighs the benefits for the superior team developing different parts of its game. Consider me skeptical. You'll need to go into greater depth explaining how benefits from losing by one hundred are so much greater than from losing by fifty for an inferior team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

You're being polite: it is arrogant and vicious, self-centered in the extreme.

You are right.

 

[ochoopsfan]

When I saw the score of 107-2, I thought it was about the upcoming UConn v Oregon game on 12/31.

I think I read Oregon has many injuries, are down to 7 healthy bodies, and might take some VB players, but they have to wait until after the VB team finishes the NCAA Final 4.
By the way Oregon is 0-8 this year.

 

[bruinbball]

My coaching friend moved on from Oregon to Memphis - probably the right move for the southern lady.

 

[latione2009]

Here are links to Leslie's scoring story, one from which side of the experience:


Leslie: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135992/1/index.htm
Opposing team: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/feb/26/sports/sp-nucrowe26

Frankly, I think it was very poor sportsmanship, especially in comparison to Geno's orchestration of Nykesha's scoring record controversy.

The thing that makes me most angry is Lisa's feelings toward it. That article truly made me dislike her.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The thing that makes me most angry is Lisa's feelings toward it. That article truly made me dislike her.

She does come across as self-centered.

 

[Uconn93]

Mercy rules have their place in Tee Ball, Little League, non competitive soccer etc. but they don't belong in high school or college athletics. There are lessons to be learned from getting a serious kicking.

If there were a mercy rule in WCBB most UConn games would be called at the half.

The only place i've ever seen that a mercy rule is justified is in Little League Baseball. I've been the head coach of about 10 of my son's teams and the pitchers are on a strict pitch count. When you are on the losing end of a blow out, you don't want to burn any of your good pitching because then the kid can't pitch in your next game and, if you put in a weak pitcher, the blowout gets worse. If you're on the winning side of the blow out, it's not a big deal because your weaker pitchers don't hurt you as much. Little League has a good (and justified) mercy rule. Every other sport should just play it out and quit ur bitchin.

 

[diggerfoot]

The only place i've ever seen that a mercy rule is justified is in Little League Baseball. I've been the head coach of about 10 of my son's teams and the pitchers are on a strict pitch count. When you are on the losing end of a blow out, you don't want to burn any of your good pitching because then the kid can't pitch in your next game and, if you put in a weak pitcher, the blowout gets worse. If you're on the winning side of the blow out, it's not a big deal because your weaker pitchers don't hurt you as much. Little League has a good (and justified) mercy rule. Every other sport should just play it out and quit ur bitchin.

LOL! Like I said before, I could care less if a mercy rule exists or not, because I see no real benefit or harm for an inferior team. I do see a potential benefit for the superior team, if only they were creative enough to embrace it's potential for development rather than "bitchin" about being deprived of acquiring the largest margin of victory they can. Once again, I'm perfectly fine with no mercy rule even in Little League, but from what I observe the most entitled whiners are from the superior camp.