HS rivals work together to help Down Syndrome kid realize dream.....

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Great to see these kind of stories. Video link in story.

Rivals cooperate on touchdown for player with Down syndrome - Kansas City Star (http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1452971.html)

[JPhillips]

Yeah, this is the kind of thing where I have to give credit to outlets like ESPN for hyping those first couple of basketball stories. It's great to see this sort of thing spread around the country.

[PilotMan]

It's nice to see that. My biggest fear would be the kid on the defense who doesn't care and lines up and jacks the kid up, just to be a fuck-tard. Glad that didn't happed, but it will somewhere.

[flere-imsaho]

I think even a HS kid would realize that if he did that he'd be painting a big target on himself for future games.

[Abe Sargent]

That's absolute total bullshit. They made oit seem like a real play, but didn;t actually try to stop him, and now everybody is talking about how great each team is. Totally, totally, stupid, and an excellent example of how stupid our society has become that so many people think this was a good thing.

[Subby]

Down syndrome

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

It's fucking ridiculous that this kid will get a memory to cherish for his entire life.

[MJ4H]

facepalm.jpg

[M GO BLUE!!!]

There is the argument to be made for both sides, but it still puts a smile on my face. It's like the kid dying of cancer that Charlie Weis ran a play for. Let's just hope the kid never looks for himself on the internet.

[RainMaker]

That's absolute total bullshit. They made oit seem like a real play, but didn;t actually try to stop him, and now everybody is talking about how great each team is. Totally, totally, stupid, and an excellent example of how stupid our society has become that so many people think this was a good thing.
Totally stupid to give a kid with Downs Syndrome a lifetime memory in a meaningless high school football game that was well out of question. What a bunch of scumbags they are.

[Subby]

Down syndrome

[Noop]

This is a great story, I am happy for the kid.

[Maple Leafs]

That's absolute total bullshit. They made oit seem like a real play, but didn;t actually try to stop him, and now everybody is talking about how great each team is. Totally, totally, stupid, and an excellent example of how stupid our society has become that so many people think this was a good thing.
You're trying way too hard.

[albionmoonlight]

If Abe ever matures enough to become a Lieutenant or, even, a Captain, he will look back on this thread and realize how silly his comment was.

[Schmidty]

Down syndrome

Touchdown Syndrome?


(Not making fun of Down Syndrome kids. Just making a bad joke)

[Kodos]

Yep. Abe is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of line. The kid leads a life that I believe nobody on this board would trade their own life for, and these guys just wanted to give him a bit of happiness. I applaud what they did.

[Subby]

Touchdown Syndrome?


(Not making fun of Down Syndrome kids. Just making a bad joke)
Down syndrome

...and don't worry, Tongues Dogs guy...I know you were just funnin'

[Karlifornia]

Abe Sargent really needs to realize that Life Goes On

[Schmidty]

Abe Sargent really needs to realize that Life Goes On

Yeah, his comment really popped my Corky.

[rowech]

I saw this a couple days ago...it's too much. I appreciate what they did but man...couldn't they have done it from like the 10 yard line so it didn't look quite so bad?

[Pumpy Tudors]

scoring a touchdown ain't shit

should've let him play left guard and chop block somebody on a trap play

bullshit

[spleen1015]

I think Abe is mad that no one did this for him.

[Schmidty]

Abe is about as popular as Kanye West right now.

[Pumpy Tudors]

It would be epic if Abe came back in here and said he was just kidding.

[Schmidty]

Did you see Abe's new thread? -

<a href="http://operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=61951">I Love Each of You</a> Unless You Have Down Syndrome

[Maple Leafs]

Abe is mad because he had money on Maryville to cover the 39.5 points.

[DanGarion]

I saw this a couple days ago...it's too much. I appreciate what they did but man...couldn't they have done it from like the 10 yard line so it didn't look quite so bad?

Well if the game wasn't just about over I'm sure they could have done that. But considering that the score was 46-0 I'm pretty sure the losing team was no where near the 10 yard line during any point of the game...

[DanGarion]

That's absolute total bullshit. They made oit seem like a real play, but didn;t actually try to stop him, and now everybody is talking about how great each team is. Totally, totally, stupid, and an excellent example of how stupid our society has become that so many people think this was a good thing.

You probably think the same thing about the girls college softball game where she got hurt and the other team helped her around the bases... It's not always about beating your opponent into the ground. It's called compassion and sportsmanship.

Values.com | Billboard > Sportsmanship (http://www.values.com/billboards/42-Sportsmanship)

(I don't condone the recent change to make children sports more about the fun and less about the score though, I feel competition is good).

[I. J. Reilly]

I for one would like to applaud Abe; there is a whole lot of awesome in this thread and it was only possible because of him.

[MizzouRah]

Did you see Abe's new thread? -

I Love Each of You (http://operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=61951) Unless You Have Down Syndrome

hello soda all over my monitor.. good work!

:lol:

[Karlifornia]

Let me break down what I saw on the touchdown run from a pure football perspective

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ylwXOxKb7I&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ylwXOxKb7I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Ok, first of all, the offense only had 10 men on the field. The play should have been blown dead, and never even happen. Second, Ziesel, the halfback that scored, is lined up much too far away from the quarterback. This caused the play to develop slowly, and would have resulted in, best case scenario, no gain. It would have, that is, if not for 23 seconds into the video, when the right tackle (#75 in white) commits an obvious hold. The play should have been brought back, and the offense should have been penalized 10 yards.

Then, Ziesel gets all the way to end zone, a result of absolutely catastrophic routes taken by the secondary. The DB's coach should have been fired, nay, shot in the head execution-style on the 50-yard line right then and there.

Then, when Ziesel crosses the goal line, he does an unnecessary high-step "jig". Unquestionably, that should resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which could have been assessed on the following kickoff, and Ziesel could have been ejected from the game. The showboating was classless, and the play was a tragedy of errors.

[DanGarion]

Is 10 men on an field a dead ball call?

[Karlifornia]

Is 10 men on an field a dead ball call?

I don't remember, but that fact that this happened at all, with all those glaring errors, showcases why we lost the war.

[Travis]

I know that was in jest, but could you imagine the pandemonium that would have erupted at the game had the play been called back on a flag?

I'm assuming that the coach had a word with the officials after he had cleared this with the other team, but oh man, could that have ended poorly if a flag had flown.

[Abe Sargent]

Yep. Abe is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of line. The kid leads a life that I believe nobody on this board would trade their own life for, and these guys just wanted to give him a bit of happiness. I applaud what they did.

By faking an actual play? That's stupid.

[Abe Sargent]

Did you see Abe's new thread? -

<a href="http://operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=61951">I Love Each of You</a> Unless You Have Down Syndrome

This is about love, this is about respect. They didn;t respect him. They did a fake play, pretended to actually be doing something that they were not, tricked him, just to give him the feeling that he accomplsiehd when he didn;tactually did not accomplish. That's not respect. You don;t respect by lying and cheating.

I'm actually going to pull out my trump card on this one, too. Hello! You guys remember me? The one who's mother was in a wheelchair and died, and who will have the same disease in only about, maybe 5 or 6 years now? I would never want someone to do this to me after I get my disease - that's just stupid.

[Schmidty]

This is about love, this is about respect. They didn;t respect him. They did a fake play, pretended to actually be doing something that they were not, tricked him, just to give him the feeling that he accomplsiehd when he didn;tactually did not accomplish. That's not respect. You don;t respect by lying and cheating.

I'm actually going to pull out my trump card on this one, too. Hello! You guys remember me? The one who's mother was in a wheelchair and died, and who will have the same disease in only about, maybe 5 or 6 years now? I would never want someone to do this to me after I get my disease - that's just stupid.

Dude.

Lighten. Up.

[Abe Sargent]

You probably think the same thing about the girls college softball game where she got hurt and the other team helped her around the bases... It's not always about beating your opponent into the ground. It's called compassion and sportsmanship.

Values.com | Billboard > Sportsmanship (http://www.values.com/billboards/42-Sportsmanship)

(I don't condone the recent change to make children sports more about the fun and less about the score though, I feel competition is good).

Lying and cheating is neither compassion nor sportsmanship.

[Abe Sargent]

Dude.

Lighten. Up.

I'm a smiling, I just think you (the plural you, not singular) are missing a whole point. You cannot do something desrepctful, mean, and downright wrong to someone, and then say, look how we helped you, and how great we are.

[MJ4H]

Just wow.

[Young Drachma]

It wasn't even a varsity game. Just freshman football.

http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2009/09/18/13/TOUCHDOWN_FOR_WEB.embedded.prod_affiliate.81.jpg

That kid looks like it made a huge difference to him. And I think it was a nice gesture and in the grand scheme of things, no big deal to complain about how it's part of some sort of watering down of something in society.

[MJ4H]

For the record, I'd give a body part for my son to get to experience something like that some day.

[molson]

I'm going to try to understand Abe Sargent's point for just a second.

I think there is a danger there, when you treat a kid with a disability as a kid with a disability. Some could very well resent it, that everyone's making a fuss over them and orchestrating this whole TD for them.

But the people that knew this kid knew that that wouldn't be the case here. So they did it. And the kid's happy. Who knows why he's happy. There's a variety of severity when it comes to Down Syndrome, but I'm sure he has an inkling that he isn't the greatest football player ever after this, and I don't think he's going to start demanding more playing time or something. He knows he was given a gift.

And he just got to share a little of the glory of a sport he seems to love - he got to run down the sideline with the crowd cheering, and run into the end zone. It must have been extremely exciting for him. He must have felt a huge amount of love from his teammates. He probably felt like one of the guys for a while. That made him happy, and it made both teams happy. And it made everyone who read the story happy, with one exception in this thread.

[MJ4H]

It wasn't even a varsity game. Just freshman football.

http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2009/09/18/13/TOUCHDOWN_FOR_WEB.embedded.prod_affiliate.81.jpg

That kid looks like it made a huge difference to him. And I think it was a nice gesture and in the grand scheme of things, no big deal to complain about how it's part of some sort of watering down of something in society.

Exactly. It is much more the statement of support and love from his teammates and even the other team than it is that he "accomplished a touchdown." It's a thrill most kids in his situation would never get to even sniff and those guys gave it to him. YES they gave it to him. Everyone, even he, most likely, realizes that he couldn't do that on his own.

I cried my eyes out when I saw my son bowl a strike on Wii Sports with his mom holding his hand and basically doing the motion for him. He certainly enjoyed it and he laughed and smiled. I guess you can't imagine what these things mean to kids like that if you haven't experienced it first hand? I don't know.

[Abe Sargent]

It wasn't even a varsity game. Just freshman football.

http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2009/09/18/13/TOUCHDOWN_FOR_WEB.embedded.prod_affiliate.81.jpg

That kid looks like it made a huge difference to him. And I think it was a nice gesture and in the grand scheme of things, no big deal to complain about how it's part of some sort of watering down of something in society.

And what happens if, in a year or two, the kid finds out it wasn;t real, everybody just pretended to try and chase and tackle him?

It's lika Santa Claus. There are numerous kids who feel hurt when they find out their parents lied to them about santa, or the tooth fairy,or whatever.

You cannot build a foundation on something wrong, and expect it to be right. You cannot start with a sin,and expect it to be bountiful.

This is why, for example, I am against the death penalty. At the end of the day, killing is wrong, flat out. You can't kill someone in order to make things better. You can't lie and deceive and create a fantasy in order to help someone out. You can;t steal, and expect that theft to do good things. You can't cheat on your wife, or your taxes, and think of it a good thing. These things are wrong, and nothing good and right can be built on them.

[MJ4H]

As a further note, if you read about the incident, his father said he expected the backlash from people complaining that they let him score and he just uses it as a further learning experience with his son. He already taught him that he can't do a touchdown dance when he gets into the end zone or it could be a penalty. In the video, after he crosses the goal line, he does a little hop of excitement as he crosses, then instead of dancing, which he did in practice, he just tosses the ball to the ref.

My guess is the kid is going to learn a lot from his dad.

[MJ4H]

And what happens if, in a year or two, the kid finds out it wasn;t real, everybody just pretended to try and chase and tackle him?



The kid already knows, see my last post.

[Abe Sargent]

The kid already knows, see my last post.

I didn't see in the article that he knows. Are you referring to your statement when you say he "most likely" knows? But what if he doesn't?

I had a girlfriend a long time ago who found out, while we were dating, that she was conceived before her parents got married, and they had never told her, and she had never done the math. Sure, it may have appeared obvious to you or me, after looking at the math, but she never realized, until she was in college, and then she found out. Do you know how betrayed she felt? To find out that every one is your life told you not to have sex before marriage and so forth, and then find out your mother was pregnant with you when you they were married?

Sure, he might know, and might not care. But what if he does? Is it worth it? I don;t think it ever is.

[MJ4H]

No, I read an article from another site that had an interview with his dad that said he is using that aspect as a learning experience with his son.

[QuikSand]

I see your point, Abe, and stated a bit less indignantly (with a reasonable acceptance of the intended good will of the act) I'd probably be inclined to agree with you.

[MJ4H]

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=991712


excerpt below:

Response to the video has not all been positive as some have suggested it was not done in the true spirit of competition.
Ziesel, however, said he is not bothered by that. In fact, he said, he expected it - and calls it part of the learning process for all.
Always the teacher, Ziesel says the final part of the video - where Matt tosses the ball to the referee after he scores - is his favorite.
The school had practiced the play before in an intra-squad scrimmage earlier this summer. After he scored on that occasion, Matt did a victory celebration in the end zone. His father told him that would be a 15-yard penalty in the game.
"It was just part of the learning process, teaching him all the rules of the game," he said. "And when he finally did get a chance to score, he remembered that."
Call it a lesson learned.

[molson]

I didn't see in the article that he knows. Are you referring to your statement when you say he "most likely" knows? But what if he doesn't?

I had a girlfriend a long time ago who found out, while we were dating, that she was conceived before her parents got married, and they had never told her, and she had never done the math. Sure, it may have appeared obvious to you or me, after looking at the math, but she never realized, until she was in college, and then she found out. Do you know how betrayed she felt? To find out that every one is your life told you not to have sex before marriage and so forth, and then find out your mother was pregnant with you when you they were married?

Sure, he might know, and might not care. But what if he does? Is it worth it? I don;t think it ever is.

I can see your point. But this team, and his father, know this kid, and I trust that they made the right decision for him.

[path12]

Frankly, my first reaction to this story was along the same line as Abe's. As I read more about it though that reaction went away.

[Senator]

I believe it is a better than zero percent chance that a father on the opposing team barked whiskey fueled comments to his son about missing the tackle.

[JPhillips]

My problem with Abe's comments is his assumption that everything about it was deception. Sure the touchdown wasn't scored "fairly", but that isn't all they gave the kid. The real gift was showing him that the team and the community cared about his happiness. That part isn't deception, they really did want to give him something that would make him happy. The touchdown is somewhat irrelevant, what's important and what isn't based on any deception what so ever is that he got a very public display that he was valuable and loved.

That's what makes it worthwhile.

[Abe Sargent]

I can see your point. But this team, and his father, know this kid, and I trust that they made the right decision for him.

I can appreciate that.

[Comey]

Let me break down what I saw on the touchdown run from a pure football perspective

<object width="425" height="344">


<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ylwXOxKb7I&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></object>

Ok, first of all, the offense only had 10 men on the field. The play should have been blown dead, and never even happen. Second, Ziesel, the halfback that scored, is lined up much too far away from the quarterback. This caused the play to develop slowly, and would have resulted in, best case scenario, no gain. It would have, that is, if not for 23 seconds into the video, when the right tackle (#75 in white) commits an obvious hold. The play should have been brought back, and the offense should have been penalized 10 yards.

Then, Ziesel gets all the way to end zone, a result of absolutely catastrophic routes taken by the secondary. The DB's coach should have been fired, nay, shot in the head execution-style on the 50-yard line right then and there.

Then, when Ziesel crosses the goal line, he does an unnecessary high-step "jig". Unquestionably, that should resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which could have been assessed on the following kickoff, and Ziesel could have been ejected from the game. The showboating was classless, and the play was a tragedy of errors.

I thought this was fixed in '10.

[Kodos]

Gotta wait for Patch 3. (NCAA 2011)

And they'll probably remove a feature, like, saaaaaaaaaaay, the field goal uprights. But don't worry. Those will show back up as a DLC two months later.

[Groundhog]

I know it's wrong, but part of me wishes #78 green had just nailed him as he tried to turn the corner. :(

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I know it's wrong, but part of me wishes #78 green had just nailed him as he tried to turn the corner. :(

I know it's wrong, but part of me wishes he had somehow gotten turned around and pulled a Jim Marshall. Then everyone would still have to pat him on the back, he'd still feel great, and we'd all know what frauds we are as a society.

[Karlifornia]

To be serious for a brief second (as much as I hate it), we take sports wayyyy too seriously. It's not a country thing. Look at soccer fans across the globe. They are crazy. Who cares about the integrity of a freshman football game (the outcome of which is already in hand, mind you), when you have the chance to make a kid happy? Also, this isn't just any kid. This is a kid who didn't get a fair shake from the day he was conceived. He was sentenced to a life that we wouldn't trade $10 million for. There is no sum of money or good fortune that would even begin to entice me to trade places with this kid. You can't even blame his parents (to my knowledge). It was just an unlucky fate that he was doomed to. These people that have the luck to be considered normal decided to let him have a moment. A brief, ten second moment is all it was. It was a score in a meaningless football game that nobody would remember, or even know about in the first place, unless there was something noteworthy about it.

There was something noteworthy about it, though. It was a moment that has become a cliche. We see it to be nothing more than a movie plot device, but now, in this world where everything is recorded, you don't need screenwriters to make these cheesy "Hollywood" moments happen. The difference is that this isn't happening because some hack screenwriter hoped to finish Top 5 at the box office during some sleepy late-summer weekend. This was a real kid with real feelings that got to escape from the boundaries that life set around him for just 10 seconds.

If that's a disgrace to football, then fuck football.

[MacroGuru]

To be serious for a brief second (as much as I hate it), we take sports wayyyy too seriously. It's not a country thing. Look at soccer fans across the globe. They are crazy. Who cares about the integrity of a freshman football game (the outcome of which is already in hand, mind you), when you have the chance to make a kid happy? Also, this isn't just any kid. This is a kid who didn't get a fair shake from the day he was conceived. He was sentenced to a life that we wouldn't trade $10 million for. There is no sum of money or good fortune that would even begin to entice me to trade places with this kid. You can't even blame his parents (to my knowledge). It was just an unlucky fate that he was doomed to. These people that have the luck to be considered normal decided to let him have a moment. A brief, ten second moment is all it was. It was a score in a meaningless football game that nobody would remember, or even know about in the first place, unless there was something noteworthy about it.

There was something noteworthy about it, though. It was a moment that has become a cliche. We see it to be nothing more than a movie plot device, but now, in this world where everything is recorded, you don't need screenwriters to make these cheesy "Hollywood" moments happen. The difference is that this isn't happening because some hack screenwriter hoped to finish Top 5 at the box office during some sleepy late-summer weekend. This was a real kid with real feelings that got to escape from the boundaries that life set around him for just 10 seconds.

If that's a disgrace to football, then fuck football.

+1

[JonInMiddleGA]

I know it's wrong, but part of me wishes he had somehow gotten turned around and pulled a Jim Marshall. Then everyone would still have to pat him on the back, he'd still feel great, and we'd all know what frauds we are as a society.

Y'know, this is one of the better takes I've seen so far.

[Schmidty]

I think people are really, REALLY over-thinking this situation.

[DanGarion]

And what happens if, in a year or two, the kid finds out it wasn;t real, everybody just pretended to try and chase and tackle him?

It's lika Santa Claus. There are numerous kids who feel hurt when they find out their parents lied to them about santa, or the tooth fairy,or whatever.

You cannot build a foundation on something wrong, and expect it to be right. You cannot start with a sin,and expect it to be bountiful.

This is why, for example, I am against the death penalty. At the end of the day, killing is wrong, flat out. You can't kill someone in order to make things better. You can't lie and deceive and create a fantasy in order to help someone out. You can;t steal, and expect that theft to do good things. You can't cheat on your wife, or your taxes, and think of it a good thing. These things are wrong, and nothing good and right can be built on them.
Well shit they shouldn't have even let him on the team then, since he obviously wasn't ever going to play, and obviously never had the actual skills to compete at this level. You can't have people that have no ability on a team that is expected to compete...

[MJ4H]

To be serious for a brief second (as much as I hate it), we take sports wayyyy too seriously. It's not a country thing. Look at soccer fans across the globe. They are crazy. Who cares about the integrity of a freshman football game (the outcome of which is already in hand, mind you), when you have the chance to make a kid happy? Also, this isn't just any kid. This is a kid who didn't get a fair shake from the day he was conceived. He was sentenced to a life that we wouldn't trade $10 million for. There is no sum of money or good fortune that would even begin to entice me to trade places with this kid. You can't even blame his parents (to my knowledge). It was just an unlucky fate that he was doomed to. These people that have the luck to be considered normal decided to let him have a moment. A brief, ten second moment is all it was. It was a score in a meaningless football game that nobody would remember, or even know about in the first place, unless there was something noteworthy about it.

There was something noteworthy about it, though. It was a moment that has become a cliche. We see it to be nothing more than a movie plot device, but now, in this world where everything is recorded, you don't need screenwriters to make these cheesy "Hollywood" moments happen. The difference is that this isn't happening because some hack screenwriter hoped to finish Top 5 at the box office during some sleepy late-summer weekend. This was a real kid with real feelings that got to escape from the boundaries that life set around him for just 10 seconds.

If that's a disgrace to football, then fuck football.

I think I love you

[JonInMiddleGA]

Well shit they shouldn't have even let him on the team then, since he obviously wasn't ever going to play, and obviously never had the actual skills to compete at this level.

Well ... duh.

[illinifan999]

Well shit they shouldn't have even let him on the team then, since he obviously wasn't ever going to play, and obviously never had the actual skills to compete at this level. You can't have people that have no ability on a team that is expected to compete...

what is a freshman high school football team that lost a game 46-0 expected to compete for?

[Kodos]

Nicely said, Karlifornia.

[DanGarion]

what is a freshman high school football team that lost a game 46-0 expected to compete for?

Pride? I don't know, I was part of an 0-17 JV baseball team... At least I sort of had fun.

[illinifan999]

Pride? I don't know, I was part of an 0-17 JV baseball team... At least I sort of had fun.

Just like this kid is having fun being a part of that team.

[flere-imsaho]

If that's a disgrace to football, then fuck football.

:withstupid:

[Galaxy]

To be serious for a brief second (as much as I hate it), we take sports wayyyy too seriously. It's not a country thing. Look at soccer fans across the globe. They are crazy. Who cares about the integrity of a freshman football game (the outcome of which is already in hand, mind you), when you have the chance to make a kid happy? Also, this isn't just any kid. This is a kid who didn't get a fair shake from the day he was conceived. He was sentenced to a life that we wouldn't trade $10 million for. There is no sum of money or good fortune that would even begin to entice me to trade places with this kid. You can't even blame his parents (to my knowledge). It was just an unlucky fate that he was doomed to. These people that have the luck to be considered normal decided to let him have a moment. A brief, ten second moment is all it was. It was a score in a meaningless football game that nobody would remember, or even know about in the first place, unless there was something noteworthy about it.

There was something noteworthy about it, though. It was a moment that has become a cliche. We see it to be nothing more than a movie plot device, but now, in this world where everything is recorded, you don't need screenwriters to make these cheesy "Hollywood" moments happen. The difference is that this isn't happening because some hack screenwriter hoped to finish Top 5 at the box office during some sleepy late-summer weekend. This was a real kid with real feelings that got to escape from the boundaries that life set around him for just 10 seconds.

If that's a disgrace to football, then fuck football.

Spot on. Remeber Jason McElwain (the story isn't quite the same)?

[Solecismic]

I went to a boxing match one evening, and a hockey game broke out.

I see Abe's point, but the score was 46-0 and all reasonable calls for the spirit of fair competition and learning long exhausted.

This was a chance for the community to end the game on a very different note, make people feel good about giving a disadvantaged kid a chance to do something he wouldn't otherwise ever experience.

Besides, I'm certain RichRod will see the tape and see a role the kid can play in his spread offense.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Besides, I'm certain RichRod will see the tape and see a role the kid can play in his spread offense.

Any chance we'll see this logic built into TCY2?

[DanGarion]

Just like this kid is having fun being a part of that team.

Not sure what point you are trying to prove. But I'm on the kids side...

[Shkspr]

My only problem with this story is that I remember the one goal I scored in eight years of playing youth soccer and now I'm feeling pretty paranoid about my coach's motive for putting me on offense that one game.

[stevew]

Abe pretty much summed up my thoughts here, at least to some level. This doesn't anger me as much as the Conn girls college basketball game where they let the Gimp break a record though.

[molson]

If that's a disgrace to football, then fuck football.

Indeed. This thread is actually making me hate sports a little.

[Solecismic]

Abe pretty much summed up my thoughts here, at least to some level. This doesn't anger me as much as the Conn girls college basketball game where they let the Gimp break a record though.

Or the Favre Flop. But, you're right, the Nykesha Sales layup represented an all-time low. I find it hard to imagine why she agreed to participate in that farce.

I'm trying to imagine Auriemma's alleged phone conversation with his former player, when she gave him permission to let Sales break the record. "Umm, yeah, Geno, do whatever you want..."

Now I'm wondering if the French conspired to let Lance Armstrong break the consecutive Tour victory record on account of his cancer issues.

[RainMaker]

This is about love, this is about respect. They didn;t respect him. They did a fake play, pretended to actually be doing something that they were not, tricked him, just to give him the feeling that he accomplsiehd when he didn;tactually did not accomplish. That's not respect. You don;t respect by lying and cheating.

I'm actually going to pull out my trump card on this one, too. Hello! You guys remember me? The one who's mother was in a wheelchair and died, and who will have the same disease in only about, maybe 5 or 6 years now? I would never want someone to do this to me after I get my disease - that's just stupid.
There is a massive difference in a physical handicap and a mental one. If the kid was born with a physical ailment and they did this, I can see where you're coming from. But mentally, I don't think he sees this as disrespectful.

Do you throw to your kid as hard as you can "out of respect"? Do you think it's wrong to let a kid win a few rounds of checkers? And seriously, it's a meaningless freshman football game, not the BCS title game. They gave the kid a great memory and probably made his year.

[molson]

Or the Favre Flop. But, you're right, the Nykesha Sales layup represented an all-time low. I find it hard to imagine why she agreed to participate in that farce.

I'm trying to imagine Auriemma's alleged phone conversation with his former player, when she gave him permission to let Sales break the record. "Umm, yeah, Geno, do whatever you want..."

Now I'm wondering if the French conspired to let Lance Armstrong break the consecutive Tour victory record on account of his cancer issues.

Different universe than what happened here.

It's a kid with down syndrome on a freshman football team. Some of you have lost your minds.

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

I don't know, the kid looks pretty torn up in the photo last page. Its obvious to me the look of betrayal in his eyes. The other team should have just smacked him for a four yard loss. While it would have possibly been embarrassing or upsetting, just think about the moral character he would have gained.

[RainMaker]

Different universe than what happened here.

It's a kid with down syndrome on a freshman football team. Some of you have lost your minds.
No shit. I don't see how people can't differentiate between giving a mentally challenged kid a great moment in a meaningless freshman football game. As opposed to giving a multi-millionaire HOF football player a record he didn't deserve at the highest level of the sporting profession.

[DanGarion]

My best friends brother has downs I shared this story with my friend and he just about cried and thought it was an awesome story. I had tears as I was reading it as well. Being close with my friend and his family growing up, even after all these years and the distance from them now, his brother still asks about me all the time. The kid wanted to play, they let him play, in a way that kept him out of harms way but still let him play with his team, his friends. Big fricken deal, boo hoo hoo.

Next someone is going to say it's wrong for the Starlight Foundation or Make a Wish Foundation to fulfill dying children's dreams...

[molson]

Next someone is going to say it's wrong for the Starlight Foundation or Make a Wish Foundation to fulfill dying children's dreams...

That's not much of a stretch.

I mean, those kids are ONLY getting those wishes granted because they're terminally ill. I mean, how disrespectful can you be? What if the kid realizes that he's only meeting LeBron James because he's sick? He'd be devastated!

[DanGarion]

That's not much of a stretch.

I mean, those kids are ONLY getting those wishes granted because they're terminally ill. I mean, how disrespectful can you be? What if the kid realizes that he's only meeting LeBron James because he's sick? He'd be devastated!

I'm all about being pissed off that kids get to do all the cool stuff, I'm always bitching about the fact that when you go to sporting events they always choose kids to run out with the players, or to do silly games on the field, etc. I think it's ridiculous that players typically toss baseball to kids instead of adults. Don't even get me starting on the "kids eat free" shit at restaurants.

But I'm fine with what they did for this kid, or kids that have terminal illnesses, because no matter what, I've been fortunate to live a normal healthy life and I've never had to deal with the problems they have and my heart really goes out to them.

[RainMaker]

I feel like a cunt right now for putting a couple bucks in this jar at 7-11 for this family in the neighborhood who has a kid with Leukemia.

[DanGarion]

I feel like a cunt right now for putting a couple bucks in this jar at 7-11 for this family in the neighborhood who has a kid with Leukemia.

Yeah you should have just spent it on hookers and blow.

[Mustang]

Don't even get me starting on the "kids eat free" shit at restaurants.


Don't worry, there is enough food left for you at the Sizzler. They won't run out.


;)

[DanGarion]

Don't worry, there is enough food left for you at the Sizzler. They won't run out.


;)

Sorry to get off topic but I wanted to tell this story...

Funny story, I've only ate at Sizzler once in my life and it was many years ago. About 6 months ago I saw this movie I'm Reed Fish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Reed_Fish) on Netflix instant queue. Well after watching the movie I wanted to find out more about the guy that wrote it. After 2 minutes of searching I found his blog, and he had his email listed, so I wrote him a letter and told him that I really enjoyed the movie. Later that day he wrote me back thanking me for the kind email. I'd never thought anything of it until he added me on his Facebook, so since then I've followed him on Facebook. A week ago he made an announcement that him and his wife we working on a project on Kickstarter to travel the US and take pictures of all the Sizzlers (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thefishes/the-fishes-are-photographing-every-sizzler-in-the) in the US. I decided to support his project and am going to donate enough to go to dinner with him and his wife at the Sizzler around the corner from my house. It just seemed like a cool thing to be a part of. Anyway I'm now trying to figure out how to explain this to my wife if they end up getting enough money for the project and I actually have to pay up! :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

FTR, not trying to pick on Rain here, just seemed like a good set of pull quotes to work from.

But mentally, I don't think he sees this as disrespectful.

Hrm, not sure I care about that one way or the other personally. I do see it as incredibly disrespectful to the players involved on both teams however.

Do you think it's wrong to let a kid win a few rounds of checkers?

Pretty much, yeah, I do. That's a pretty big difference in p.o.v. with my wife, but ask my son sometimes which one of us he prefers to play games with. He knows there's some accomplishment (however minor) to it if it manages a win, and has from a pretty young age.

And seriously, it's a meaningless freshman football game, not the BCS title game.

If it's truly meaningless, then why is anyone wasting their time with it at all? Why not simply not play them? By & large freshman football exists in order to prepare kids to play at the next level, which in their case happens to be high school football. This stunt accomplishes nothing toward that end, and takes at least one rep away from a player who deserved it.

edit to add: All that aside however, there's really one part of this whole story that genuinely chaps me. All is other is relatively minor stuff that I guess I've tended to get used to at least to a certain extent. And I'm open to the possibility that the writer of the story simply doesn't explain it very well but ...
to organize the team for the “Matt play” and ran across the field to the Maryville defensive huddle — and to some puzzled looks from the opposing players.

“I’ve got a special situation,” McCamy remembers telling Maryville freshman defensive coach David McEnaney. “I know you guys want to get a shutout. Most teams would want a shutout, but in this situation I want to know if maybe you can let one of my guys run in for a touchdown.”

The audacity to pull a stunt like this without any advance notice to the other coach that you might be planning it strikes me as one of the lowest things I've heard of a coach doing in years. Absolutely beyond the pale to me. It's one of the most disrespectful things I've ever heard of one coach doing to another, to put them on the spot like that without the common courtesy of a phone call earlier in the week or something. That really bothers me a lot more than the rest of it put together, just an absolutely zero class thing to do IMO.

[MJ4H]

This kid definitely doesn't deserve anything since he has down syndrome!

[DanGarion]

This kid definitely doesn't deserve anything since he has down syndrome!

Yeah, maybe if he had up syndrome, but none of this down stuff!

[molson]

If it's truly meaningless, then why is anyone wasting their time with it at all?

Because it's fun.

[Solecismic]

Different universe than what happened here.

It's a kid with down syndrome on a freshman football team. Some of you have lost your minds.

Thought we were off on the professional records tangent by then. I addressed my feelings on the situation with the kid with Down Syndrome in my earlier post.

[illinifan999]

Not sure what point you are trying to prove. But I'm on the kids side...

I'm guessing this

Well shit they shouldn't have even let him on the team then, since he obviously wasn't ever going to play, and obviously never had the actual skills to compete at this level. You can't have people that have no ability on a team that is expected to compete...

was sarcasm then?

[DanGarion]

I'm guessing this



was sarcasm then?

Yeah I thought it was quite obvious considering what I was responding to.

[illinifan999]

Yeah I thought it was quite obvious considering what I was responding to.

Did you hear that whooshing sound?

It went right over my head.:p

[SackAttack]

Don't even get me starting on the "kids eat free" shit at restaurants.

Hint: that, right there? That's not about the kids. Kids don't go to Sizzler's, or Perkins, or any other restaurant that does that and say "Hot shit, I'm eating for free tonight!"

Nope.

That's intended to get the parents to say "Sweet, don't have to pay a babysitter or for the kids' dinners? Let's go to Sizzler's!"

[DanGarion]

Hint: that, right there? That's not about the kids. Kids don't go to Sizzler's, or Perkins, or any other restaurant that does that and say "Hot shit, I'm eating for free tonight!"

Nope.

That's intended to get the parents to say "Sweet, don't have to pay a babysitter or for the kids' dinners? Let's go to Sizzler's!"
Duh! :)

[stevew]

They should probably make a movie about this. Instead of playing running back I'd make him a defensive player. Maybe an end or linebacker. And his mom could be all like "you can't play the footbal". And he would agree with his momma and be a team helper. until the one day his coach discovers he can hit like a truck

Soon he would be getting 6 sacks a game. But all he wants to do is score a TD. Then finally on th most important game of the year he would achieve his dream and score the game winner. And his momma would be watching

[DanGarion]

.

You can delete posts...

[M GO BLUE!!!]

You can delete posts...

Maybe he just wanted to make a point.

[NiteMaestro]

This is about love, this is about respect. They didn;t respect him. They did a fake play, pretended to actually be doing something that they were not, tricked him, just to give him the feeling that he accomplsiehd when he didn;tactually did not accomplish. That's not respect. You don;t respect by lying and cheating.

I'm actually going to pull out my trump card on this one, too. Hello! You guys remember me? The one who's mother was in a wheelchair and died, and who will have the same disease in only about, maybe 5 or 6 years now? I would never want someone to do this to me after I get my disease - that's just stupid.

There's a point where you have to realize that you're going OTT.

Fake? No.
Set up? Yes. But the play mattered, the points mattered.
But even if it didn't, it mattered to him and his parents/guardians.
For the rest of his life, he can have that memory of scoring a touchdown.

Alot of us play football and never get that chance as 'normal' kids, so for these coaches/teams/officials to find it in their hearts to give him something special like that is to be commended.
One can debate the whole "it's not real" bit, but remember, this is not the pros. This isn't even college ball.
The point of organized football and other sports until the late college/pro level is a way of teaching. The coaches are as much teaching as they are coaching these guys, and the lesson they learned today was invaluable.

You may not want someone to do this for you, but don't lie to me and say that you want to be miserable and downtrodden for the rest of your days.

I just learned a few months ago that I have severe narcolepsy and ADHD. Looking back, there are so many cases where knowledge of this would have changed things for the better for me, but I agree that I wouldn't want a handout.
That being said, if someone does set up something for me that I realize a 'dream' of sorts, set up or not, whether I realize it or not, the simple fact that someone cared enough about me, and wanted to help enough to go through the necessary steps to help me reach that moment/goal is really more heartwarming than the action itself.

This kid may not live until his mid-late 40s at best, and because of his condition, he most likely wont ever get a chance like this again. On top of that, it's arguable if he would even have gotten one in the first place.

The other folks decided that the importance of giving this kid something to possibly smile about every day was important, as really and truly, he doesn't have much to smile about to begin with.

Reading JIMGA's post, I understand how players could find that disrespectful, but that's a prime opportunity for the coach to explain the situation. For the coach to explain why, in our society, it's important to do things like this.

I understand being upset about it happening, but he may never get a shot again. He may never be able to play again, for whatever reason. So the accomplishment he feels, is worth it. No, he doesn't realize that they 'let' him score, but who should tell him?

I feel we all have moments from our childhood where something was so fantastic, we couldn't believe it, and thinking about it now just makes us happy inside.
While most kids have those moments already, this kid had a disadvantage where he may never have that moment. Generally our society believes we should all be so fortunate to have one, and that it's the responsibility of those 'with' to help and provide for those 'without'.

What does all that mean?
Basically, leave the kid alone. He has enough issues as is, and someone trying to 'rain on his parade' does not need to be added to the list.