Do you name names?

who failed the classes?

 

Tom Petty, if you don't know the reason why, you cannot speculate. But if a player who usually plays and has a significant impact does not suit up, is it not responsible journalism to ask the coach why? Do you not imagine that readers would wonder why Alpha Beta did not get his usual 200 yards and three touchdowns? If there have been no suspensions, no rumors, nothing, if an important player doesn't play and no one will tell you why, are you really suggesting that it shouldn't be mentioned at all that he did not play?

You don't seem to understand that I am not suggesting that one should assume wrongdoing. If a kid does not play, and no one will confirm why, you have absolutely no reason to assume ANYTHING. This isn't a false assumption, it's no assumption at all.

 

sorry socal, i thought we were working with the premise that nobody at bumfuck high would confirm or deny who was inel.

my bad if we weren't.

 

You are assuming the fuck up is theirs and not one by a coach who didn't check grades or put in an overage player who only plays in blowouts, or an overzealous parent who skirted residency rules to get their kid in school.
Sometimes, it's the kid who does nothing wrong, rather the adults -- parents or coach. And sometimes, contradicting what I said before, you don't mention the kid even his he's an adult.
Do you hang the 19-year-old kid who goes in for two plays of a 69-0 blowout whose only crime is being a special-needs student, is on the team because it helps him belong and who contributes nothing more than a pick-me-up to his teammates -- but goes in the game because the coach knows it will make his life showing he did contribute?
What if that kid was yours?
It depends on the situation Tom. Not all the kids who play are little superstars.

 

Thank you for being gracious, Tom Petty. I did not word things well in my original post, and I understand why people thought I was telling people to assume based on inactives. That was not my intention; players can be inactive for myriad reasons and I would never advise anyone to assume anything just because a guy didn't play or didn't suit up. I was just saying that it is often appropriate to mention, without bias or speculation, that so-and-so who is usually a star player, did not suit up. That way you report an important absence without casting aspersions or implying wrongdoing.

I usually err on the side of privacy when writing about kids.

 

naw, dude, you're solid ... always have been. i should have asked you to qualify your original post.

really, my bad and apologies.

 

Did you get me blacklisted at Hop Sing's?

 

i won't apologize to you, you sonuvabitch. ;D

as far as your post is concerned, of course there are different circumstances and you adjust to each accordingly.

but if johnny quarterback doesn't play 'cause he failed three classes and his team loses by one in the district title game, you mention that the kid didn't play. and i ask folks to name names, but never give acadamia as the reason why they didn't play. instead, i opt for "diciplinary reasons" and leave it at that.

yes, high school kids are just that, kids. but, you have to tell the truth if you're going to cover their events.

 

And if little Johnny is 15? And the coach you've known for years told you off the record who it was and why -- with your consent?
There's a difference between "little Johnny didn't play" and "Bumfuck High School had to forfeit eight wins"

 

well, if he went off record with my consent, i don't write shit, slap.

i'm hoping you were asking a rhetorical question.

 

You know, I think your tone is a little coarse, but I agree with your basic thesis here. Women have very little to lose by accusing someone, particularly an athlete who is a pro or probably will be, of sexual assault or rape, particularly because in most cases their names aren't even made public. Meanwhile, a rape accusation, even if never proved, tends to stick to somebody's name. Not to mention that they often end up having to plead guilty to a lesser crime to stay out of jail, and even then might have a civil suit on their hands.

The lesson, I suppose, is to never fuck anybody you don't completely trust. But that's a lot to ask of a 20-year-old shooting guard with groupies.

I don't know that there's a good solution to this problem, but there needs to be some greater deterrent -- whether legal or social -- for falsely accusing someone of sexual assault.

PS. Sorry to get off topic here, but this is a bit of a soap box of mine.

 

Obtain a copy of a roster from a previous game. (I know that may be next to impossible.) If you can get it, write down the jersey numbers of everybody on the sideline for the next game. Run the lists side by side.