Winning on a technicality

[Rob Hal]

So I just read this story on ESPN, and it's so disgusting...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=reilly_rick&id=4263659

I understand that rules are rules... but enforcing that rule in that situation goes way beyond sport. The play should end when the ball goes over the fence... it's gone, there is nothing the opposing team can do about it. Winning like that on a technicality... that's not winning at all.

On the other hand, the article makes reference to a story with a much better ending. Last year, in a pivotal game, a player hit a home run and tore a muscle in her knee as she was rounding first... she managed to crawl back to first in pain. The umpires informed the coach that nobody from their team could help her round the bases. They could substitute her for a pinch-runner, but the play would then be ruled a single, and the pinch-runner would run from first. Pretty stupid for someone who just hit the ball out of the park.

In any case, two players from the opposing team picked the girl up and carried her around the bases, lowering her uninjured leg so she could touch each base as they went around. Now that's sportsmanship.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

I'm not sure how you can look yourself in the mirror after pulling something like that.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I would like to say, I wouldn't want to win that way. But to be honest, I'm not that fair a sportsman. If it's necessary for my team to win in an important game, I would want to win any way.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

Some things are so small, so minuscule, so atomically insignificant, they can be seen only from three feet away using the Hubble telescope. The heart of Jean Musgjerd is one of these things.

Rick Reilly has such a way with words.

I would like to say, I wouldn't want to win that way. But to be honest, I'm not that fair a sportsman. If it's necessary for my team to win in an important game, I would want to win any way.

That's not a win. That's finding some nitpicky, chicken-shit way to turn the outcome in your favor after losing on the field of play.

You could really look yourself in the mirror the next day and be proud of a win like that?

 

[Roger Wilco]

A win is a win. But to clarify, I'm talking about a spectator sport, not playing myself. And I doubt this woman's softball league is more competitive than friendly, so I do understand how inappropriate the coach's call was.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

I'm just waiting for karma to catch up with that coach.

Hopefully some police officer will follow her around and write her up for every single little violation she commits. Not fully stopping at stop signs, going 1 mph over the speed limit, everything she does.

Because thats what she deserves for pulling garbage like this.

 

[IndyJones]

So I just read this story on ESPN, and it's so disgusting...

Olbermann reported on this the day it happened. I agree with him that the coach should be teaching sportsmanship and not petty (incorrect) rules.

But the real loser is the ump who couldn't be arsed to read the whole rule.

 

[Starbreaker]

I was just thinking about that incident from last year. Softball can be so petty.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Heh, I thought this topic said "Warning on a technicality" at first and came in to see what was up.

I would like to say, I wouldn't want to win that way. But to be honest, I'm not that fair a sportsman. If it's necessary for my team to win in an important game, I would want to win any way.

That's the kind of attitude that leads a team/player/coach down the path to cheating, rampant substance violations, sabotaging the other side, etc. Winning is certainly important, but at the cost of destroying your credibility in the process? What's the point of being a winner if no one cares to share in your victory because they've lost all respect for you?

Besides, the ruling was wrong, and if the people involved actually cared about enforcing the rules properly instead of pettiness they would reverse the decision and change it to a warning or forfeit the game altogether.

A win is a win. But to clarify, I'm talking about a spectator sport, not playing myself. And I doubt this woman's softball league is more competitive than friendly, so I do understand how inappropriate the coach's call was.

Well, it's (junior) college level softball, so while the stakes certainly aren't as high as say pro baseball of course, it's definitely a lot more competitive than an informal game or league.

But you'd seriously be fine with your team winning a big game regardless of the circumstances? Perhaps you meant to qualify your comment to relate to only winning on a technicality, but the implication seemed to be that if it's an important game anything goes.

 

[1001001]

So the home run was wiped out because the batter high-fived her teammates rounding third?

That is the stoopidest thing I've ever heard. That coach should be ashamed of herself.

Good Lord.

 

[Pegaritaville]

But the real loser is the ump who couldn't be arsed to read the whole rule.

The ump probably wasn't expecting some jackass of a coach to bring up something like that, but after she did, the ump certainly should have taken the time to look up the ruling. Especially since it was the state tournament- probably the biggest game those gals will ever play in.

 

[SmoothieX]

What a load of shit.

There's no way I could feel good about 'winning' the game if it was due to that.