Apologizing for victory?

[allinking17]

DALLAS -- A Texas high school girls basketball team on the winning end of a 100-0 game has a case of blowout remorse.

Now officials from The Covenant School say they are trying to do the right thing by seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory.



Samantha Peloza grabs a rebound in practice a week after their 100-0 win.
"It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened," Kyle Queal, the head of the school, said in a statement, adding the forfeit was requested because "a victory without honor is a great loss."

The private Christian school defeated Dallas Academy last week. Covenant was up 59-0 at halftime.

A parent who attended the game told The Associated Press that Covenant continued to make 3-pointers -- even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points.

"I think the bad judgment was in the full-court press and the 3-point shots," said Renee Peloza, whose daughter plays for Dallas Academy. "At some point, they should have backed off."

Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello told The Dallas Morning News that the game turned into a "layup drill," with the opposing team's guards waiting to steal the ball and drive to the basket. Covenant scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and "finally eased up when they got to 100 with about four minutes left," he said.

Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. It is winless over the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia.

There is no mercy rule in girls basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest, said Edd Burleson, the director of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Both schools are members of this association, which oversees private school athletics in Texas.

"On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds," Burleson said. "They showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome."

In the statement on the Covenant Web site, Queal said the game "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community."

Covenant coach Micah Grimes did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press on Thursday.

Queal said school officials met with Dallas Academy officials to apologize and praised "each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner."

Civello said he appreciated the gesture and has accepted the apology "with no ill feelings."

At a shootaround Thursday, several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity. They also said they are excited about some of the attention they are receiving from the loss, including an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to see an NBA game from his suite.

"Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing," said Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the team. "Keep trying, and it's going to be OK."

Peloza said the coach and other parents praised the Dallas Academy girls afterward for limiting Covenant to 12 points in the fourth quarter. She added that neither her daughter nor her teammates seemed to dwell on the loss.

"Somewhere during that game they got caught up in the moment," Peloza said of the Covenant players, fans and coaches. "Our girls just moved on. That's the happy part of the story."

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[eejit101]

Ok, lets finish this mockery of a debate up

1 - yes, ill concede trying to shame another team isnt very sportsmanlike (though in professional league, is a team is winning 54-0 at NFL, they still go for more)

2 - Surely the head of the school did this for publicity?? Noone had heard of it till that point. Now its here and i know about it, and im a long way from Texas.

3 - Yes lilred, ok, but youve said last post in this thread FOUR time and i just had to point that out to ya buddy.

4 - im not heartless. I just didnt know every fact about it, and a loss is just a loss. The kids must have been thrilled when they told their parent they lost 100-0 and their parents took them out shopping for all kinds of stuff they wanted to cheer them up or something.

5 - yes, speak to the coaches. But a coaches job is to make his team as good as possible. Using the end of a game as a 3 pointer training session isnt reallt ALL that bad. Yeah its maybe slightly immorral, but things happen.


Right, lets all be friends

[targetguy1]

the head coach of the team the won got fired today.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...u.2781526.html

[eejit101]

Hmmm - that takes it a little far...

This bit the coach says i agree with, as its what ive been saying...

"Grimes did not immediately respond to repeated email requests for an interview. But his email and Web site post concluded, “I believe in the lessons that sports teach us. Competition builds character, and teaches us to value selflessness, hard work, and perseverance. As a coach, I have instilled in my girls these values. So if I lose my job over these statements, I will walk away with my integrity.” "


as for this bit.....

"Grimes said his team stopped applying full-court defensive pressure after the score reached 25-0 three minutes into the game, dropped into a relatively benign zone defense and began resting his starters in favor of his three bench players.


Dallas Academy coach Andrew Lott agreed Covenant stopped pressing but returned with an alternate press later in the game. “I am 100 percent sure,” said Lott, who estimated his team was able to get off “seven shots” all game. "


Maybe i was right in the girls from the dallas acamady (no offence), were just awful?

[NeverWinHere]

Ok so the Dallas girls were not as good as the other team, but they still stuck it out, and I think that is awesome!!!

I don't know the full story, but I believe if you have an enormous lead like that, it is time to lay off a bit, bench the starters etc. Yeah I know teams play to win etc, but showing character, and compassion is more important than seeing how high you can score. People are given many opportunities to love one another, and just be kind, use 'em please!

[eejit101]

They did bench the starters, i dont really see what else he could have done

[eejit101]

this sums it up.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IMk5sM...ad.php?t=15145