Here we are, in the middle of winter in the northern Midwest, and there is snow and ice all around us. Who in their right mind would think up such a crazy scenerio?
Well, because of several of these unfortunate events, many area games have been postponed lately. That's not always a bad thing - I do enjoy a night off once in a while. However, that will make for a crazy stretch run for nearly every team - they'll play about 10 games apiece in the final five or six weeks of the regular season. That may be a lot to ask for some as athletes, but I was once there and know plenty of kids (and coaches) will be able to handle it.
In college, we would have baseball games sometimes five days a week (mostly double-headers). We would play 55 games from the end of March until the first week of May. So, yeah, we played a lot of games in a short amount of time.
That was baseball, however, and practice isn't always needed when you're in game mode every day. These days, I just watch as much baseball as I can and cover prep sports for a living. And trust me, if I was asked to cover nearly as many games in six weeks as I had to play in six weeks - I very well may pack up my belongings and hide out in the furnace room in my basement for a while.
So, on that note, I would like to send a nice little message to whoever is in charge of this Ice Age (be it Scrooge McDuck, Old Man Winter or sinners everywhere). In the words of Stewie Griffin - "Unhand me you wretched fool!" and "You shall rue this day!... Well go on! Start ruing!"
Student sections need some jostling
Something has been missing from the local sports scene lately. A theory I have has hit a pothole. And that is the awesomeness of student sections across the world.
Typically by mid January, kids are lining from the front row to the back wall of gyms, jam-packed like the last ferry off the island in "Lost" before they knew it was haunted (I still don't get that show, let alone think it is worth network air time).
When I think of January basketball, I think kids dressed in blaze orange, ghetto gear, football jerseys, a blackout, a whiteout, a sea of bodies embellishing school pride in unison by dawning school-colored T-shirts. I remember "dress as a wrestler," "jersey night," "Halloween night," and "wear whatever you want just make a lot of noise for two hours" nights.
I remember those times, not just in Monroe but in student sections everywhere. I witnessed that joy all over the Badger conferences and the occasional Six Rivers game. I heard stories of Pecatonica kids dressed as chickens with Black Hawk T-shirts on.
Where is that now? Why have those days passed?
Has the censorship of fun and the Almighty Law of sportsmanship really taken over? Why are kids no longer standing every second of every game? Why are they not cheering - AND JEERING? Why is the travel so light for Monroe kids that, despite frigid temperatures, only about two dozen non-boys basketball students made it to see what I would consider the best high school basketball game since Monroe beat Edgewood for the first time (state playoffs, 2004)?
There isn't really one good answer. If there was, I would say it by now. As a former front-rower of the MHS student section, an athlete, a fan, a friend, and a person of school pride, I find these things shocking.
This isn't a call to just Monroe kids, but to all area schools. The economy may be in a recession, and times may be tough. But looking back on your life down the road, don't sacrifice what innocence and fun you may have left. Go to the games. Support your classmates. Stand up, dress hilariously, and for the love of the Fonz have some fun!
As a former athlete with friends and teammates of all shapes and colors, I safely say noise is what we thrive on during a game. Not a polite clap after a made basket. It doesn't matter if the chant is "De-fense" or "Let's go (insert nickname here)." What mattered was the noise, regardless of what it was. Lots of noise. Booing, cheering, "dribble-dribble-pass" and "Airball." Vulgar chants are not of my taste (until you reach college, that is), so please steer clear of those.
Other than that, I don't care what your athletic director says about it - in fact, have them talk to me about it. You are kids having fun, supporting your team and cheering against the competition. Show some pride. Show some rivalry. Show what home-court advantage really means.
After this, and only after this, will a good, bad or ugly season mean that much more to each individual in your school - player, coach, fan, teacher. It doesn't matter. When the community backs you, things work out.
Over the back
Finally, I would like to end on a rules clarification to the normal fan out there (since many fans don't know a lot of rules, anyway). There is no such foul as "over the back." Sorry to burst your YMCA basketball bubble, but, no, there is no "over the back" foul in hoops.
Now, that's not to say a defender's body does not illegally bump an opposing player too hard on a rebound. That is a foul. But simply reaching over the other player - even when both are in the air and the swinging of everyone's arms makes a terrible foul call a guarantee - does not grant that a whistle has to be blown.
There, that's my high school rant. I hope you can take it, because I can dish it out like Deron Williams.
P.S.: To the officials out there, I hate to nitpick, but please don't call "hanging on the rim" technicals unless the kid is posing for a camera (unless I am there taking his photo) or has his tongue out like Jordan and is jawing at the other team.
Nothing irritates me more than an official with a false sense of entitlement and power. The kid is in high school, he's lucky enough he got high enough to dunk. Allow him to look around for a bit, not only to feel a sense of what life must be like for Yao Ming, but so maybe he can make sure he's not going to land on anybody on his way down.
Thanks again!
-Adam Krebs is the sports editor at the Monroe Times and can be reached at sportseditor@
themonroetimes.com
Well, because of several of these unfortunate events, many area games have been postponed lately. That's not always a bad thing - I do enjoy a night off once in a while. However, that will make for a crazy stretch run for nearly every team - they'll play about 10 games apiece in the final five or six weeks of the regular season. That may be a lot to ask for some as athletes, but I was once there and know plenty of kids (and coaches) will be able to handle it.
In college, we would have baseball games sometimes five days a week (mostly double-headers). We would play 55 games from the end of March until the first week of May. So, yeah, we played a lot of games in a short amount of time.
That was baseball, however, and practice isn't always needed when you're in game mode every day. These days, I just watch as much baseball as I can and cover prep sports for a living. And trust me, if I was asked to cover nearly as many games in six weeks as I had to play in six weeks - I very well may pack up my belongings and hide out in the furnace room in my basement for a while.
So, on that note, I would like to send a nice little message to whoever is in charge of this Ice Age (be it Scrooge McDuck, Old Man Winter or sinners everywhere). In the words of Stewie Griffin - "Unhand me you wretched fool!" and "You shall rue this day!... Well go on! Start ruing!"
Student sections need some jostling
Something has been missing from the local sports scene lately. A theory I have has hit a pothole. And that is the awesomeness of student sections across the world.
Typically by mid January, kids are lining from the front row to the back wall of gyms, jam-packed like the last ferry off the island in "Lost" before they knew it was haunted (I still don't get that show, let alone think it is worth network air time).
When I think of January basketball, I think kids dressed in blaze orange, ghetto gear, football jerseys, a blackout, a whiteout, a sea of bodies embellishing school pride in unison by dawning school-colored T-shirts. I remember "dress as a wrestler," "jersey night," "Halloween night," and "wear whatever you want just make a lot of noise for two hours" nights.
I remember those times, not just in Monroe but in student sections everywhere. I witnessed that joy all over the Badger conferences and the occasional Six Rivers game. I heard stories of Pecatonica kids dressed as chickens with Black Hawk T-shirts on.
Where is that now? Why have those days passed?
Has the censorship of fun and the Almighty Law of sportsmanship really taken over? Why are kids no longer standing every second of every game? Why are they not cheering - AND JEERING? Why is the travel so light for Monroe kids that, despite frigid temperatures, only about two dozen non-boys basketball students made it to see what I would consider the best high school basketball game since Monroe beat Edgewood for the first time (state playoffs, 2004)?
There isn't really one good answer. If there was, I would say it by now. As a former front-rower of the MHS student section, an athlete, a fan, a friend, and a person of school pride, I find these things shocking.
This isn't a call to just Monroe kids, but to all area schools. The economy may be in a recession, and times may be tough. But looking back on your life down the road, don't sacrifice what innocence and fun you may have left. Go to the games. Support your classmates. Stand up, dress hilariously, and for the love of the Fonz have some fun!
As a former athlete with friends and teammates of all shapes and colors, I safely say noise is what we thrive on during a game. Not a polite clap after a made basket. It doesn't matter if the chant is "De-fense" or "Let's go (insert nickname here)." What mattered was the noise, regardless of what it was. Lots of noise. Booing, cheering, "dribble-dribble-pass" and "Airball." Vulgar chants are not of my taste (until you reach college, that is), so please steer clear of those.
Other than that, I don't care what your athletic director says about it - in fact, have them talk to me about it. You are kids having fun, supporting your team and cheering against the competition. Show some pride. Show some rivalry. Show what home-court advantage really means.
After this, and only after this, will a good, bad or ugly season mean that much more to each individual in your school - player, coach, fan, teacher. It doesn't matter. When the community backs you, things work out.
Over the back
Finally, I would like to end on a rules clarification to the normal fan out there (since many fans don't know a lot of rules, anyway). There is no such foul as "over the back." Sorry to burst your YMCA basketball bubble, but, no, there is no "over the back" foul in hoops.
Now, that's not to say a defender's body does not illegally bump an opposing player too hard on a rebound. That is a foul. But simply reaching over the other player - even when both are in the air and the swinging of everyone's arms makes a terrible foul call a guarantee - does not grant that a whistle has to be blown.
There, that's my high school rant. I hope you can take it, because I can dish it out like Deron Williams.
P.S.: To the officials out there, I hate to nitpick, but please don't call "hanging on the rim" technicals unless the kid is posing for a camera (unless I am there taking his photo) or has his tongue out like Jordan and is jawing at the other team.
Nothing irritates me more than an official with a false sense of entitlement and power. The kid is in high school, he's lucky enough he got high enough to dunk. Allow him to look around for a bit, not only to feel a sense of what life must be like for Yao Ming, but so maybe he can make sure he's not going to land on anybody on his way down.
Thanks again!
-Adam Krebs is the sports editor at the Monroe Times and can be reached at sportseditor@
themonroetimes.com
