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Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 9th, 2005, 8:37 pm
by The Ancient Enemy
I love how people look the other way away from the evil in this world. I just saw a thing on ESPN.com about how colleges are "scrambling to find the recruits" who are scattered everywhere after the hurricane. Hey, show must go on, right??? Can't let OU get that prospect because they tracked him down before we did! Maybe these people should do the noble thing and help people find their families, instead of looking for a defensive tackle. But, alas, welcome to America.
The posters on here are almost in unison about letting the kids play if they show up. I'm sure there's not kids and schools already looking to get athletes on teams at top-notch programs. Hey, after all, they're escaping the hurricane. So if Claysburg somehow manages to attract 3 or 4 kids who are great athletes, and they win the state championship, I don't want to hear anybody complaining about it. Do you put it past Catholic McCort to "reach out because that's what God would want" them to do? Give me a break.
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 10th, 2005, 2:33 am
by Sports999
Wow Moldo pretty harsh. The kids have their homes destroyed, lives will never be the same, and you want to deprive them of the chance to do something they enjoy? I'd have a hard time telling them no if you as me.
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 10th, 2005, 10:05 am
by El-Moldo
Pretty harsh? How about pretty realistic. You know how certain Mexicans come into our country legally every year on a "temporary" basis to do seasonal work in orchards and on farms, and then go back home? Do they have ALL the benefits of U.S. citizens while they are here? No they don't. That's the way it should be if displaced families come to our area on a temporary basis. Isn't food, shelter, clothing, education, security enough?? Do they have to have, for a SHORT while, EVERYTHING they had at home. I mean, have they rebuilt soccer fields yet in the Tsunami area, or are they concentrating on NECESSARY stuff first? Putting displaced kids in our schools is fine. Education is not a team thing. More kids in the classroom is not going to diminish the education of others already there. But in sports, the way in is governed by the PIAA, you just can't put kids on teams and expect "equality" on the playing field. It hurts the team the new kids are on, and it hurts the teams they are playing against. If they become state residents, then wonderful. Let them play every sport. But as a "visitor", too bad. As Mick Jagger once said, "You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you NEED".
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 10th, 2005, 10:21 am
by Pale Rider
This topic was started as a hypothetical question. Something to provoke thought and opinion from all angles, like a lot of stuff on the BC. Not everyone agrees with the thoughts of everyone else, that's a given. Here are my thoughts on this. Having been in the National Guard with recovery/ cleanup from the devastation from Hurricane Agnes in Wilkes-Barre in 1972, and the cleanup from the Johnstown Flood of 1977, I can tell anyone, just like Moldo said, the first things on ANY displaced student/ athletes and their families is shelter, food/ water, clothing, a future income, and maybe education, and not if they are going to come into Ken Salem's domain and lead the LHAC in rushing or score an average of 40 points/ 20 rebounds per game, or throw 95 mph balls for 200 strikeouts. I agree if they do come into a rival system, or even FH's, more power to them. They will not just waltz into any school district and perform at an all-american caliber. They won't be familiar with the systems, they won't know plays for awhile, they probably won't displace ANY starting athletes on ANY team, unless that team has a severe manpower shortage to begin with, say a team like Shade, Shanksville, Harmony, small schools that just don't have the volume of athletes in bigger AA and AAA schools. If a school or Coach is ACTIVELY seeking such student/ athletes, he/ she seriously needs to examine his morals, ethics, and reason for living. It would just be SICK!
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 11th, 2005, 4:35 pm
by owen
wow, education is not a team thing, and a kid coming into a classroom is not going to take away from the other kids in the class as far as learning is concerned. i guess you never heard of smaller class sizes being better for all involved. these people have had enough adversity in the past few weeks. i say if they manage to find a place to go to school, and they want to play, it may take their minds off of their problems and help them for a while. the people against it are giving selfish reasons.
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 11th, 2005, 5:10 pm
by El-Moldo
Two new kids in a class of 20 represents an increase of 10%. Two new starters on a basketball team represents 2 out of 5, or 40%. Big difference in what 2 kids can mean in the classroom and on the court. And what about the teams they play against, if those teams have not received the same "help"? We do need equality on the playing field to make things work out from a fairness standpoint.
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 11th, 2005, 8:54 pm
by once a runner
The PIAA says they can play. On the PIAA website (
http://www.piaa.org), click on the Eligibility of Student Athletes Displaced by Hurricane Katrina link.
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 11th, 2005, 9:19 pm
by El-Moldo
Great. Hopefully if the situation arises everything will work out fine. By the way,The PIAA also turns it's head when seniors from public schools transfer to private schools for ONE year and play sports. Guess they have THE INDIVDUAL in their best interest. Forget everyone else that's affected. It's the INDIVIDUAL that counts.
Posted: September 11th, 2005, 9:25 pm
by ham55
For a guy that hates when people deal in hypotheticals, you sure offered one big one here.
Re: Should they be allowed to play?
Posted: September 11th, 2005, 10:06 pm
by El-Moldo
Jeez. Maybe I'm in the twilight zone or something. But which hypothetical would that be?????