Blame game

A reprint of my Sept. 24 SlapShot column published in the Woodford Sun.

Who’s to blame?

I’m not sure if it stems from something innate in human nature, or if it has simply evolved out of the litigious nature of our society. We always seem to need to find somebody to blame.

But in real life, a scapegoat doesn’t always exist. Sometimes things just happen. Sometimes a multitude of factors collide at just the right moment to create the perfect storm. Sometimes we can’t answer the question: Why?

A jury found former Pleasure Ridge Park football coach David Stinson innocent of reckless homicide and wanton endangerment in the death of Max Gilpin. The 15-year-old football player collapsed during an August 2008 practice. Prosecutors blamed the coach for pushing the athletes too hard in the heat.

Was it hot? Sure, it was hot. It was an August day. But a 94-degree heat index does not constitute extreme heat. A colleague who played high school football in Florida told me he dreamed of days that cool.

Much was made over water and when it was offered to practicing players. But anybody that has trained in hot weather knows that hydration must begin long before taking the field. Athletes must ensure they get proper hydration and nutrition before and after practices. Drinking water on the field alone doesn’t cut it.

And there were other factors involved. Gilpin was taking creatine, a supplement that pulls water into the muscles’ cells. He was also on an attention deficit disorder drug. Gilpin’s parents said he complained of feeling poorly earlier in the day. Should we blame the victim for not taking care of himself or adequately preparing for practice? Should we cast blame toward his parents for not monitoring his supplements or letting him practice when he said he wasn’t feeling well?

No, I don’t think it’s fair to place the blame on them, at least not wholly. It just happened. All of these and a host of other factors came together and resulted in a tragedy. Remove even one and Gilpin would probably be with us today.

But we need somebody to blame. We need to find fault. We need someplace to point the finger.

And the coach was the most obvious scapegoat.

Did Stinson push his players? Sounds like he did. But that’s his job. That’s what coaches do.

They push.

Anybody who has ever dealt with a teenager knows that they tend toward laziness. In fact, most human beings wander along the path of least resistance. Coaches must overcome that laziness and mold a bunch of undisciplined kids into a team of young men capable of competing in a physically demanding and often-violent game. A coach can’t accomplish this by handing out smiley face stickers. He must push his players.

Part of the value of athletics involves learning that we possess the ability to drive beyond our perceived limits. Coaches help athletes learn this lesson – by intentionally pushing them. Driving them. Demanding more of them.

To prosecute a coach for doing this puts the whole purpose of his job on trial.

In a rough sport like football, there will always exist the risk of injury or even death. More tragedies will certainly occur in the future. We simply cannot alleviate every risk in life. They only way to ensure 100 percent safety is to stay at home and sit on the couch.

And even then, the roof could fall in on us. Besides, what kind of life is that?

Quick Shots

A question for all of you die-hard University of Kentucky football fans out there. I listened to you tell me for two weeks how bad the University of Louisville looked against Indiana State, what an inferior team they were and how UK was going to destroy them. Keeping that in mind, what does the Wildcats’ narrow victory over the Cards say about your team?

Before Cat fans get too optimistic when looking at Florida’s relatively low point output in its 23-13 win over Tennessee, they should keep in mind that the Vols’ D limited the Gators to 30 points in 2008. Gator coach Urban Meyer also said that he was taking a little more conservative approach offensively due to injuries and sicknesses among some starters.

But maybe the football gods are looking down on the Cats. According reports, the Florida Gators are battling to contain a flu outbreak. Swine flu is making its way through the campus in Gainesville.

They say old age and experience trumps youth and enthusiasm. Mark Martin seemed to prove this adage true. The 50-year-old NASCAR driver used some good pit strategy and cashed in a little luck to win the Sylvania 300 in Loudon, N.H. Martin sits in first place in the Sprint Cup point standings, 35 ahead of Jimmy Johnson. It was the old-guy’s fifth win of 2009.

Quote of the Week

“You understand why they haven’t won in 100 years here.”
-Chicago Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley

Puck to the Head

This week’s puck flies at the head of Michael Jordan for using his Hall of Fame induction speech as an opportunity to air his dirty laundry, to criticize those he felt slighted him over the years, and to whine and complain. As columnist Adrian Wojnarowski put it, “This wasn’t a Hall of Fame induction speech, but a bully tripping nerds with lunch trays in the school cafeteria. He had a responsibility to his standing in history, to players past and present, and he let everyone down.” This once again proves the point, money doesn’t buy class.