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Mayor to throw lunch for high-school team done in by stupid ref

WBZ reports the Cathedral High football team will be having lunch with Tom Menino.

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He was on Dan Rea's show last night defending "The Call". I scrolled through the comments on one of the articles yesterday - I'd say 99-1 against the refs. Was in and out of the room but sounds like the callers were unanimously against the refs. I looked at the video and read the rule - the call was completely bogus. You can't change the official results of the game, but these refs owe that kid an apology. A couple of years ago an ump blew a call with two outs in the ninth and cost a kid a perfect game in MLB (can't recall the team/player off top of my head)- the ump had the class to go in and apologize afterward admitting that while you can't change the result - he blew it. These refs should show the same level of class rather than try to defend the indefensible.

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And this was explained to every high school coach (or should have been) at the start of this or last season when the new rule went into place. I watch a lot of high school football and a lot of city high school football. You never see anyone raise their hand like this kid did going into the endzone on this play.

That being said, the refs still should have not made this call. On every play there are about 3 tecnical holds, but the refs are told to only call those which impact a players movement towards the ball or action. The refs could have ignored this minor infraction of the rules and given the kid a warning after the TD. Refs give warnings for infractions all the time, and a warning should have been given here in my opinion.

But in the end it is still up to the coach to make sure his players know about the rules, just in case you have a ref like this who wants to enforce the rules to the letter of the law.

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Pete - it's a good discussion. I read the rule in the globe and then looked at the video and then read the rule again and looked at the video and tried to figure out what part of the rule he violated. The ref (he was the head of the crew but not the one that threw the flag) - honed in on the "players should not call attention to themselves". I have a VERY hard time believing that this was calling attention to himself - it looked pretty celebratory and spontaneous to me. Per the post below it's possible the refs were on the lookout for this kid grandstanding - but in isolation I don't see this as grandstanding. Also - this wasn't a spur of the moment decision - they huddled and came to a group decision to call the penalty. They could have picked up the flag - especially because the infraction had no influence on the outcome of the play. I played HS football and still go to the occasional game - I think the PC police have gone a step too far if this is against the rules. I think the reason you rarely if ever see this at this level is few kids have the talent and presence of mind to realize that early they are going to score - granted the coach should ream him - I've seen too many people get tackled or fumbling on the 2 yard line pulling stunts like that. A breach of good fundamentals - absolutely. A breach of the rules - I don't see it.

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But the arm raising has always been a penalty even before this new NCAA rule came out (it used to be a dead ball foul assessed after the play and now it is enforced from the spot of the foul).

An interesting side note is that Texas and Massachusetts are the only two states which use NCAA rules for football (with a few voted on exceptions involving kicking). The NCAA has a video and the armraising on the way to the endzone has always been a no-no.

It is even more different if the team was given a warning for this type of play. Still a call that doesn't need to be made.

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Stevil said:

I think the reason you rarely if ever see this at this level is few kids have the talent and presence of mind to realize that early they are going to score - granted the coach should ream him - I've seen too many people get tackled or fumbling on the 2 yard line pulling stunts like that.

I think the coach is the one that should get reamed after saying this:

"In the game being played, we won the game," said Cathedral coach Duane Sigsbury, who couldn’t believe his teams previously undefeated season came down to that one penalty called against Owens. "Give Blue Hills a lot of credit they are a great football team, but we deserve better. The game got taken away from us. If you're going to take a game away from a kid being excited because he just made the play of his life, shame on you."

The italics are mine. Coaches in pro sports get fined for saying things like this.

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but I give him props for this small gesture to acknowledge a likely injustice (this justifiable but bad call with big ramifications) and show compassion to high school football players who have cause to feel they were unfairly deprived of an undefeated season and state championship.

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You're thinking of the Galarraga and the ump was Jim Joyce.

Of course, determining the out at first is also a judgement call, but it's one that can be determined definitively as to the correctness of the call in the aftermath. Joyce couldn't deny that the ball was well in the glove before the foot fell on the bag. He owned up to making a bad call. However, the celebration rule is a rule that is a true judgement call for the ref on the field. He might not like the way you turn to face the field and smile, raise your hand, or stumble into the end zone. That's his call to make.

Maybe this ref should have swallowed his whistle this once or the rule should be less absurdly drawn up, but the call was made and there's absolutely no reason to consider it a "wrong call" because fundamentally it's entirely up to the ref to decide if an infraction happened or not. This is a great example of where "you don't like it? Then go be the ref" actually applies correctly. He doesn't have to defend this call because it was his alone to make. That's fair since he was also making the same call for the other team too.

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It is a problem with both cops and referees.

Time to stop giving both irrefutable authority. Everybody needs to be accountable for their actions.

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We give all sorts of people irrefutable authority in life. If we enabled second-guessing on everything we do, we'd never get anything done and always run in circles making sure the i's were dotted on the i-dot validation forms.

I have no idea how the MIAA is organized, but refs at all levels are often subjected to review by their organizations and sometimes even fined or fired based on their ability to make calls. This won't be one of those cases. This was about the purest judgement call you're ever going to see (which is why it's so easy to simply say "worse call ever!" and not be "wrong"). You can't fault someone for their personal judgement when you give them the power to make the decision. This isn't the same as Jim Joyce at all in that regard. He is accountable for this decision insomuch as they may want to evaluate whether letting him continue making these decisions is in line with how they'd like to see the rule interpreted...and thus whether they need to clarify the rule or stop allowing him to referee these calls.

However, I'm betting if this referee's decisions on this particular penalty are reviewed, he will have made rulings that even the biggest whiner here would agree with more than disagree with. However, this one call is the one everyone's enamored with because of the game situation. It's a bias that pervades the mayor's logic for deciding to sponsor this lunch for the players. That is why the guy on the field was the ref and not the mayor. The best ref is the one that throws that flag any and every time he sees what he deems to be the penalty and NOT because of any bias surrounding the game, the clock, or anything else.

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So everyone needs to responsible for their actions EXCEPT the players? This is a typical response. The players never make mistakes, never use poor judgement, NEVER throw an interception on the next play, right?

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Considering it wasn't a clear violation of any of the rules as written, the player shouldn't be "responsible" for it at all.

Your response is also "typical" of someone who can't decisions made by children from those of adults. Maybe the insanity would stop if you stopped being insane.

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I have no dog in this fight, and am really not sure where I stand on it. But, just for clarity, let me reiterate a few details that seem to get overlooked.

There was over 6 minutes left in the game when the call was made, way too long a time to say that this call blew the game for Cathedral. They had plenty of time to gather themselves and win the game. To blame the loss on this one call is foolish.

The QB had been called for the same infraction earlier in the game, and had a semi-history of being called for it all season. I call that "not learning the lesson".

Before the game, the taunting rule was discussed with the refs. Apparently, this rule was a big change this year and everybody was well aware of it.

The ref made an instinctive call. There was no time to think about it. He saw something, and immediately called it. That's what refs are supposed to do.

Again, I'm just pointing these details out because they tend to get overlooked in all the news reports. All you see in the news is how Cathedral got screwed, and the other details are overlooked.

Saying all that, I think the call was a bit of a stretch, but I am also not aware of the environment. It's really easy for an outsider to look at the video and criticize the ref - really easy. Once you understand that this rule was enforced all year and coaches and players were constantly being reminded of it, you might give the ref a break.

In the end, Blue Hills is getting the shaft for not being able to enjoy their championship.

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Not only were their 6 minute left, but after the penalty he threw an interception. THAT is what ultimately cost them the touchdown. Penalties in football knock you a few yards back but ultimately you get to try again (very few penalties take away your down as well). Sure, you wouldn't have needed to if the call hadn't been made, but it was. THAT's part of the game. Things get called or not called all the time. The lesson here should have been that if you can't beat your opponent convincingly, then you ultimately might get one bad call that determines the whole shepoopi instead of your play. Now, the mayor has made this statement about "proving their champions" (they're not, it was determined on the field).

Of course, if his plan is to teach them today's lesson about winning, it's pretty much a good one for those on the team who will grow up to be bankers: even when you lose by a slim margin, the government will compensate to make you a winner just for participating.

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I was at the Blue Hills vs. Cathedral game on the sidelines. The celebration in question was witnessed by a suited MIAA official, who I asked for some clarification on what had just happened.

The MIAA adopted the NCAA's rule this year. Last year, it would have been a penalty assessed on the next play (kickoff in this case).

This year, it's unsportsmanlike conduct, and the play stops at the spot of the foul. Looking at the Herald's video that WCVB replayed last night in a ridiculously one-sided sob story piece, you see #4's arm go up and the flag fly right after.

The rule change was discussed by the refs with the teams before the start of the game.

The refs might have gathered to discuss the call after the flag was thrown, but the call was made right then and there, as is generally the case in football.

The ref who threw the flag was a Catholic conference ref, so don't tell me he was secretly rooting for Blue Hills.

And as Kaz says, all that happened was that Cathedral got the ball back around midfield with 6:00 to go in the 4th quarter, trailing by 4 points. That's enough time to shake it off, get a first down, and run another series of plays to get yourself a little closer to the end zone. Instead, Matthew Owens threw an interception. THAT ultimately lost them the game. He gets 100% of the blame. Sorry, kid - them's the breaks.

Let's review the rules in question, shall we?

http://emaifo.net/assets/pdf/2011-12_NCAA_Football...

Page 87
SECTION 2. Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls
Unsportsmanlike Acts
ARTICLE 1. There shall be no unsportsmanlike conduct or any act that interferes with orderly game administration on the part of players, substitutes, coaches, authorized attendants or any other persons subject to the rules, before the game, during the game or between periods. Infractions for these acts by
players are administered as either live-ball or dead-ball fouls depending on when they occur.
a.
Specifically prohibited acts and conduct include:
1. No player, substitute, coach or other person subject to the rules shall use abusive, threatening or obscene language or gestures, or engage in such acts that provoke ill will or are demeaning to an opponent, to game officials or to the image of the game, including but not limited to:
(a) Pointing the finger(s), hand(s), arm(s) or ball at an opponent, or imitating the slashing of the throat.
(b) Taunting, baiting or ridiculing an opponent verbally.
(c) Inciting an opponent or spectators in any other way, such as simulating the firing of a weapon or placing a hand by the ear to request recognition.
(d) Any delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves).
(e) An unopposed ball carrier obviously altering stride as he approaches the opponent’s goal line or diving into the end zone.
(f) Removal of a player’s helmet before he is in the team area (Exceptions: Team, media or injury timeouts; equipment adjustment; through play; between periods; and during a measurement for a first down).
(g) Punching one’s own chest or crossing one’s arms in front of the chest while standing over a prone player.
(h) Going into the stands to interact with spectators, or bowing at the waist after a good play.

PENALTY—Live-ball fouls by players: 15 yards [S27]. Live-ball fouls by non-players and all dead-ball fouls: 15 yards from succeeding spot [S7 and S27]. Automatic first down for fouls by Team B if not in conflict with other rules. Flagrant offenders, if players or substitutes, shall be disqualified [S47].

http://emaifo.net/assets/pdf/2011_Rule_Changes_Bri...
Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Now penalized based on when it occurs: - If the foul occurs when the ball is live, then it will be penalized just like any other live ball foul (like
holding or clipping).

I'm sure neither the Mayor, nor WBZ, nor WCVB, nor the school parents complaining their kids got robbed bothered doing any research into the facts of the case. They're missing several very important lessons to be imparted from this game.

The More You Know ™

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If anything, it just made it less clear where the player's actions fall under subsections a through h. Raising his arms isn't a "clear" violation of any of these stipulations. It is, however, a very gray and murky interpretation of sections d and e. Any parent or player who read this rule as written sees the wiggle room there, which explains the outrage.

The vagueness of that interpretation turns a referee into football's equivalent of a pairs figure skating judge. Football's rules are supposed to be written with more clarity. To leave the definition of "prolonged" or "excessive" to a referee's discretion just invites disasters like this. I agree with Kaz that Cathedral should have tried to regroup with the six minutes it had left, but these are high school kids coming off the endorphin rush of scoring what they believed to be the game-winning touchdown, only to have to reset and try it again. Human biology will always favor the defense in that scenario.

The More You Know ™

That's just the point -- the language of this rule doesn't inform the ref or the game's participants at all. Maybe "The More You Know ™ About How A Ref Feels About 'Showboating'" or "The More You Know ™ About How Punitive A High School Referee Can Be" would be more apt in this case.

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You can't include every single possible unsportsmanlike act in the rulebook. This is a list of the most common offenses.

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if they're the ones you're going to penalize. The act of raising a hand in the air is not in and of itself unsportsmanlike. What's done with that hand certainly is. If that hand points at an opponent, that's a taunt. If that hand points to the crowd, that's questionably self aggrandizement.

If that hand is simply up, however, that's just celebration. The reason that the term "excessive celebration" exists is because there has to be a standard to exceed. Are high school players really not supposed to celebrate touchdowns at all? Is a spike really less offensive than simply raising one's hand. And, if you're the ball carrier, how can you be accused of drawing attention to yourself when spectator attention is already directed your way because you have the ball?

If a championship can hinge on a call like this, it can't just be left a referee's moral judgment. It has to be spelled out clear as day: Our conference/league/state doesn't approve of this specific act. Either that or "no celebration of any kind" as even a "team" celebration ostensibly taunts the opposition.

I'm not against the rule itself, just the rule as written. "Do what you think is best" isn't a rule, it's a suggestion.

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Or bring attention to yourself by doing things like rasing your hand as you carry the ball down the field. Things like this have always been called, but this year, the penalty just happens to be a spot foul and not a deadball foul.

This isn't about celebrating touchdowns. And even if it was, you still can't do certain things after a touchdown (spike the ball, dance, etc)

Unsportmanlike fouls are judgement calls and simply can't be written in every rulebook.

The refs have always been clear on this, especailly this year when the new rule has been a focus since implemented by the NCAA.

Now we hear that the team was warned about this type of stuff? This makes it even more of a legit call.

Plus Cathedral had a chance to score from the 20 AND have a chance to stop Blue Hills on the next possession?

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The ball carrier calls attention to himself just by virtue of having the ball. It's not like putting an arm up is causing someone in the stands to look up from a troth of nachos and say "Hey, that guy has the ball and he's doin' stuff!"

It's the "things like this" part that's ridiculous, because the MIAA doesn't make it very clear what those "things" are. Also, if you can't spike, dance, pump your fist, point to the crowd, etc., you can't celebrate. You have to go back a really long way to find someone who wasn't the least bit jubilant when scoring the come-from-behind or game-winning TD. If the MIAA doesn't want celebration, it needs to make that abundantly clear and make it across the board. Saying that some celebration is OK and other celebration isn't sends a mixed message at the least.

Unsportmanlike fouls are judgement calls and simply can't be written in every rulebook.

That's simply not true. Every sport has clear and definitive acts that it considers unsportsmanlike conduct. When it doesn't have a rule to cover a particular kind of conduct, it then has to write one (see the "Avery Rule" in the NHL).

The refs have always been clear on this, especailly this year when the new rule has been a focus since implemented by the NCAA.

Have they? Because PAC 12 officials and ACC officials STILL don't think simple arm raising justifies a penalty. When you say "The team was warned about this type of stuff" that warning was apparently as vague as the rule itself and the excuse/explanation the MIAA gave afterward. "That kind of stuff" is a broad brush to paint with and leaves a lot open to interpretation on both sides of the whistle. Unless they declared arm raising for a brief period of time specifically off limits or just said "no celebrating touchdowns," they're inviting this kind of second guessing by being almost purposefully vague.

The ensuing Cathedral possession is irrelevant thanks to the emotional and physical drain induced by the call before it. An adult on the field made a bad call, but only because a bunch of adults gave him the leeway to make that bad call.

Football is not an abstract art and the standard Massachusetts solution of just assuming everyone knows the right thing to do in any given situation is just ill suited to the sport. The MIAA needs to either do the right thing and clarify its playbook or have a nice sitdown in Indianapolis with some NCAA officials -- you know, grown ups doing a grown up job -- and clarify some of the less clear points of the rules their little state athletic association has so gracelessly cribbed.

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Or a referees or coaches meeting in Massachusetts. Then you might have a better idea of what your talking about. It is very clear that you really don't know what you are talking about and have never been a part of these meetings. Like I said before, I've been to about 40 high school games this year and have not seen anyone raise their hand like this kid so yea, it did kind of stand out to me.

Take the swearing rule for one. It is against the rules for any player to use profane language during a contest. Does the NCAA rulebook have to include a list of dirty words? What if a player blows out his knee and swears as he goes the the ground? Does the rulebook have to include that situation?

Read Kaz's post above as he explains how the human element needs to be examined here. It is a judgement call that you can agree with or not agree with. I myself would not have made the call, although I can not say the call was not justified.

If Cathedral was so emotionally drained because of one bad call, then maybe they didn't deserve to win it anyway.

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I could care less that Cathedral lost but that call was about as bad as it gets. No way to rationalize it. If you go by the letter of the law, every quaterback who points out coverage before the snap should be flagged. But the kid on Cathedral didn't do anything close to qualify.

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What part of that did the player violate? The head ref on WBZ last night said specifically that he violated section d) when clearly this was not a delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act.

As a matter of fact, according to the head of officiating for the Pac 12 putting your arms in the air as you cross the goal line is not a penalty - if he had kept his arms up then it would not have been a penalty? If anything looks like he had second thoughts perhaps based on previous infractions and pulled his arm down immediately.

http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_18555477

Yes, it's a judgement call. In this situation I think the refs showed extraordinarily bad judgement (reading the comments elsewhere on this thread- sounds like this kid has a history of this and it came back to bite him - I think the refs made the call on the player - not the play and THAT may have been deserved).

That said - I think the mayor should shut his mouth - calling the MIAA a bunch of frustrated ex/non athletes is offensive for guys doing a community service for short money on the weekend. Talk about unsportsmanlike.

For the record - I have no skin in this game - I'm not from here and have absolutely no connection to any high school in the area.

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A quarterback who points out coverages isn't doing it to taunt the other team or bring attention to himself. The player who has to strech out his arms to get a touchdown because there are players in front of him isn't doing it to showboat, he is doing it because he wants to score.

If you are by yourself and dive into the endzone with no one around you, the refs can call that as a penalty.

Again, this was a judgement call that most referees aren't going to make in a superbowl game, but it tecnically is the right call and coaches and players have to know that this isn't going to be tolerated.

(And Cathedral is not in the Catholic Conference)

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Section a. states if you point at an opponent you're in violation. Doesn't matter if the QB is taunting or not. And if you can honestly say that the kid putting his arm in the air for a few seconds is taunting or choreographed, you're nuts. It wasn't a judgement call, it was an example of a self-aggrandizing ref, who should apologize for throwing the flag.

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This section is under the article of unsportsmanlike acts. So yes, it does matter if the kid was taunting or not.

All I can say is that I've watched about 40 high school football games this year and have not seen a player raise his hand like he did in this one. The MIAA had meetings about this with refs this year and league coaching meetings which are supposed to have refs there go over this very thing. Raising the hand like this is and always has been a penalty. The only difference is that this year the penalty is from the spot of the foul and not a deadball foul like it was before.

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The only time we ever saw crap like this, playing for a regional school, is when were played the city schools. They tend to love to imitate the things they see on TV for some reason, instead of just grinding away playing the game. It could get real bad when city teams went up against weak regional / town teams and buried them. The gloating and taunting would get bad.

If anyone did that on our team, we would have been chewed out and running suicides on hills.

It's unfortunate here, but ultimately it's a lack of discipline. It's a good life lesson going forward: celebrate when the jobs done. This is a failure of the coaching staff, as much as it's a mistake of the player who drew the penalty. Even if incidental, they knew the rule and they were even warned before the game to just play football. The coaches job is to make sure these "mental farts" are worked out of the players. They're always what cost HS teams wins, although they're not always from penalties.

As for Menino, screw him for trying to take away from the other teams accomplishment. It's petty and unbecoming the office he holds. It's one thing to back and acknowledge the accomplishments of the home town team, it's another to basically call the others win a fraud.

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Only city kids showboat? Only city kids intimidate??? That is one of the dumbest comments I have heard to date...really?

At the end of the day it is a terrible rule...and again goes along with all the PC in the world and the pussification of the american boy...maybe we should not even keep score in games anymore and give every boy a trophy that says "you are a WINNER"

Grow a pair will you

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or at least classist. THOSE city kids always have to HOT DOG and SHOW OFF. I find it far more galling when a suburban kid kneels down in a prayer stance afterward -- as if God chose a side in his little high school football matchup.

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No racism at all, as the hot dogging wasn't limited to race, color or creed. It was just how they acted, treating it more like a pickup game, then a serious competition. Also never said ONLY, so shove it Bailey. Just said more often, as in more often then the norm.

And as said, that's on the coach, not them. Some coaches even encouraged it. Coaches can be very protective and competitive of their kids. Unfortunately, sometimes that means they don't teach them good sportsmanship or how to conduct themselves respectfully in the game. Winning is important, but it's not the only lesson from HS sports. Discipline and hard work is the core of football.

I agree on the tebowing crap too. Personally, I think it's exactly the opposite of what Jesus message was.

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you are very angry with me I see..."shove it", was that jesus message too? man did you get beat up alot in high school?

For the record you said : "The only time we ever saw crap like this, playing for a regional school, is when were played the city schools"

Doesnt look like more oftern to me??? Does it to you?

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or just 14?

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Just was asking why you said "shove it Bailey"?

And wanted to give you a chance to retract what you said, as you totally said city kids acted this way ...not "more often"

Just help you re-think an arrogant, somewhat racists remark...

Let me know

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?

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Which part of the rule did he violate in your opinion? D?

I played football my whole life and have watched the game at every level. I've never seen an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty called on such a play. I've seen players raise their hands before (I did it a few times in high school and college) and it was never called.

Stevil got it right when he described it as "spontaneous". This is a kid who is excited about the biggest play in the biggest game of his football career. Nothing premeditated or malicious about it. If the refs cannot discern that as well as understand the magnitude of the game then they should do something else on their weekends.

Also, let's remember that it's easier said then done to "shake off" a call like that. The kid went from the highest of highs in scoring a TD in a championship game to the lowest of lows, thinking he might end up costing his team title. This all in seconds when that flag is thrown. You can't have the expectation that he will automatically have the fortitude to "shake it off". Could they have come back and still scored? Yes, of course. But that doesn't negate the magnitude of the call that was made.

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"In the end, Blue Hills is getting the shaft for not being able to enjoy their championship."

Perhaps if Blue Hills were more gracious winners, people would like them better.

Everybody hates a sore winner...

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This is what the Cathedral coach had to say:

"In the game being played, we won the game," said Cathedral coach Duane Sigsbury, who couldn’t believe his teams previously undefeated season came down to that one penalty called against Owens. "Give Blue Hills a lot of credit they are a great football team, but we deserve better. The game got taken away from us. If you're going to take a game away from a kid being excited because he just made the play of his life, shame on you."

Not exactly a great role model. The coach had a perfect moment here to show his players how to be classy, yet he decided to take the low road.

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I lost a lot of respect for that guy.

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From this blog written by a guy coaching Squirt hockey:

My philosophy regarding sports in general, and hockey specifically, is pretty straightforward. I think sports are an important, even essential, tool in teaching life lessons: camaraderie, teamwork, discipline, resiliency, respect, and sportsmanship. The fun comes not only from individual accomplishment, but in seeing the team succeed through mutual effort and cooperation. I also believe that children at the Squirt level are fully capable of understanding and appreciating these basic ideals (if not the "life lesson" aspect). As coaches, it's our job to help them with that understanding.

During this season, I hope each child will grow as a player and as a young man or young lady. Confidence, as John Buccigross once wrote, is the single most important trait for a young athlete, and we want to cultivate that among all our players. At this age, I'm less interested with their skill set (and wins and losses), and much more interested in their behavior, both on and off the ice. I hope to create, along with Jere and the other coaches, an environment where each player can thrive within the team concept, which I believe will result in team success. I will move quickly to short-circuit any behavior that isn't conducive to the team: woofing at opponents, showboating, talking back to the refs, or arguing with teammates, to name just a few pet peeves.

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Two men murdered in one day and Tommy is giving a bunch of football players a free lunch because of a bad referee call?

Great priorities there.

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Huh?

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Huh is right.

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So is Tom supposed to go out there and help the cops find the killers himself? I don't think the Mayor holding this luncheon is having an impact one way or the other on the murder rate in Boston. Nor would not having the luncheon...

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"How can you leave peas on your plate when there are starving children in India?"

That one didin't work when we were five.

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Mr. Mumbles is five?

Or that you still take on more than you can chew, or hoard things you'll never use?

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Isn't a touchdown something worth celebrating?

If delay-of-game is the issue, penalize that instead (on subsequent kickoff with yardage, not nullifying the touchdown).

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And not to do it in an excessive fashion. And they don't want you to celebrate before you score an actual touchdown.

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But, I think the goals are admirable. The bullsh*t that goes on in the pro ranks is way over the top, and if not for this rule, high school kids would emulate them. It ain't easy, and I'm sure the refs would rather not have one more rule to enforce.

I think in high school sports, sportsmanship should be all-important. Learn how to win, and learn how to lose - both graciously.

To keep everything in perspective, this is just high school sports. I admit that high school sports can be pretty huge, especially in other parts of the country. I went to a small college where the local high school team used our field for a state championship and there were more people at that game than I ever saw at any of ours. ;-) But, it's still high school sports and I think kids can learn a lot while on a team.

Again, the video doesn't present a very convincing argument for the ref's call, but it is a judgement call, and a tough one at that.

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The kid should start talking to Fox News about how he was raising his arm only to give glory to God for providing for him in his team's final minutes of need and not in celebration, and that the MIAA is squashing his Christianity at Christmas time. Then we could get Tebow to give his opinion on the matter and turn the entire thing into a public display of religion holy cultural circus for the ratings.

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it happened in Rhode Island

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They've got their own "holiday tree" guffaw going on right now, but isn't that the ticket?? The MIAA would be squashing his Christianity...*because* it's run by a bunch of liberal elites that want to ruin football AND his religiosity! If we could tie in guns somewhere, we'd have the Fox News Insanity Trifecta!

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That is exactly the kid's father made when interviewed by the Herald. At least the whole "he raised his arm to praise Jesus" part. I just hope the kid is able to realize the ultimate (in)significance of this entire episode and goes on to do bigger and better things than winning a high school football game. And, yes, I was a jock in high school.

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The official involved reported he had determined a violation of NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations of Rule 9, Section 2 covering Unsportsmanlike Conduct Section A. He called the violation and assessed the penalty. There is no provision in MIAA rules (or rules for any other sport at any other level) to overturn an official's call after a game has been concluded. Once the final whistle is sounded the game is over. (Reference - MIAA Handbook Rule #17, Page 24) The Cathedral coach chose not to protest the call when it was made.

At the start of the season the MIAA and football officials took comprehensive measures to ensure that everyone understood this rule. In fact, the officials at this game reminded the captains and coaches that there would be zero tolerance for any unsportsmanlike actions. Likewise, this message was communicated in the pre-playoff game administrative meeting, as well as the MIAA's Super Bowl Breakfast with coaches and captains.

Anyone may parse the language of rules and apply them as they see fit. Contest officials must familiarize themselves with the rules, both the letter and the sprit, and bring their judgment to bear in calling the game. Per the Points of Emphasis in the NCAA Rulebook: "When an official imposes a penalty or makes a decision he is simply doing his duty as he sees it. He is on the field to uphold the integrity of the game of football, and his decisions are final and conclusive and should be accepted by players and coaches."

The MIAA Philosophy reflects that high school students who participate in educational athletics learn many things from that experience including lessons that will be helpful as they go forward in life. While we hope and wish they would all be from positive experiences, sometimes that is not the case.

Losing a game or having an official's call go against you or your team are all part of sports. Just like athletes and coaches, officials try hard to do the best job possible. Athletes must learn to put these things behind them and move forward. During their lifetime they will experience similar situations where they feel "wronged" by a superior or authority figure and they must learn to deal with that situation.

Finally, we would hope that in peoples' reaction to this situation they would consider the students and coaches at Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical School who feel their properly won championship is being tarnished and discredited.

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MIAA: if you think the refs blew the call and you say so, its on you for ruining the legitimacy of this particular championship.

MIAA is a clown show.

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That last paragraph probably has more to do with the fact that the only thing ANYONE is taking away from the game is a discussion of Cathedral, how their player behaved on the field, whether the ref made the right call or not...

Go look at the Globe's High School section. Find me the article that says "Congratulations Blue Hills for winning!". Even the game recap contains more copies of the word "Cathedral" than "Blue Hills". Menino getting involved has only exacerbated that situation because now the story is ONLY above who lost and how and not about who won and what they did to score more points unlike Cathedral who didn't.

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I agree Blue Hills suffers. I don't agree that people discussing the call are to blame for their suffering.

Most of all, MIAA is playing this like everyone else is to blame and not them. Not only do they hire the officials, they do their own rule-making for many sports.

What this player did was not unsportsmanlike. The call the referee made was consistent with the letter of the rule but not it's intent. The purpose is to penalize unsportsmanlike conduct. This players conduct was a moment of realization, a reaction to his realization that he ha a clear path to the end zone, and not a celebration that was unsportsmanlike. I blame the rule-makers and the referee for the situation, not the people engaged in a discussion about it, and not the mayor who said let's do lunch.

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I like what they said and how they said it. No pussyfooting around.

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You still get your hair cut into a Johnny Unitas flattop that you can set a watch by, don't you? That's the only reason I can see for getting worked up about "over the top" celebrations in a piece of entertainment couched in beer and snack ads and played by millionaires.

I hope one day some receiver wearing seven gold chains and considering himself the second coming of Mac Miller scores a touchdown, drops trou, takes off his helmet and has intimate relations with the earhole just so your head explodes.

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My point was that they said what they needed to say and defended their position very well. If you don't agree with it, fine.

Again, one has to put themselves in the context of the rules that were enforced all season. This call was nothing new. You can't look at 20 seconds of video and make a judgement on this, you have to know the bigger picture.

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It's understandable why the referee made the call, which is not to say he made the right call.

To me, it's clear the football player made a spontaneous finger point up to the sky the moment he realized he had a clear path to the endzone. It was not braggadocios and it was not excessive, it was a reaction.

Moreover, if he made that very same gesture in the endzone, he would not have been flagged.

I hope Cathedral sues the MIAA for violation of the players free speech rights ;-)

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I'm curious if anyone knows: did Mayor Menino provide similar lunches to the Brighton High kids who won the Super Bowl?

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