When I read that nine high school football players would miss the rest of their season after attending the Phillies victory parade, I mistakenly assumed that they were still trapped under flipped cars. But it’s because of one Vince Lombardi-wannabe who chose to punish the kids for joining the 40 percent of Philadelphia-area students who skipped school on Friday.
(That college scholarship is going, going…gone!)
Hatboro-Horsham coach Tom Butts dismissed the players from the team, causing them to miss the homecoming game, only the biggest day of the year for a high school football player. The punishment seems a little harsh, but Butts’ justification seems intended to guilt the players even further. Remember, he’s not mad, he’s just disappointed:
“We sat down all of the players beforehand and told them, in no uncertain terms, that they needed to honor their commitment to the team,” Butts said. “That commitment started way back in January, with off-season conditioning.”
In a bit of karma, the team lost that night by two points - maybe those nine players could have made the difference for the Hatters. (Hatboro is so named because an early resident made hats; you learn these things when you date someone from there.)
But Butts seems determined to play the role of the cross-yet-loving father, who you may despise now but will grow to understand why he had to be so strict:
“I’m not mad at the players, but I’m disappointed in the decision they made,” Butts said. “And, as with life, there are sometimes repercussions for the things we do.”
Yeah, like inevitably having your car keyed by the dismissed players.
1:04 pm on November 6th, 2008
What a stupid decision - no ifs, ands, or Butts about it.
1:21 pm on November 6th, 2008
This is just like the time Homer wouldn't let Bart see the new Itchy & Scratchy movie, and as a result, Bart grew up to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
1:25 pm on November 6th, 2008
As Johnny Dakota said in Saved by the Bell, "There is no hope, with dope." May no be applicable here, but that was a great episode!
1:37 pm on November 6th, 2008
Coach Butts should expect some repercussions in the form of concussions beaten into his skull by some irked players.
1:57 pm on November 6th, 2008
I'm glad they went to the parade, because their next opportunity to celebrate a Phillies World Series victory wouldn't be until these high schoolers turn into retirees.
2:12 pm on November 6th, 2008
The coach had laid down his rules. If the players don't like it, then they shouldn't be on the team.
2:33 pm on November 6th, 2008
Let the kids have their fun once-in-a-lifetime experience. The coach is a douche.
2:41 pm on November 6th, 2008
Butts is acting like a real ass.
3:00 pm on November 6th, 2008
Couldn't the players claim they were doing extra-curricular social studies work?
3:22 pm on November 6th, 2008
Yeah, like inevitably having your car keyed by the dismissed players.
Or having your car turned over by the dismissed players. Just some leftover celebrating, you know.
5:07 pm on November 6th, 2008
This is asinine with a capital A. Why deny a youngster the greatest moment they'll ever have in their entire lives?
At least until the Phils repeat next year.
8:21 am on November 7th, 2008
Now that you have vented your frustration consider this. The PIAA has a rule that says "if a player misses school, he can't play in a game that day." It's been that way forever. Coach Butts was doing his job. If a player makes a choice to make himself ineligible then he doesn't respect the coach, his comitted teammates who did the right thing or the rules. They distinguished themselves as immature athletes who made a poor choice! Everything comes at a price, whether it's a victory or a loss. I heard the upperclass players were not part of this group. That says volumes. With age comes logic and reasoning power. These losers don't get it!
3:25 pm on November 7th, 2008
If the game was not Friday night I would agree the coach was an ass. By not attending school Friday they were not allowed to play that night. They Put themselves off the team for one game. Coach had no choice but to kick them off the team for the rest of the games.
4:22 pm on November 7th, 2008
The rule is about one game, not the season's remainder. To be a leader is to not overreact. IOW, the wise decision of a good coach is to suspend the kids from the next game and make them do double-drills at practice every day for two weeks. That's how you handle it. You don't act like a jackbooted power tripper.
1:59 pm on November 9th, 2008
Those kids let their teammates down by taking the day off and making themselves ineligible for that night's game (that was not the coaches doing but a city-wide rule btw). I believe the coach did the right thing by dismissing them for the rest of the season. If I was one of those kids' teammates I'd be royally p'o'd at my teammates for letting me down that way and wouldn't want them back. Kudos to the coach for making the unpopular but correct decision.