The Sporting Way

The nature of high school sports has changed since I was in school. (Not that I ever participated--oh, hell no!--but I've observed things.) 

My nephew plays freshman basketball in Oklahoma. Recently, they played out a tournament where they got trounced. My mother-in-law sat at ringside, keeping us posted of the slaughter via texts. When my nephew finally chimed in, he said the other team had a guard that was just killing them.

Here's why...

 Now, recruiting has been going on in high school sports for some time, nothing new there. But when they start recruiting adult athletes from the pros and college teams? C'mon!

"He's big for his age," the coach might say in a local press conference. "Um...and...he got held back a couple years."

A good dozen, maybe.

My nephew explained it that because of Covid, the opposing team had to put in seniors to replace the ailing underclassmen. At least that's the official line, wink, wink. All's fair in sports and Covid, right?

It's like David and Goliath, only this time David got thoroughly trounced.

Bad influence uncle that I am, I told my nephew to "Tonya Harding the guard's kneecaps." Sports, right? My mother-in-law jumped on me and said that even when my nephew's team accidentally knocked down an opposing player, they'd help them up.

Huh.

From all the action photos my nephew has showed me, he thoroughly enjoys feeding elbow to the other team. Maybe he'd been on good behavior that day since grandma was in the house.

Anyway, this isn't an isolated incident...

Meet Antonio. 

That's Antonio lurking over his teammates. Antonio's a foreign exchange student who can't speak a word of English. Talk about culture shock: Antonio's still probably dazed by being plucked out of his country and dropped into the Midwest. (I wonder how the coach communicates with Antonio...but it probably doesn't take much to pantomime putting the ball into the hoop and SLAUGHTER!).

Judging by the looks of Antonio's mustache and height (not to mention he's as wide as a house), I'd say the other team's star player is pushing late 20's. But, hey, I'm sure he's getting good grades in Oklahoma.

What's it all mean? I dunno. But clearly, "bad sportsmanship" isn't relegated to just the "pro" coaches and agents any longer.

While on the topic of the underdog facing overwhelming odds, pity poor Leon Garber who has the police, sanctioned hit men, various serial killers, and the ex-company he used to work for all after him. Really, all Leon wants to do is scratch that itch by killing bad guys. It's complicated. But uncomplicate things by checking out the first book in the Killers Incorporated trilogy, Secret Society!