Should the coach have been held to blame for this?

[SWTXBelle]

Why does an academic school have an athletic program?

Ask, and you will be told that the practices, the games, and the competition build character. That said, which team showed the type of character those parents are paying their hard-earned money for? The losing team's coach wasn't going to call the game - from everything I've read, he and his team were determined to finish the game. The gracious, sportsmanlike thing to do would be to play but don't press, or give the other team the opportunity to call it a game at half-time. IMHO, the coach deserved to be fired because while he won the game, he did so in a manner that was not in keeping with the school's fundamental principles. He compounded the problem by his behavior after it hit the press.

There are enough cut-throat private schools out there that I'm sure he'll have a new job in no time.

[KappaKittyCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

The gracious, sportsmanlike thing to do would be to play but don't press

According to the quotes from the girls on the website, they did stop the press and switch up their defense strategy after the 1st quarter.

[SWTXBelle]

Then I stand corrected on that point. Thanks, KKC.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by VAgirl18

The game never should have reached the score that it did. I feel like his comments in there about the blowout that his team previously experienced made it seem as though he was doing a favor to Dallas Academy. Also, I think the guy is a cocky prick for posting quotes that players have made about him. Defending yourself is one thing -- boasting about yourself is another.

Like some others, I really didn't read the coach's comments the way you did, but I appreciate your perspective as a coach on this.

Originally Posted by epchick

ETA: I know this is a private school, but I still agree with the coach speaking out. Why should he apologize for doing nothing wrong? He coached his team to play better, and they did. Is it the Covenant coach's fault that the DA team played horribly? No, he has no control over that.

He clearly thinks he did nothing wrong. Others, including his bosses, disagree. He made the choice to speak out, and that choice seems to have cost him his job. Can't say I'm surprised.

[MysticCat]

Bumping to post a link. I often read a website called GetReligion.com, which looks at how the press covers (sometimes well, often clumsily) stories dealing with religion. Picking up on the angle of this story where the Covenant School board said that the win "clearly does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition," GetReligion.com has this article that some might find interesting (if for no other reason than because of the various other stories linked): What does “Christ-like approach” mean?

BTW, one of the stories to which a link is provided is this one at ESPN.com. I found this bit in it interesting: "Jeremy Civello, who coaches the boys' and girls' basketball teams at Dallas Academy and is the athletic director, told The News that Covenant players continued to press his overmatched team at midcourt through the second half after building a 59-0 lead by intermission." Seems to disagree with what the (former) Covenant coach said.