The shame is not in losing

We wanted to comment on this but got caught up in the excitement of a two-time tax cheat being named our nation’s top tax collector. Could you blame us?

Anyway, back on Jan. 13, the girls’ basketball team from The Covenant School beat the Dallas Academy, 100-0. Since that time the score, the two schools and the The Covenant School coach (well, former coach as he’s since been fired) have gone national and unless you’ve been living under a rock, you've probably heard about this and probably have some sort of opinion regarding the whole brouhaha.

As bad as the score appears, it’s difficult to form any strong opinion on the game itself, and more precisely the conduct of the game unless one is there. True, a 100-0 score would appear to speak for itself, but we would want to witness the mood and tenor of the participants firsthand before laying down any judgements.
One question we do have right off the bat is, if The Covenant School is as good as the readings on this matter say they are and Dallas Academy is a school for kids with “learning disabilities” and with only 4 players on the team as far as we can tell, who’s brilliant idea was it to let this game get scheduled and actually played in the first place?

Back in junior high we were on the winning end of a 123-8 game against a league foe. We don’t recall any feelings getting hurt (true, we were on the winning side but actually being there as a participant afforded us to being attuned to the general attitude of the opposing team) – we had a good team, our shots were falling and the other team stunk. We only suited up 8 guys and the 3 off the bench were no slouches either and they certainly wanted to get their minutes and their shots. It just kind of happened, if 123-8 happens.

But here is what’s important: We don’t recall any hard feelings, humiliation or indignation expressed by the opposing team, their coach or the fans of that team either during or after the game.

A final score in and of itself does not make for humiliation. We’ve never been humiliated merely because we’ve been on the wrong end of a 40 pt. beat-down. The handful of times where we can honestly say we’ve been humiliated or shown-up is when the opposing team started noticeably altering their style of play. When the other team starts clowning or “easing-up” so as to not embarrass you, it has the exact opposite effect. As a competitor, what becomes truly galling and infuriating is when you sense the other team’s patronizing efforts to not make you look so bad. The very thing that has been suggested by some of the talking heads (“just let’m score”) is the only thing that would ever cause us to be humiliated or shamed on the field of play.

Ass-kickings happen.

But now The Covenant School has forfeited the game. Embarrassment. And Dallas Academy has become somewhat of a celebrity… for losing… as Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban has invited the Dallas Academy team to attend a game in his luxury suite. Humiliating.

We think the best for all involved would’ve been to let this game go quietly into the night.