Sprints Will Celebrate Wherever It Wants Regardless of Your Fines // 01.28.10
by cocknfire on Jan 28, 2010 12:26 AM EST
in Sprints
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You can have fun if you must, but please try not to
The SEC fines South Carolina $25,000 because students celebrated their victory against a top-ranked team Tuesday night. I'm only exaggerating slightly there. Eric Hyman praises his fans' "enthusiasm and excitement" before joining in the league-wide stupidity on the issue.
"However, the SEC schools voted unanimously on the sportsmanship policy and the subsequent fines for violating that policy, and we support it fully. The purpose of the policy is for the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, officials, students and our many fans. While I was thrilled with the outcome of the game, I was also very concerned that we follow this policy to prevent a dangerous situation from occurring."
I have been consistent on this, so there's no real danger of homerism here: This is perhaps the dumbest policy in all of American sports. Tearing down the goal posts, which includes very heavy metal objects falling to the ground, is dangerous and should probably be banned despite my efforts to help in a police-deterred goal post removal during my college days. I see nothing dangerous about fans going onto a basketball court and celebrating the first win against a No. 1 team in school history. Unless you're going to ban ballroom dancing in the SEC. Because it's almost as dangerous.
Of course, then you have to deal with the fact that the school is having to pay for students' behavior that it can't really avoid without operating a small militia. Here's a better idea: Repeal the rule.
Making lemonade out of lemons
Storming the Floor -- appropriately enough -- has an idea for making sure the ridiculousness of the whole situation doesn't go to waste. Or line Mike Slive's pockets, which is pretty much the same thing given the billions he carries around.
Stay class, Lexington
DeMarcus Cousins ALLEGEDLY punched a South Carolina fan in the commotion ALLEGEDLY. It should be noted that this appears to be the only thing that made the celebration dangerous. No word yet that your humble correspondent has found from head coach and noted humanitarian John Calipari.
Vanderbilt might win the East after all
Of course, it's in basketball. But that's something.
The Commodores -- who, by the way, rallied to beat Auburn by double figures on Saturday -- are 5-0 to open SEC play for the first time since 1964-65.
Just don't celebrate on the basketball court.
Can you have too many Top 25 teams?
The SEC is about to find out if you can in baseball; half of the league is in the Baseball America rankings.
3 LSU
7 Florida
10 South Carolina
17 Arkansas
22 Georgia
24 Ole Miss
We're just now gearing up for baseball coverage, so there's only one thing we can think of right now: Yikes.
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Game winning score fines will be next...you know because they are the root cause of celebration.
8 or 13 It's more than your school. You can call Bama's fans what you want while your thinking of the national title.
by Destindune on Jan 28, 2010 7:48 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Cousins thing was made up
They video they claim as proof was actually Patterson walking off teh court and getting run into by students trying to get to the floor.
http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=42712
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
by btcoop71 on Jan 28, 2010 8:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
There is nothing wrong with charging the floor to celebrate with your team
…the problem is that the losing team is still out there when the students charge down. These players are likley in a bad mood and won’t take kindly to taunting by some poor sports, which are in every crowd – regardless of the school. This is the dangerous part. You’ll often see some bumping when students storm the floor amongst the visiting team.
As far as the fine is concerned, the schools can handle that one by adding a dollar or 2 to the student fees charged each semester. At a school of 25k or so students, that $25k fine is covered pretty neatly and who is going to complain about a $1 or $2 increase in fees these days?!
Personally, I think the football celebration penalty is the worst policy. I know you just scored – but whatever you do, keep it under control, do not smile, wave, jump or dance. Just hand the ball to the referee and walk briskly to the sideline before removing your helmet and sitting on the bench.
by skigator93 on Jan 28, 2010 12:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Always thought those penalties were dumb.
Every time I see it get called I want the ref tackled on the spot….Even if it’s the opposing team! I just can’t stand it…
As long as the ball isn’t thrown out into the crowd or your not taunting another player, I don’t see the problem with a player jumping, dancing, etc.
by WarEagle94 on Jan 28, 2010 1:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm kind of surprised at the rhetoric around here.
There’s no reason why they can’t celebrate in the damn stands. There’s no reason they need to be on the floor, especially with the opposing team still in the immediate area. Will anything happen? Probably not, but it could. Why risk it? I’m not even talking about intentional stuff; accidents happen, too, and the last thing the game needs is a player hurt because some morons rushed the court. I think it’s a good rule, and the argument that it should be repealed because it would take too many people to phyically enforce it is equivocation at its worst.
by dxf04 on Jan 28, 2010 7:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
The number of people to enforce it is just one argument
And you’re right that people can’t celebrate in the stands. But I’m tired of making rules to prevent things that could happen. Life is full of risks, and our job as human beings is to weigh those risks and decide which ones to take and/or allow. I think the risks of something happening by rushing the court is relatively small — particularly when you talk about what we’re trying to avoid. I believe people have died tearing down the goal posts, which is why I’m fine with that rule. If someone were permanently or fatally injured in a rushing the court incident — and if it happened with enough frequency to make it less than an unfortunate but rare occurrence — I’d have a bit more stomach for the idea. But regulating when and how people can celebrate is, to me, generally a pretty bad idea.
Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.
by cocknfire on Jan 31, 2010 10:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
This issue ultimately started...
…after an incident where Matt Walsh was punched by a UGA student on the court following a game in Athens. I can see the complaint about not being allowed to rush the court, but ultimately, the point remains that rushing the court does pose a threat to the opposing team, and that’s ultimately what the SEC was trying to prevent.
by hailtogeorgia on Jan 29, 2010 9:36 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
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