Reason loses out yet again

I don’t know Gord Davis from Adam. But I feel sorry for the man, who is getting destroyed on social media.

Davis is the head of the Youth Bowling Council in Newfoundland, and the guy who reportedly disqualified a sevenyear-old from a “fun” bowling tournament, forcing the youngster to give up his gold medal.

And the boy’s contemptible deed that forced such draconian action?

His pants weren’t the right colour.

All this isn’t news by now. Facebook and Twitter have blown up, and Davis, who hails from Corner Brook, isn’t talking much publicly, save for a lengthy missive on Facebook.

He did, however, tell The Western Star the other day that bowlers receive a handbook at the beginning of the season that explains the things they need to know before hitting the lanes.

Attire, apparently, is paramount.

“If the ruling wasn’t made and we didn’t say anything or do anything about it,” Davis told the paper, “what would happen in all future tournaments?”

The story goes that the boy, Grayson Powell, wasn’t wearing black slacks — as we used to call them — but faded black jeans.

That’s frowned upon by bowling’s fashion police.

Anyway, it seems as if another team (or teams), or those associated with other centres, noticed young Grayson was in violation of bowling’s style etiquette, but opted to keep the information in the back pocket to be used only when needed.

So when the wee kegler from C.B.S. rolled the games of his life, winning gold, the foes pounced, offering up their gathered intelligence.

“Kick him out! Kick him out!” they demanded.

And Davis, as provincial YBC boss, caved.

If this tale wasn’t so absurd, it would be funny.

Truth is, there is nothing humourous about this. It is, in fact, sickening.

Sickening that an individual or individuals would stoop so low as to scour the rulebook for a technicality, looking to score a victory through the back door.

Whoever it was who approached Davis and the YBC association about young Powell and his incompatible pants should be ashamed. And mortified.

But they’re not, remarkably. You can bet your last dollar on that.

Which leads us to Davis.

He told the Corner Brook paper he thought about the feelings of a seven-year-old boy several times, but felt he had no choice but to investigate.

Rules are rules, and they have to be followed, right?

It’s a copout. What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong and Davis — though I don’t know him — I would like to think understands this is wrong.

I could understand if this was a provincial senior Open tournament. Maybe even the YBC provincials, with the 14and 15-year-olds involved and a berth in the nationals on the line.

But a tournament involved seven-year-olds?

Please.

Davis should have told the informant to take a hike (get a life … go pound salt … get lost … you get the drift), and refused to enforce the ridiculous guideline.

He should have said the boy attempted to follow guidelines by wearing the jeans, and the wording of the rule would be revisited at the association’s next AGM.

Davis, in a word, should have taken a stand.

Instead, he caved, and reason lost out yet again.