Pro athletes blurring the lines of teachable moments
My son competes in the long jump in high school track meets. On occasion, when his school is the visiting team, he has noticed the long-jump official, usually a coach from the host school, ignores slight scratches by jumpers from the home team.
He barely scratched at a recent home meet and suggested later that his coach, the long- jump official that day, could have overlooked it. It was a teachable moment. It would have been cheating. But teachable moments are becoming increasingly difficult for teachers.
There are rules — such as when Tiger Woods took an illegal drop at the Masters, claiming, inconceivably after so many years of playing at the highest level, he was unclear on the interpretation — that are superseded by other rules, like the one conveniently used by the Masters committee that prohibited Woods’ disqualification. There are unwritten rules. Then there is another category that isn’t even unwritten, falling into a gray area of right and wrong.
Such was the case with Rockets guard Patrick Beverley’s aggressive attempt to steal the ball when Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook was calling a timeout.
The play became hugely consequential because it caused a knee injury ending Westbrook’s season. Without him, the Thunder, who had the Western
Conference’s best record during the regular season, lost last week to Memphis in five games in the second round of the playoffs.
Some, such as Charles Barkley, called it a “cheap play.”
Others, such as the Thunder (with the notable exception of Westbrook) and Rockets players, said it was part of the game.
So Beverley was right and wrong. I lean toward wrong, but perhaps it will at least be discussed among the NBA rules committee, along with whether hack-a-fouls are impinging on the game’s integrity.
My vision is no doubt clouded by my 15-year-old son’s active role in sports. Injuries are part of sports, but I want him to play in the safest environment possible. I also want him to learn good sportsmanship beyond the rule book.
(I confess my compass was spinning a couple of years ago when former Astros player and manager Phil Garner admit- ted he once hit a home run with a corked bat off Gaylord Perry.) Coaching dilemmas
I’m finding helpful literature — “Why Johnny Hates Sports” by Fred Engh — and an increasing number of parents focus- ing on values.
A friend has continued to coach youth baseball even though his son, a former pitcher in college and the Cape Cod League, no longer plays.
After his son’s career was ended in college by a line drive that resulted in brain trauma, the friend said he won’t instruct hitters to “drive the ball up the middle" until pitchers are provided with helmets. It’s too dangerous with aluminum bats.
Chris Erskine, the Los Angeles Times sports humor columnist, wrote recently about his experience this season as a Pony League coach.
“Back before the Crusades, I was an 8-year-old catcher (who) discovered that if I slyly kicked dirt over home plate as soon as the ball was hit, that it often befuddled the runner coming in from third,” he wrote.
“So now as a coach, I am left with the moral dilemma: Do I pass along this fiendish little trick to 9-year-olds, or do I let them discover it for themselves? Is burying home plate part of baseball, like an outfielder pretending he caught a trapped ball? Or is it worse than that?”
Erskine wrote he so far has not taught the trick.
“And I think I never will,” he added. Gamesmanship?
Woods was involved in another controversy at the Players Championship last weekend, when he pulled a 5-wood from his bag for his second shot on a par 5, surely realizing it would draw a roar from the gallery because it meant he was boldly going for the green.
Meantime, playing partner Sergio Garcia was approaching his ball. He claimed he was distracted, slicing his shot and making a bogey.
Marshals since have confirmed Woods’ story that one had mistakenly told him when he addressed his ball that Garcia already had hit. But they said Woods did not receive that information before he drew his club.
Woods won the tournament. Garcia tied for eighth, six shots behind.
As someone wrote, it’s possible Woods misremembered the timing. It also has been suggested by some, including his former coach Butch Harmon, that Woods is not above gamesmanship.
No matter. My quarrel is not with Woods in this situation.
My quarrel is with the recent ad campaign about him declaring, “Winning takes care of everything.”
That teaching moment is brought to you by Nike. Thanks a lot.
randy.harvey@chron.com