100-0

Of course, this was the final score of a girls high school basketball game in Texas between Covenant and Dallas Academy where Covenant was the ill-mannered "winner" of the game.

The facts as reported are as follows. The score was 59-0 at the half. In the second half, Covenant was still shooting 3 pointers and at times employing a defensive press. An assistant coach was seen on the Covenant bench in a state of delerious rapture (it is a Christian school) and was very enthusiastically celebrating each score and urging his players to reach 100 points. Dallas Academy apparently is a school with students that have a "variety of learning problems" and I am not quite sure what that means but that is how it has been reported so take that for whatever you want.

Days after the game, Covenenant posts an apology to Dallas Academy on their website and requests that their coach, Micah Grimes also apologize. Mr. Grimes passes on this golden opportunity and refuses to apologize and instead, the following is what this rube thought was in his best interests to publish: "In response to the statement posted on the Covenant School website, I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed. We played the game as it was meant to be played. My values and my beliefs would not allow me to run up the score on any opponent, and it will not allow me to apologize for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."

Well, thankfully, the school has seen that Mr. Grimes is in need of a vacation and decided to make it a permanent vacation at that as they have fired him.

I was listening to sports talk radio and while the hosts were divided on the propriety of the firing (I think they do this intentionally to spice up the show), the great majority of the callers were outraged at the firing asking "What is he supposed to do?", "Should he just let the other team score?"and "Whatever happened to the commitment to excellence?".

Oh brother! Where to start?

Look, this is what Mr. Grimes was supposed to do and as he did none of these things, this is why is out of a job.

1. The second and third stringers play the entire second half and good parts of the first.
2. Nobody takes a 3 point shot in the second half.
3. I don't know if there is a shot clock at this level but if so, the team is not going to shoot prior than 2 seconds before the shot clock expiration. If there is no shot clock, the team is going to work on it's passing for 45-60 seconds before any shot is taken.
4. The team is not going to employ a "press" defense when ahead 59-0 at the half.
5. The team is not going to just allow the opponent to score but will not employ any double team defense or do anything other than play straight man to man (ok, girl to girl) defense or better yet a zone.
6. The assistant coach will be told to sit down and shut up and afterwards there will be a frank discussion as to whether he/she is cut out for this job.

Just common sense really.

To all the callers to sports talk radio (yea, I realize that listening to this is not exactly the most intellectually stimulating pursuit in the world but still), I have sign for each of you to put on your back which says "Part of the problem".

For the coach, I think I would just give him the standard "Kick Me Hard" sign.

My 02.