Foul! You Win!

I'm not much of a basketball fan although I did play in fifth grade. And, I enjoy playing, just hanging around shooting the ball around, throw in a nice game of H.O.R.S.E. or Around the World in there and that's just fine and dandy with me. But, I never much cared to watch it. And, if I do watch a game I'd rather be in the stands than in my chair. Same with baseball, golf, racing, and pretty much every other sport that isn't football or hockey. And, I have to be in the mood to even watch them anymore. But, since my youngest daughter started playing basketball, and my oldest started Junior High Cheer, and playing softball. I've been to a lot more games than I would normally attend. And, I love to watch them and their teams play. But, that's just the Dad thing, I know it wouldn't make me any difference how the team did, if they weren't playing. And, after watching the end of the Indiana/Michigan game last night, it reminded me of a game between our Junior High boys at home a few months back. I thought it was bullshit then and I thought it was bullshit last night.

When I turned on to the game, there wasn't but a couple or three minutes left on the clock and Indiana was down by a few shots. They had plenty of time to come back, but for nearly every basket they made, Michigan came back down the court and answered it. And, it was a good game, I actually got into it, even though I'm not a fan of either team in any sport. But, I do like to watch a good game regardless of who's playing. That is I enjoyed it until they got down under the minute mark and Indiana was still down by eight points or so. And, then every damn time Michigan got the ball back after Indiana scored, Indiana would foul them to send them to the line and stop the clock. Now, I don't know when that shit became a strategy but I believe it's cheap and very unsportsman. If you have to bend the rules to win, stay the hell home. This reminded me of the Junior High Boys game earlier this year because their opponent's in that game did the exact same thing. They were down by a few goals, and did the "Foul as a play" strategy on our guys. That let Indiana win the Big Ten Championship over Michigan because they resorted to dirty plays. And, it's bullshit, no matter who's doing it. I would have though the same if it had been our boys doing the fouling, in fact I would have left the game. And, then proceeded to tell the coach how I thought it was cheap and pussified. That's basically what you're saying when you resort to tactics like that,

"I'm to big a puss to admit or accept I have been defeated."