a sissified world.

Last week the NCAA rules committee approved 2 new rules for the upcoming 2010 and 2011 seasons.

NO TAUNTING RULE                                                                    If a player makes a taunting gesture to an opponent on the way to scoring a touchdown, a flag would be thrown and it would nullify the score and penalize the offending team from the spot of the foul.

Dead ball penalties (unsportsmanlike conduct after the goal line) would continue to be assessed after the score.

EYE BLACK RULE                                                                     Players are not allowed to have any symbols or messages on their eye black.

The rule changes in sports are starting to get ridiculous.

What does it matter if a guy has written a bible verse or their area code on their eye black? Isn’t that a form of freedom of speech? How can the NCAA take that away from players?

Football is about getting rough, it’s about dominating. Who cares if a player celebrates his touchdown, teases a guy who can’t keep up with him on the way to the goal line, or even stands over a down player shouting his dominance. They’re proud, they’re excited, they’ve worked hard, they want to win. You try playing in front of 80,000+ screaming fans and not get excited; it’s an adrenaline rush. {I get excited and I’m the one cheering, not playing}

I can’t solely contribute OU’s loss to BYU last season to the dumb handshake the NCAA had everyone take part in before the first game of the 2009 season, but I for sure think it de-hyped the players. They aren’t  going out on that football field to make friends, they’re going out their to beat the other team, to show the rest of the country how good they are, to prove to their fans they’re worth cheering for. You can still have respect for other players/teams without the pre-game handshake. Do it after the game.

The “sissifying” of our nation isn’t just taking place in college/professional sports, it’s all around the younger generation too. In school gym class, everything has to be fair. If a child loses, his parents are calling up the next day complaining.  {Trust me on this one, my mom was a PE teacher, I’ve heard all sorts of stories.}  Parents complain because their child doesn’t see enough playing time on the field/court. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about equal playing time for small children (let’s say elementary school and below), they have to learn somewhere.

But there comes a point when parents have to start teaching their kids that if they want to be good at something they have to work at it. You don’t just get the same amount of playing time for doing nothing as the kid who practices every day. You don’t get the same grades for not studying as the kid who studies every day. You have to work hard for what you want. Life isn’t an even playing field and neither are sports.

This post makes me anxious for football season to start!

136 days