agitator53

Very well said lawnman, very well said. I miss the "good old days" when we could yell across the gym at each other, heckle each other, and cheer our fans on to either victory or a loss....and then leave the gym happy/disappointed, but no hatred nor malice for the opposing team. I'm seeing way too much of that in our district, and has been said, some are allowing it to happen. I do see it more during tournament time. It was refreshing to see what West Green did on the Saturday game where one of the Grainger boys lost his step-mother, and then afterwards. They set a pretty high bar for the rest of the region, district, and community. Maybe some day.......... Good luck on the quest for the state title!

Did not see the students on the balcony behind your section with the sign. Not surprised, and completely uncalled for. As you, my kids would not have done anything like that for the same reason your's wouldn't. I've been to Elizabethton on many occasions over the last 10+ years covering basketball for several schools and media outlets. Always an "electrified" gym, great environment for basketball. Sad that a few always cause problems for the majority. Not pleased with the behavior of some of the Grainger kids, uncalled for. Sad as well as that seems to be the new "norm" from elementary through college. Good luck on the quest.

Have no idea as to the Grainger Administrations involvement. As for law enforcement and EMT involvement, I did observe them putting several of the more rowdy kids back in the bleachers and preventing them from parading around the gym, unlike the "Betsy" student who crossed the gym and acted in an unsportsmanlike manner. We must have been sitting with a different group of "Betsy" fans. Having observed unsportsmanlike behavior in your gym by your fans nearing the same levels over my years of coming up for tournaments, and observing the less than hospitable behavior of your fans towards visiting fans....with no intervention whatsoever by your officials, I guess it's getting common all through the region of unruly fans acting unsportsmanlike. No question that kids from Grainger and adults from Elizabethton were way out of line. But, to trash either school and their fans for the actions of a group unruly kids and immature adults would be the ultimate act of unsportsmanship and arrogance. It's evident you haven't attended sporting events in very many East Tennessee schools because the behavior of students throughout the region have been unsortsmanlike over the last few years, as well as that of adults. I have observed school administration in some schools spending more time on unruly visiting fans while the "home" fans were allowed to be unsportsmanlike. I have also seen law enforcement spending more time on visiting fans than they do more rowdy fans on the home side. I'm sorry your feelings were hurt, but I've not read any reaction from the "Betsy" fans to the vulgar hand signs and comments made to the opposing team. I'm not going to defend unsportsmanlike behavior on any level, by any group. FACT is, it's rampant in our region, and it does exist at Elizabethton as well. Thankful though that in ALL gymnasiums, it's the minority rather than the majority. Sitting in the midst of your fans, and hearing the vulgar yells, flipping off students, and other actions, my opinion is both groups were out of line. BUT, one would expect adults to exhibit a little more decorum than you would high school kids. Good luck to your Lady Cyclones as they continue their quest for Murfreesboro. A very talented group of young ladies indeed. The Lady Grizzlies still live to play as they move on. Best of luck to them as well. Two great teams/young ladies who were not represented well in the stands by some of their fans. I think I'll spend my time encouraging the kids from here out and leave you to your criticism of a bunch of kids acting like kids, who should have been a little more restrained. Too bad the TV station missed getting video of both sides, but we know opinions are always one sided most of the time when it comes to high school sports. Time for adults to be adults and be a GOOD example for the kids and the rest of our friends. If you would like the school phone number, Google Grainger High School, Rutledge, TN and the phone number is there, along with the principal and athletic directors. Give them a call and express your feelings. Better yet, drive down and have a friendly conversation with both of them with your concerns. I'm sure that between them, your administration, and you, things can be worked out. Enjoy your quest for the state title.

Rebel....we saw a good game, and both teams were deserving of the win, regardless. Great talent and resilience on both teams. Students, kids, with signs, and adults...older adults acting as vulgar. Kids flipping off "Betsy", and a good number of those adults returning the gesture. Kids acting like kids is a little different to adults acting in the same fashion as the kids. I'm told that the older I get, the more childish I act. I guess it's true that our lives do come full circle and we return to where we were as we were growing up. Me.....I many have to get older, but refuse to "grow up". Life stops being as much fun when we have to "grow up". It was unfortunate for both groups of girls playing their hearts out. Thankfully law enforcement held back and gave things an opportunity to calm down without having to clear a few seats on both sides. That would truly have been tragic. Always two sides to everything. As I've said.....best of luck to the Lady Cyclones and the Lady Grizzlies as they fight on in the quest for Murfreesborough! To ALL the fans, remember, it's a game. It's about the kids and not about us in the stands. Support your team, take the high road and act adult like, and call our kids down when they step out of line. Makes for a much better time on and off the hardwood!

Other media outlets there had some pretty scalding things to say about the actions of some of the Elizabethton fans as well. There may be more "bull" involved here than you refer to.

I'll agree that the behavior of SOME of the KIDS in the Grainger STUDENT section were over the top and completely uncalled for. But, I was sitting in the midst of a good number of "Betsy" parents and fans, and what I saw and heard was just as bad. Two wrongs don't make a right. I won't defend those who were out of hand in BOTH groups, but when you have kids acting like kids....agreed not like kids should, but when you have adults, and not young adults doing the same things, it ruins the atmosphere and fun for everyone present. I've been present at all the meetings between the two schools as a member of the media covering the games for news outlets, and I've seen SOME of the "Betsy" grandparents acting as inappropriate as you say these kids were acting, and many were. This door swings both ways, and swings badly both ways. It's one thing for kids to get out of control, but when adults act the same, that pushes things over the top. Shame on both groups for the displays of poor sportsmanship. The game was a fantastic game. The Cyclones were quick and precise. The Grizzlies were resilient in their play, and put up a good fight. I believe they held "Betsy" as close as any team they've played all season. Coaches were passionate, but the fans dropped the ball. Grainger students...a group of them, and Elizabethton adults, a group of them. Arrogance and adults acting like children are never acceptable. Should someone have stepped in? Absolutely. Some of the Grainger fans, and a group of the "Betsy" adults won't know just how close they were to being escorted out the the facility last night by law enforcement. Would not have been pretty. But, adults acted like adults and cooler heads ruled. Your report of what happened at Grainger are GREATLY slanted by your loyalty to your school and your kids. From the middle and outside the argument, sir, you are very far away from what went on. You were only looking from the "Betsy" side of the confrontation, and evidently didn't see and hear what I did. What a shame that these two great teams can't meet without adults acting like children, and children needing to be "reeled in". Shame on all of you. Now, feel free to boast as to the sportsmanship and character your adults exhibited last night. You might be surprised at what video shows and audio allows to be heard from both sides. You might be tempted to retrace some of your statements. Good luck to the Lady Cyclones in their quest for the state title. Good luck to the Lady Grizzlies as they are still playing. Both teams would be better represented in a mostly empty gym in which to play, one with a pronounced absence of adults acting like high school kids, and high school kids acting inappropriately. That's what I saw, and like I said, I was sitting in the midst of the Betsy fans and saw both. Shame!

Nothing to show for it? Undefeated until Wednesday night! Ranked #1 in the STATE for weeks! Nothing to show! Arrogant bunch of "windbags"! Please, keep passing on through and don't stop! I believe it was a couple of Elizabetsyton windbags who started the ragging on Grainger earlier in the discussion. I think it's funny that so many of you keep saying in one post that it was only one game, and then turn right around and start touting all your past accomplishments. Sounds more like bragging and arrogance than anything else. I'll be pulling for Alcoa and Grainger tonight over here on the north side of the mountain. Since Grainger beat us we know what they can do. Betsy got lucky Wednesday night...lucky! Yes they outplayed Grainger, but my money says it won't happen again this season. Go Grainger and Goooooooo Alcoa!

well now..Looks like this boxn1 poster has pretty much called it like it is. We all know you can take what you read in the paper to the bank!

Good post hoopster!

I've got this little puff of wind figured out. We need to stop arguing with him. He's "special". After a little digging, I've discovered that he was pretty much born on the short bus and is a little behind. It's not acceptable to argue with people like him since they can't think as quickly and as educated as the rest of us. My apologies for stepping over the line. Hope his parents aren't upset. Evidently the teachers in the "special class" at EHS are doing the best they can with this one. Post on you "special little wind". You are making some of your fans look worse and worse.

Yea we all know betsyton fans are above complaining. The posts say different and if you had been there you would say different. Not interested in your BIASED statements. Crawl back into the wautaga and hush.

Well, I've stayed quiet for a while since our boys and girls had to stay in the doghouse while the rest of you continued to play, but after reading the comments from lizziebetsy about grainger I've got a few things to say. everyone is talking about the fans, well I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but lizziebetsy needs to clean her house before she starts ragging on anyone else. I guess some of you are deaf, cause I heart a lot worse coming from the betsy side than from happy valley or south greene, and anyone who tops south greene's rednecks is beyond bad! But the lizzybetsy fans went over the top with disrespect. sure some of grainger's fans were a little upset with the loss, and for good reason. I was sitting where I could see pretty well, and from a fan who's team fell to the grizzlies, they got robbed! The Betsyton girls held, threw hips, grabbed arms and hands only to see jump ball calls all night! Had grainger been allowed to shoot all the real fouls, they would have won on that alone. Talking about them needing the betsytons to call a time out for a little rest suppose Betsyton had been the ones playing an extra 3 players. They may have been out of a little wind as well. Your girls played a good game, and take nothing from them. They laid it all on the court. But the had a little help from the 3 zebras running up and down the court as well. I guess Saturday night will be the proof in the pudding for both teams. good luck lady cyclones, but on this side of the hill our support goes to the lady grizzlies at grainger. Pollyanna won't work in those games. Now, for that little puff of wind with cyclone pride, you need to come over to the doghouse and let us show you a little home baked hospitality! Grainger moves on to another school who get's to recruit players under protection of the almighty TSSAA. none of you city schools can possibly have that many good players living in your city limits when compared to the entire school community of the non recruiters. Not crying or whining, just stating the facts. so, you just keep on blowing that little wind that filters it's way down from blowing rock through all those trees on the watauga. We really need to give you guys back to North Carolina and cancel their debt. "Franklin" wasn't needed back then and it's not needed now! get em grizzlies except when the dogs are running!

gcfball.....I'm glad it's not just me seeing these things. I'll say up front, I have a good friend who is a ref, and he does call a lot of college ball. But, I respect him when he makes a bad call/mistake. He always agrees with the coach and admits to the missed call. Everyone makes a mistake. But....you could be almost blind, sitting in the "rafters", with fog hovering near the roof and see some of the goofs some of these nuts call. Not all are less than acceptable. Thankfully we still have some good ones. As far as being sensitive and listening to fans.....I saw a team of officials at Volunteer.....one member was at CD in district/region this year. He threw everyone who questioned him out of the gym. Both teams, both sides of the gym, and everyone else around wanted a piece of all 3 of them. No excuse. Everyone misses a call ever now and then, but these clowns go way beyond that. I'm also a little distressed at some of the chants I've heard from student sections and other fans aimed at the officials and opposing coaches. Not good at all. Guess tomorrow night will tell the tale. Hope to see all in the "Borough"!

Breath taken. I completely agree that district and region should be on neutral floors. I have no big beef with CD. The Lady Knights played hard. I do have a problem with the officials. They were totally biased. Still not the total reason for losses, but the unskilled officials did make a difference. The CD/South Greene game was one of the most evident. Not saying they were the complete reason. I just hate to see a hard working team have a great season tarnished by poor officials. I don't care if it's CD, Greeneville, Grainger, Cumberland Gap, South Greene, or anyone else in our district/region. The level of excellence in the majority of the officials I've seen this year is at an all time low! Thank goodness we still have a FEW who still call an orderly and professional game. The rest need to go back to Upwards Basketball and learn again.

You forgot to thank the officials for all the missed calls in this game, and in all the other games as well. They made a difference in all the games involved...especially South Greene and Grainger! I'll take nothing away from the Lady Knights, but they had 3 extra players on the floor throughout the district and region. CD needs to remember that if they ever have opportunity to host again, that the tournament is NOT about CD, but about the entire district/region. Not a class act in how everyone else was treated. Visiting teams are treated much better over near the Gap...always have.