Pioneers' Tidwell suspended for halftime incident.

[aman]

if the coach would have called his kids gutless and they would have rallied to beat shelbyville, he would have been a hero. plus, this kid was his best player wasn't he?

[caffeinefree]

Posted by smith52:

Just when I thought WC football had reached the bottom, Tidwell reaches out and drags us down even more. Several have stated this was an accident, I don't doubt that. But, the fact of the matter is this should have never happened Period! Tidwell is responsible for those kids, and should be held accountable for his actions. A one week suspension is a joke. What kind of message does this send in our "zero tolerance" society?

 

I read that Tidwell called the kids gutless during his halftime tirade. These kids are not gutless, they are making the effort to try to turn this thing around. The gutless thing to do would be to quit or not come out for the team because they are not winning. To only have 40 kids out for football in school of 2000 kids is pathetic. The only gutless people I see are the school administrators.

Smith52 hit it right on the head. This is another black eye on the sports program in general and while no amount of typing on this website will fix it a one week suspension just shows how bad this program has really gotten. Responsibility and accountability are 2 words that you teach by example not by talk.

[Edited by caffeinefree on 9-3-02 5:36P]

 

[kellraiser]

Channel 5 came by the school and local radio stations today. This story will probably run at 6:00 PM. I fully expect to see this story on 2,3, and 4 this week. When this story played out last Friday me and a few others knew this would get some play. In fact it's on right now.

[Guest southernyankee02]

My friends, these players, go out and play their hearts out every friday. No one has the right to call these kids gutless. With no support coming from the county(besides the small group of parents and WCHS students that show up on Fridays), maybe it's you people that should be called gutless. I myself have been to every game this year and to look in the crowd and see a few parents and us dedicated student fans stand up while everyone else sits and feels embarrassed to be sitting on our side of the field makes me sick to my stomach. I know each and every player on that team and I have played with most of them at one time. They are not gutless. They give it their all and everyone around the community has nothing but bad things to say about them. Just for these kids to be out there playing is enough guts for this fan to go watch them every Friday. For those critics out there who say that this team is GUTLESS, then you can sit at home and keep your opinions to yourself. GO PIONEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[VolunteerGeneral]

Posted by Rukidnme:

The only problem that I have is that there is a different set of rules for coaches and teachers. My question is what happens if an English teacher just can't get her students to be quiet and suddenly has an epiphany and tries to throw a stapler at the wall to get them to be quiet. But "holds on to it too long" and hits the guy in the back row sending him to the hospital for 10 stitches. For all of you trying to figure out what would happen let me share with you. First, there would be a huge lawsuit because that is what people do these days and second, that teacher would never teach again. But being this is a coach, let me slap you on the wrist and tell you not to do it again or at least not let it hit anyone next time. This is what I have a problem with. Teachers and coaches are all under the same school system and all should have to follow the same guidelines.

 

I knew no one could come up with a good response to this post.

[Guest bigtWC]

For no reason do I believe that Coach Tidwell did what he did on purpose. There is no doubt in my mind that there no way Coach would do it on purpose. Why do some of you think he did it on purpose? Why cant you be more supportive of Coach unstead of just playing him as the bad guy? You have to give credit to him for coming here in the first place and not taking anythink away from our football team which is hard woking and I back them 110% but he came here when he could have went anywhere. Coach has my support and for no reason do I think his actions were in any way macilious. Accidents happen and this is just one case of accidents turning out bad for us here in WC. So why cant we just support our coach and be glad we have one.

[Guest slider2002]

I just read everyone's comits about Coach Tidwell, and I'm left not knowing what to think. I know that I feel sorry for the the players and Coach Tidwell. I have been a coach for over 16 years now. I have known alot of Coaches that feel that have to fire up their players at halftime. Its part of who they are as a coach. I've seen coaches throw bats in dugouts, clipboards you name it. Yes Coach Tidwell hit one of his players during what one person called a "tirade", but it was a accident. I bet no one feels worst than Coach Tidwell. No, I do not agree with coaches having to throw things, but I do understand why. And NO, it is not the same as and english teacher throwing something to get their class under control. When was the last time a english teacher got fired for students failing a spelling test?

[rastabob]

Okay, I know a lot of you in Warren Co. love hearing my opinions and it has been a while. However, this situation deserves some attention.

 

First of all, I know Coach Tidwell did not MEAN to hit the player. What coaches, teachers, administrators, everyone must act by is reasonable prudence. Throwing a helmet in Shelbyville's visitor locker room crowded with large players is not prudent. Before someone acts, they must consider all possibilities of their action. The fact that one is about to launch a large, hard projectile in a crowded room is the first problem. The fact that a player was hit is the second. The player being hit is the reason we are all discussing this situation. If anyone has seen the player, they will realize this is not simply a bump on the head. As one person who was in the room said, "He knocked the S*** out of him" An apology simply doesn't cut it.

 

As to the discussion that there are different standards for coaches and teachers, that is obvious to anyone involved in education. However, those standards should be similar. Let's turn this down a little to fit the classroom. If a teacher wasn't happy with a class's standardized test scores (and yes, some jobs may begin to ride on them), and threw a book across the room and inadvertantly struck a student on the arm. No need for the emergency room or stitches, just hit their arm. This would lead to a lawsuit and probably employment problems. (T.C. waking up, for all of you Warren Co. people) Now add a helmet, 10 stitches, a locker room, and a coach and you get our situation. One week is not enough.

 

Now for all of the football people. I don't know about you guys, but I was taught to respect my helmet. If a player had done this on the teams I played on, they would have been suspended for a week even if it didn't hit another player, permanently if it did. This is not leadership. Also, for any of you complaining about the "gutless" comments, you must have never been in a locker room.

 

I do feel for Coach Tidwell. He did enter a VERY difficult situation. He did instill some pride and determination in a team that sorely needed it. He will have a very tough time living this one down, in Warren Co. or anywhere else. I don't have all the answers as to what to do to him, but I do know that his players may play for him or "stand behind him", but I doubt they will ever trust him again.

[GhostRider]

I have read quite a bit on this and being a former player for WC under fantical coaches like Bobby Newby and Ray Barnes, These type of tirades are attention getters. Wake your players up, get them fired up. I have almost been hit by things flying through the locker room, but you now what, I as well as 2 to 3 others moved out of the way. Maybe it is because WE were PAYING ATTENTION to our coach. Now, I dont know for sure if the Pazz kid was looking down and Coach Tidwell was right next to him (which I doubt)and he had no chance of avoiding it, but being in the middle of such heated halftime talks as I have been, You dont just stare off into space when that was going on. So, if the helmet was sent plying across the room, did the kid have time to move?? Maybe?? just playing a little devils advocate here. Not blaming the kid either. Not blaming the coach. I see it as an accident, that out of the hundred plus games that went on that Friday Night, I am supposed to believe that Coach Tidwell was the only coach that had to give a butt chewing. Just so happens that the percentage number caught up and got him instead of some other coach. SO, Pazz, I hope you have returned to the game, it is a wonderful game, even if your losing because unlike your coach, you get to hit and if your lucky enough assault some poor smore coming across the middle on a slant pattern and knock a basketball sized snot bubble on him.

 

Good luck WC.

[salty]

OK. Everyone has had a chance to give their opinion. Let's

move on. Get off that dead horse.

 

This week. Warren Co./Lincoln Co.

 

How many think this will become a real head-knocker?

[jabbo]

You can say whatever you want about the event, but if I was watching my kid play football and he didn't return for the second half and nobody told me anything I would be livid. It seems to me that the coach could have eased this situation by showing enough concern for the kid to leave the team to his assistants for the second half while he made sure the kid was taken care of. It's easy to find reasons to either support the coach or condemn him for throwing the helmet, but by walking away from it he showed EXTREMELY bad judgement.

[southernpride]

Posted by GhostRider:

I have read quite a bit on this and being a former player for WC under fantical coaches like Bobby Newby and Ray Barnes, These type of tirades are attention getters. Wake your players up, get them fired up. I have almost been hit by things flying through the locker room, but you now what, I as well as 2 to 3 others moved out of the way. Maybe it is because WE were PAYING ATTENTION to our coach. Now, I dont know for sure if the Pazz kid was looking down and Coach Tidwell was right next to him (which I doubt)and he had no chance of avoiding it, but being in the middle of such heated halftime talks as I have been, You dont just stare off into space when that was going on. So, if the helmet was sent plying across the room, did the kid have time to move?? Maybe?? just playing a little devils advocate here. Not blaming the kid either. Not blaming the coach. I see it as an accident, that out of the hundred plus games that went on that Friday Night, I am supposed to believe that Coach Tidwell was the only coach that had to give a butt chewing. Just so happens that the percentage number caught up and got him instead of some other coach. SO, Pazz, I hope you have returned to the game, it is a wonderful game, even if your losing because unlike your coach, you get to hit and if your lucky enough assault some poor smore coming across the middle on a slant pattern and knock a basketball sized snot bubble on him.

 

Good luck WC.

 

Great post, I wish you people who have never played the game or coached in a game would understand that every week some coach throws things in the locker room! The fact that it hit a player is an accident, NOTHING MORE!

[Edited by caesar on 9-4-02 12:15P]