Thrown games?

[pride&tradition]

I am not sure of the cussing of the coach I know that player that had to sit the districts was because of what was said to the assistant coach during a practice. Was it right what she said no but she was punished for it so no use dwelling on it. As for the Fussell injury her foot was swollen as big as a softball and tonights game still had swelling had she played the Haywood game there would have been no way she could of played tonight so the decision to sit her was a good one for her and the team. I am with the next person I dont agree with a coach throwing the game but no one knows for sure if he did and Coach LaRue is a great coach with a great track record and I dont believe he would put his team in that situation. Those girls are competitors who have fought hard all yr long just as all the other teams have so I have a hard time believing that but what do i know I am just a fan. From what I have read on here the last couple of nights I dont know why everyone is spending so much time worrying about what may or may not have been a thrown game or whether Fussell was really injured, because it seems no one thinks Central is capable of beating Westview or Gibson.

[Purple & Gold Standard]

I am not sure of the cussing of the coach I know that player that had to sit the districts was because of what was said to the assistant coach during a practice. Was it right what she said no but she was punished for it so no use dwelling on it. As for the Fussell injury her foot was swollen as big as a softball and tonights game still had swelling had she played the Haywood game there would have been no way she could of played tonight so the decision to sit her was a good one for her and the team. I am with the next person I dont agree with a coach throwing the game but no one knows for sure if he did and Coach LaRue is a great coach with a great track record and I dont believe he would put his team in that situation. Those girls are competitors who have fought hard all yr long just as all the other teams have so I have a hard time believing that but what do i know I am just a fan. From what I have read on here the last couple of nights I dont know why everyone is spending so much time worrying about what may or may not have been a thrown game or whether Fussell was really injured, because it seems no one thinks Central is capable of beating Westview or Gibson.

 

Good Post......Plus, he said it didn't do it on the record....I'll take the man at his word and not call him a liar...

[ReitzFan]

I am not sure of the cussing of the coach I know that player that had to sit the districts was because of what was said to the assistant coach during a practice. Was it right what she said no but she was punished for it so no use dwelling on it. As for the Fussell injury her foot was swollen as big as a softball and tonights game still had swelling had she played the Haywood game there would have been no way she could of played tonight so the decision to sit her was a good one for her and the team. I am with the next person I dont agree with a coach throwing the game but no one knows for sure if he did and Coach LaRue is a great coach with a great track record and I dont believe he would put his team in that situation. Those girls are competitors who have fought hard all yr long just as all the other teams have so I have a hard time believing that but what do i know I am just a fan. From what I have read on here the last couple of nights I dont know why everyone is spending so much time worrying about what may or may not have been a thrown game or whether Fussell was really injured, because it seems no one thinks Central is capable of beating Westview or Gibson.

 

Good Post......Plus, he said it didn't do it on the record....I'll take the man at his word and not call him a liar...

Now do you really think that the coach is going to actually amit to it "on the record"?

[mrbigster]

I doubt it broke his (LaRue's) heart that his team lost the game....But....I doubt he was overjoyed about it...

 

Facts are facts....

 

She has been hurt all year....

She's been wearing a boot.....

The Haywood game wasn't do-or-die....

They need her more tonight than last Wednesday night....

The tournament system in Tennessee is a watered down joke...

 

Do you really think the guy intentionally lost that game on his own home court in front of his own fans, a new coach ??...Do you think he told his team to go out there and lose, you know, go against everything in the world you as a coach have tried to instill in your team and not play hard, not play to win ??...Is that what you are saying ??...Do you think he discussed this with AD Tommy Victory and they concocted this scheme ??...You think he just lied on the record ??.....It's not going to be a cake-walk to go down to Lexington and win the game...It's a VERY big gamble...HUGE gamble...I'd like to hear from redbirdfan and VOREBS on this thing...

 

I'm just playing Devil's Advocate on this thing here....Trying not to jump to conclusions with both feet, like some have already.....

 

Personally, I'm not for throwing games...I don't think anything good comes from losing....It's not right to do it...You play to win the game... ....I wouldn't be happy at all if I had a kid playing for a coach that would do it....Remember folks, he is at a place where it's not unheard of someone coming up to you at any sporting event and getting in your face about anything.... ..Seen it happen...

 

A couple questions...What would you guys say if OC went ahead and won the state championship ??...Would you guys be calling for his head ??..Contacting the T.$.$.A.A and hope it starts an investigation ??...Or would you be saying what a great coaching move that was to "throw" the game as some of ya'll have put it ??....

 

Remember, Devil's Advocate......

 

I don't think he would actually tell his team to lose..Just that he may have thought without Fussell and Pate,the odds were in their favor at losing..Lets say Lake Co was wanting to dodge somebody.I don't believe Coach Johnson would tell his girls they should lose..but instead maybe tell T.T. Flowers and Carnation Hart..I'm sitting yall tonight because the game doesn't really mean anything and I don't want to take a chance of yall getting hurt..I would think if those 2 players aren't playing..Coach Johnson knows the odds of losing are pretty good..And if somehow Lake Co was winning or close,then..Mariah Matthews and Shamone Pearson look pretty tired..Need to give them a rest..So..don't think any coach would ever tell his team to lose..but control the game in a different way.!

[Purple & Gold Standard]

ReitzFan....

 

If you choose to think LaRue is a liar..(Oh, I know you haven't called him a liar, but you have as good as said it) and question his ethics and integrity go ahead, that's your right....I choose to take the man at his word...If I find out later for sure he threw the game (my son is an athlete at OC, he knows all those girls and they will talk plus OC isn't a place where secrets are kept very well anyway) then my opinion will change and won't have a problem admitting I made a mistake in defending his integrity.....That's my right.... ....I also take it as a little bit disconcerting you question Chassidy Fussell's injury...She has been dealing with her injury all year...I'm sure you know high ankle sprains are almost as bad as breaks..The only cure for them is to stay off the ankle for a long period of time...Had she played Wednesday night that would have meant 3 games in 5 nights...If that Haywood game had been a do-or-die situation, I'm sure she would have given 100% effort on a much less than 100% ankle (she has been all season anyway but has had time enough off between games to rest it)..If and this is a big if, she will HAVE to do that if the Lady Rebels happen to make it to Murfreesboro....So, if you are saying holding out your star player in a game that didn't mean your season would end if you lost and by doing so, possibly preventing a season-ending injury that would doom your team from advancing past the region quarter-finals, then I guess I can see where you are coming from...As for Pate, I imagine a three game suspension for a senior and the running she had to do and the apologizing I'm sure she had to do was plenty punishment enough....

 

**Like I said in an earlier post, I'd have a real problem with my son playing for a coach that would do something like that**

[Purple & Gold Standard]

bigster posted....

 

"I don't think he would actually tell his team to lose..Just that he may have thought without Fussell and Pate,the odds were in their favor at losing..Lets say Lake Co was wanting to dodge somebody.I don't believe Coach Johnson would tell his girls they should lose..but instead maybe tell T.T. Flowers and Carnation Hart..I'm sitting yall tonight because the game doesn't really mean anything and I don't want to take a chance of yall getting hurt..I would think if those 2 players aren't playing..Coach Johnson knows the odds of losing are pretty good..And if somehow Lake Co was winning or close,then..Mariah Matthews and Shamone Pearson look pretty tired..Need to give them a rest..So..don't think any coach would ever tell his team to lose..but control the game in a different way.!".....

 

 

bigster there is a bit of a difference in your scenario and what happened with LaRue and OC....

 

OC had a player that has been dealing with an injury and another suspended not just "resting" players to "dodge" another team....

 

If I'm correct in thinking how you are about winning and losing, you wouldn't be happy losing a game you could have won by sitting perfectly healthy players..I've seen your posts on the boys forum, remember ??...In your opinion, this is what Whitby has been doing for years, in a roundabout way, and it drives you and other LC fans nuts.....

 

Had OC done what you are talking about, I would be right up there with ReitzFan, GCPioneer, Greenfieldfan, Sean Stephenson and others saying it's a bad thing LaRue did....

[ReitzFan]

I doubt it broke his (LaRue's) heart that his team lost the game....But....I doubt he was overjoyed about it...

 

Facts are facts....

 

She has been hurt all year....

She's been wearing a boot.....

The Haywood game wasn't do-or-die....

They need her more tonight than last Wednesday night....

The tournament system in Tennessee is a watered down joke...

 

Do you really think the guy intentionally lost that game on his own home court in front of his own fans, a new coach ??...Do you think he told his team to go out there and lose, you know, go against everything in the world you as a coach have tried to instill in your team and not play hard, not play to win ??...Is that what you are saying ??...Do you think he discussed this with AD Tommy Victory and they concocted this scheme ??...You think he just lied on the record ??.....It's not going to be a cake-walk to go down to Lexington and win the game...It's a VERY big gamble...HUGE gamble...I'd like to hear from redbirdfan and VOREBS on this thing...

 

I'm just playing Devil's Advocate on this thing here....Trying not to jump to conclusions with both feet, like some have already.....

 

Personally, I'm not for throwing games...I don't think anything good comes from losing....It's not right to do it...You play to win the game... ....I wouldn't be happy at all if I had a kid playing for a coach that would do it....Remember folks, he is at a place where it's not unheard of someone coming up to you at any sporting event and getting in your face about anything.... ..Seen it happen...

 

A couple questions...What would you guys say if OC went ahead and won the state championship ??...Would you guys be calling for his head ??..Contacting the T.$.$.A.A and hope it starts an investigation ??...Or would you be saying what a great coaching move that was to "throw" the game as some of ya'll have put it ??....

 

Remember, Devil's Advocate......

 

I don't think he would actually tell his team to lose..Just that he may have thought without Fussell and Pate,the odds were in their favor at losing..Lets say Lake Co was wanting to dodge somebody.I don't believe Coach Johnson would tell his girls they should lose..but instead maybe tell T.T. Flowers and Carnation Hart..I'm sitting yall tonight because the game doesn't really mean anything and I don't want to take a chance of yall getting hurt..I would think if those 2 players aren't playing..Coach Johnson knows the odds of losing are pretty good..And if somehow Lake Co was winning or close,then..Mariah Matthews and Shamone Pearson look pretty tired..Need to give them a rest..So..don't think any coach would ever tell his team to lose..but control the game in a different way.!

You sir hit the nail on the head. I would hope that no coach would go out and tell his team to lose a game. However, the coach at Obion is no fool. He already knew his team was going to the regionals. He greatly increases his teams chances of getting out of the regionals because losing in the consolation game puts them in the region bracket opposite of Gibson County whom he would of met in the region semi finals if Obion had won the consolation game.

 

I do not believe that he told his team to go out and lose that consolation game. I do think that once he got upset in that early district game, his coaching style changed. I do believe that OC likes their chances in a regional semi final alot more against Westview than they would have if they would have won the consolation game and had to have played Gibson County in the district semi finals in an elimination game. I mean no disrespect to Westview. However, I'd much rather play them in the semi finals than Gibson County.

 

You can call me a conspiricy theorist if you want. However, the pieces sure do fit together and I am far from the only person who believes this. Even the OCC people I talked to just gave me a smile and a wink last night when I asked them about the situation.

 

Of course, we would not be having this conversation if the TSSAA give the district consolation games some real drama by making it an elimination game. Unfortunately, that won't happen as it would take some cash out of the TSSAA bank account. In reality we can blame the TSSAA for having a system that creates the possibility of what has happened......

[Purple & Gold Standard]

ReitzFan posted.....

 

".....Of course, we would not be having this conversation if the TSSAA give the district consolation games some real drama by making it an elimination game. Unfortunately, that won't happen as it would take some cash out of the TSSAA bank account. In reality we can blame the TSSAA for having a system that creates the possibility of what has happened......"

 

 

I do believe this....The Tennessee basketball postseason is a watered-down joke....How can you justify the possibility of a team going 7-3 AFTER the regular season ends and still win a state championship ??....

[Purple & Gold Standard]

ReitzFan also posted...

 

"You sir hit the nail on the head. I would hope that no coach would go out and tell his team to lose a game. However, the coach at Obion is no fool. He already knew his team was going to the regionals. He greatly increases his teams chances of getting out of the regionals because losing in the consolation game puts them in the region bracket opposite of Gibson County whom he would of met in the region semi finals if Obion had won the consolation game....."

 

 

Let me ask you this question.....Do you think that LaRue sits Chassidy Fussell for the Haywood County game if she isn't hurt ??......Or do you just question the validity of her injury to begin with ??....

 

She is dealing with that injury...She does have swelling in her ankle like some have already posted..She has been having to use a walking boot alot this year....She has been having to have treatments on it all year...She is just one misstep or turn of the ankle from being out for the season anyway....

 

My opinion...Had Chassidy not been hurt, she plays and the Lady Rebels win the game and are in the same bracket with GC...They were ahead by one point about halfway thru the final quarter without her and Pate anyway...I believe if Pate hadn't been suspended they beat Westview, she makes that much difference to that team...

[mrbigster]

bigster posted....

 

"I don't think he would actually tell his team to lose..Just that he may have thought without Fussell and Pate,the odds were in their favor at losing..Lets say Lake Co was wanting to dodge somebody.I don't believe Coach Johnson would tell his girls they should lose..but instead maybe tell T.T. Flowers and Carnation Hart..I'm sitting yall tonight because the game doesn't really mean anything and I don't want to take a chance of yall getting hurt..I would think if those 2 players aren't playing..Coach Johnson knows the odds of losing are pretty good..And if somehow Lake Co was winning or close,then..Mariah Matthews and Shamone Pearson look pretty tired..Need to give them a rest..So..don't think any coach would ever tell his team to lose..but control the game in a different way.!".....

 

 

bigster there is a bit of a difference in your scenario and what happened with LaRue and OC....

 

OC had a player that has been dealing with an injury and another suspended not just "resting" players to "dodge" another team....

 

If I'm correct in thinking how you are about winning and losing, you wouldn't be happy losing a game you could have won by sitting perfectly healthy players..I've seen your posts on the boys forum, remember ??...In your opinion, this is what Whitby has been doing for years, in a roundabout way, and it drives you and other LC fans nuts.....

 

Had OC done what you are talking about, I would be right up there with ReitzFan, GCPioneer, Greenfieldfan, Sean Stephenson and others saying it's a bad thing LaRue did....

 

I don't know of any games that Coach Whitby has lost intentionally.A lot of fans thought it would have been best to lose a few years ago and put Humboldt and Union City in the same region ..But Lake Co won and played Union City and lost by 3 points I believe..So..that's the next question.Had he rested some of the Lake Co players..That more than likely would have gave Laake Co a chance of making it to State.?Can't win if you're not there..And would have been within the rules that the TSSAA has in place ..Maybe not ethical but if you were to ask those players or fans..I believe there would be some say they wish they would have lost..And others say ..We had won about 14 games in a row..thought we were the best team and wanted to win them all..I see an argument either way.!If Central wins..I promise the Central players won't even be thinking about the region.And yes..A lot of fans have seen Whitby play around so much in the regular season that he could get away with it ,even if it was true..Could say..well that's what he;s done all year..But he doesn't try to lose..Maybe just getting some of them ready for the tournaments..next season..but usually when it comes to tournaments..most of the time plays his better players.!And in my posts above..wasn't implying that Fussell wasn't hurt..just that a coach isn't going to tell his team to lose on purpose.Just that it could be done from a coach's stand point without the players know what's going on.!But even if she was healthy and just wanted to rest her to maqke sure she didn't get hurt and is available for the bigger games..according to how the TSSAA is set up..well within the rules.!

[ReitzFan]

ReitzFan posted.....

 

".....Of course, we would not be having this conversation if the TSSAA give the district consolation games some real drama by making it an elimination game. Unfortunately, that won't happen as it would take some cash out of the TSSAA bank account. In reality we can blame the TSSAA for having a system that creates the possibility of what has happened......"

 

 

I do believe this....The Tennessee basketball postseason is a watered-down joke....How can you justify the possibility of a team going 7-3 AFTER the regular season ends and still win a state championship ??....

You and I are on the same page with that thought. I believe that once the district tournament starts, it should be "one and done". It would also eliminate the possibility of us having the current discussion that we are having.

[ReitzFan]

ReitzFan also posted...

 

"You sir hit the nail on the head. I would hope that no coach would go out and tell his team to lose a game. However, the coach at Obion is no fool. He already knew his team was going to the regionals. He greatly increases his teams chances of getting out of the regionals because losing in the consolation game puts them in the region bracket opposite of Gibson County whom he would of met in the region semi finals if Obion had won the consolation game....."

 

 

Let me ask you this question.....Do you think that LaRue sits Chassidy Fussell for the Haywood County game if she isn't hurt ??......Or do you just question the validity of her injury to begin with ??....

 

She is dealing with that injury...She does have swelling in her ankle like some have already posted..She has been having to use a walking boot alot this year....She has been having to have treatments on it all year...She is just one misstep or turn of the ankle from being out for the season anyway....

 

My opinion...Had Chassidy not been hurt, she plays and the Lady Rebels win the game and are in the same bracket with GC...They were ahead by one point about halfway thru the final quarter without her and Pate anyway...I believe if Pate hadn't been suspended they beat Westview, she makes that much difference to that team...

 

From what I understand, Fussell was seen ,without her boot, stomping her injured foot on the ground on several occassions during the consolation game. If I am too injured to play, I don't think I would have been doing what I just described. She also showed no signs of an injured ankle during the game last night. I never noticed even a limp. She went full tilt the entire game. When she was fouled in the game last night, she threw herself (flopped) to the deck more than once. You can correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think she ever left the court last night. Like I said in an earlier post, OCC must have one heck of a trainer. I don't believe your coach told his team to lose the consolation game. I do believe that he changed his coaching strategy to get his team in the opposite bracket from Gibson County. So, to answer your question, I certainly believe that she was injured during the season. I obviously question if she was really too injured to play in the consolation game based on what I have heard from very reliable people and from what I have personally seen.

 

In regards to Pate, it seems rather convenient that her suspension ended in time for her to play in a "do or die" game. From what I heard from OCC people, she would not even be on the team if I were in charge. But, I am old school and not in charge at OCC. Thus my opinion is just my opinion. I do know if i were to have cussed one of my coaches, I would have been kicked off the team.

 

I stand by my thought that once OCC was defeated in the district semi finals the coaches goal was to be in the opposite region bracket from Gibson County. That gives his team the best possible change of advancing.