Congratulations Bearden

[GovMan]

chsbbfan,

 

I don't remember any particulars about the game you're talking about but I'll stake my reputation (what little bit of it there is) on the fact that if WB beat you guys bad, they did it with second and third stringers ONLY in the game at the end and I guarantee you they were not pressing you late in the game. An NO, contrary to what you or anyone else might say, the young men at Blount did not deserve it.

 

Please read all the posts carefully . No one on here has any beef against Bearden's players. Everyone at the gym ... players, coaches, and fans acknowledge the awesome job that Bearden's players did. They played one of the most complete games I've seen in a long time. The person who could have shown more class and more sportsmanship was their coach.

 

And here's something that makes it even more unexplainable. Last season, after Coach Blevins went through the whole mess with the Cruze kid, Bearden plays Blount in the district tournament. Bearden came back from a large deficit and made it into a very close and very good basketball game. They played their hearts out. As soon as the buzzer sounds, some William Blount student fans begin chanting something about "you should have had Cruze" or something like that. Coach Baumann, in lightning quick fashion, shut them up and let them know real quickly that Bearden's players and Bearden's coach deserved far more recognition and far more respect and far more class than that. He really took a stand for Coach Blevins.

 

On that night last year, Coach David Baumann showed his true colors. On Tuesday night of this week, Coach Mark Blevins showed his. I'll stick with "orange and blue."

[ClemsonDad]

Mr. Stewart: excellent post. Well said. You are a credit to your school and this community. Even in defeat, you play with heart and hustle (as I told you after the MHS game).

[etcoach]

I know exactly what the "lack of class" post is all about at WB last year. Gov Man is right. The WB student body started chanting "Should have been nicer" to Blevins all in reference to the Cruze deal. As G Man stated, Coach Baumann shut them up in a hurry. See, what we must understand here is that kids are kids. Student sections say crazy things. Players want to do everything in their power to drill an opponent. There is nothing wrong with that. Coaches, I would think, should be above that. Baumann was. He shut the fans up. Why?? Because he defended Blevins to the bitter end of the Cruze situation. He continually told Mark how he supported him. Obviously, Blevins did not care. This is why Baumann was hurt the way he was the other night. Blevins, obviously, is not at the point to be above it yet.

[REBELRON]

I will have to agree with Govman on this. When you have the game in hand you call off the dogs.

[papa chaos]

You know, I'm an impartial observer here and I think there's a side to this issue that's not been addressed yet. Blevins took some heat last year for being hard on his team to the point that one of his starters walked out right before tournament time. This much we know. We also know that Blevins pulled that same star on several occasions as the game was winding down both in close contests and otherwise. This was not popular with the fans at the time. After such circumstances should we not at least consider it as a possibility that the coach has listened to the heat he took and is now working harder to keep his players happy? It's a lot easier to get your kids to give you 110% for a whole game if they think they might get 100 than it is to get that same level of effort if they simply think they'll be punished otherwise. Was it classless of him? Maybe. Would it be an issue in the pros? Not at all. In college? Perhaps. Yes, we're dealing with kids here. It's sensitive I know. But "prep" sports should be preparation for something. And if you're looking to play at the next level and certainly if you aspire to the one after that, you've got to understand that your opponent will bring it every time and all the time. If you're just a high school student who will go on to other things in life besides basketball, then this too is a learning experience. In college and in the business world, if you can't keep up you get left behind. Do you give up then? No. You learn from it and try harder next time. I'm afraid that as a society we too often fail at preparing our kids to deal with life in this way. We shield them from anything negative and then don't understand why they fold in the face of adversity and trial later in life. I don't mean to sound insensitive, but why are we making such a big deal of this? How about we just quit keeping score so that no one ever gets his or her feelings hurt?

 

Having said all that, I admire the spirit of WB in not giving up and in looking to get this one back come tournament time or later in the season. Bravo Governors for not letting your spirit be broken.

[GovMan]

papa,

 

Won't argue anything you say. You make good and valid points. Your life lessons you speak of are the types of ones I want to teach my own kids. And perhaps you're right, I've made too much over the whole deal.

 

But before I go "softly into the night" give me one more volley ... had you been there at the game (as etcoach and myself were) you might at least understand our grief a little more. Maybe not. You just had to be there in the Marvin L. Boring Memorial Gymnasium on the beautiful campus of William Blount High School to see that Coach Blevins could have made some decisions to lessen the embarrassment of the Blount team and coaches WITHOUT asking his kids to give less than 110%.

 

Speaking on behalf of myself, etcoach, stewart4240 ... I'll even add Coach Baumann although he'd probably prefer for me not to "speak for him" ... if any of us ever felt like an opponent gave anything less than 110% against us on the floor we'd be mad. We don't want or need that type of charity from anybody.

 

But Blevins could have had his players in a half court defense late in the game with a 50+ point lead. He could have had all second string talent on the floor in the fourth quarter ( I know he subs a lot of players but he had young, jv level talent sitting on the bench at the end). He could have dealt with situation of one of his players INTENTIONALLY FOULING with three seconds left on the clock to try to get the ball back. He didn't ... shame on him.

 

Go ahead ... anybody ... take any shot you want at me. I don't care. In my eyes it will never be justified, rationalized away, or explained. It was wrong. It showed a lack of class and sportsmanship. And you better believe it's a motivator to William Blount. Not just for this year but for years to come.

 

Now I berated this point enough. I've beaten this dead horse till there's nothing left but a pile of bones. I'm probably done. But I won't guarantee it.

[2Hot4U]

THe only reason to beat a dead horse is for pure pleasure

 

Hey Govman, I am a supporter of SOuth Doyle and would you please let Coach Cupp that we got his message about calling us "clowns". We will be ready for him in two weeks. Tell him to bring his freshman back and let us destroy him again.

 

Thanks, and by the way I think the world of Coach Baumann and you for your love for William Blount. I think Dave handle the siutation admirably.

[etcoach]

It is correct. I did take a 20 pt pasting from a very good S Doyle Freshman team. I will give them credit. I'm not sure I was talking about freshman games though. I was specifically speaking about VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL. Not golf, not bowling, not beating dead horses for pleasure. By the way, I will not be there in 2 weeks because I do not help with the varsity this year. None of these comments reflect the opinions or views from the VARSITY COACHING STAFF. They are probably not even happy I am writing this.

[Rebelsman]

Now we gotta' play the Gov's after they have been scorned.

 

Thanks alot Bearden.

 

I wonder what is wrong with that guy? Two years in a row he has been in a negative spotlight. I think Cruze's move was the most gutless, chicken@#$% thing I have ever seen but, Blevins was at the core of it. Now this. What is he thinking?

[cacadeltoro]

well well well well well cry me a river if you cant take abeaten then go find you a league that will force subbing and force no pressing after a twenty point lead and at no times may you win by more than ten then when you find that league step back and see if you are embarrassed hint i hear that elizabethton started a league like that in a city league so they can play and feel good about thereselves since they lost all there players so when you decide to bash a coach who works hard and his kids just remember they worked hard for that magical night when everything comes together and you babies want to ruin it for them because of a final score one question in the history of william blount boys basketball have they ever beat someone by more than 20 if so were you embarrassed answer this truthfully and the truth shall set you free so as

[cacadeltoro]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh feels good to be free dont it your welcome so as

[etcoach]

Hey caca, how about some commas.