Another idiotic HS rule

Mike Knowles is a jerk · 2010-05-11T15:12:36-04:00

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/highschool/05/11/track.controversy/index.html?xid=cnnbin&hpt=Sbin [After an athlete (Laird) won the meet on behalf of her team, opposing] Coach [and cry baby] Mike Knowles reacted by pointing to his wrist and gesturing toward Laird, who was wearing a thin, colorful string bracelet [which got her DQ'ed]. "This is my 30th year coaching track," Knowles said a few days later. "I know a lot of rules and regulations." [and I am a weasel] The rule in this case -- Section 3, Article 3 of the National Federation of State High School Associations -- is clear: "Jewelry shall not be worn by contestants." So is the penalty, and in the time it takes to read "the competitor is disqualified from the event," South Pasadena's win was transformed into a 65-62 victory for Monrovia. South Pasadena coach P.J. Hernandez was dumbfounded. "I said, 'Coach [Knowles], you really want it to come down to this?' " Hernandez recalled. ... Even Monrovia [Knowle's school] athletic director Randy Bell struggled to process the outcome. "I don't think it was anything people were particularly proud of," he said. "A rule was invoked, and correctly so, but I don't think anybody was excited to win that way." ... "It's unfortunate, that's all I can say," Knowles said. "It's unfortunate for the young lady. But you've got to teach the kids that rules are rules." [And I guess you should also teach kids that some adults are big cry babies who retreat into some pathetic justification when they can't win on their own merits. Apparently you should also teach kids that one should go out of one's way to enforce dumb rules too. If he really wanted to teach her, he would have told he personally after the fact, or beforehand.] ... "Mike Knowles was down by the pole vault pit, kind of waiting and sitting there, keeping an eye on our girl, waiting for her to attempt the vault and then make the call, " said Hernandez. "I am upset that he wanted to win so badly that he would do it that way. We feel sportsmanship is important, too, and that it is in question with him in this situation." Knowles denied he was lying in wait. "I didn't notice the bracelet until after she cleared the height and walked by," he insisted. "[I had] a sinking feeling for her. I didn't want to have to do it. But it's a real rule -- it's in the book -- not something I made up. [He didn't want to "have to" do it - what a loser - obviously he didn't have to do it. Only a clown would pretend he had no choice.] [And I guess if it is in a book somewhere then it must be unquestioned, and must be fully reported at all times. Did I mention Mike Knowles is a jerk?]

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16 years ago 05/15/2010 8:07am EDT

re: Agreed

"Rules like that should always be up for interpretation. Obviously there was an incident in the past that made this rule necessary"

Agreed. The thinking was probably that somebody wore jewelery that was unsafe, and will test boundaries if any jewelry is permitted. People will test it - big chain, spiked ear ring, etc. Schools that have strict uniforms still have numerous uniform issues that arise b/c kids will find a way to wear something questionable.

As a coach, I would say something to the kid or his coach, not not DQ the kid unless it gave the athlete a competitive advantage or was unsafe.

16 years ago 05/17/2010 3:00pm EDT

re: marathondude

The same thing (disqualification) happened in the 2009 dual meet between Compton HS and Long Beach Poly HS. Poly is a national power while Compton is a division II under achiever inner city school that had maybe a total of seven varsity boys.

Obviously, Poly didn't expect much from Compton particularly in a glory event like the 4x100.

Well,after Compton raced and won against Poly in the 4x100 relay, the Compton team was disqualified because James McConico (the 5th ranked running back in the country last year) wore a rubber yellow bracelet. That was the highlight of the meet for Compton despite the disappointment of the disqualification. Compton beat Poly by maybe ten meters but that didn't matter.

Compton coach Curtiss Seymore (who passed away one day after the league championship last year) said that he instructed McConico to take the bracelet off on the bus on the way to Poly...

I think Poly ended up taking third in California in the 4x100, and Compton made it to the CIF Final.

An inner city team like Compton doesn't enjoy victories, even moral ones too often nowadays...

16 years ago 05/17/2010 4:16pm EDT

re: swofford11

swofford11 wrote:
I am glad we are in agreement........
There are a lot of jerk coaches out there who will us the rule book to win...
However, they are doing nothing wrong.......until the rules change they are just following the rule book.....jerk or not....

is there anything we can do to get you to stop saying this coach did nothing wrong? perhaps we could shower you with ridiculous analogies? it's like you're trying to troll out godwin's law.

16 years ago 05/21/2010 9:45pm EDT

re: marathondude

She should have said that it was a religious bracelet, then they couldn't DQ her.

6 years ago 10/30/2019 11:12pm EDT

re: Ethan

the DQ is an important part of track.

in fact, its the most important thing.

while there are many rules, and official should be able to DQ an athlete for anything he or she feels is out of line, or offensive, or in plain bad taste.

most of the athletes should get the DQ.

i hate it when the guy wins the 100m by 6 meters and celebrates, while the rest of the field feels bad.

i'm still waiting for the perfect race where everyone gets a DQ.

that would be track perfection.

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