Week 11 observations and Week 12 Schedule

This week provided us with a couple of sad incidents. First, the ugly incident in Proctor where the game had to called due to unruly fan behavior including 1 fan reportedly attacking an official. I've said before that I have my problems with officials but there is absolutely NO place for this in any athletic event. If you want to yell (no obscenities, but know what you're talking about), fine. If you think its so bad and you want to leave, fine as long as you don't disrupt play. I'd rather see you leave than act foolish. We had the Minnetonka students earlier in the year cross the line and now this mess. The MSHSL suppossedly focuses on this, but I really think enough isn't being done with crowd control people. Last night at the BSM/DLS game, the BSM AD was there and got on the students after incident and that stopped it right then and there. While I'm sick and tired of hearing the MSHSL speech before every single game I attend, obviously its not getting in people's heads. I want to see the schools provide more crowd control that actually controls the crowd vs just standing there. Ultimately though, it is up to all of us as spectators.

Incident #2 is Kurt Pauly leaving the Cooper program due to inappropriate language (Star Tribune article). I think his full quote in the article puts it exactly right. The conduct is indefensible but 1 mistake overshadows all the good you've done. But this isn't unheard of as this same type of issue happened at Richfield either last year or the year before where coach Jim Dimick was suspended and an assistant was fired in regards to language if I recall correctly. Swearing was far more taboo when I played. Today most kids see far worse language on TV than they'll hear in a game on the playground or from an uncensored coach. But you've got old-fashioned school administrators who don't understand that things happen in the heat of athletic battle. I'm not justifying his conduct or saying he shouldn't have been punished, but I think schools make a much bigger deal of this than it really is.

Week 12 Schedule:
Finally the schedule quiets down some.

Monday: MN Transitions at Roosevelt (5:00 or 5:30 PM) is one of the very few on the metro schedule. MTS looking for another quality win to enhance their resume in the east subsection of 4A. Roosevelt trying to bounce back from back-back league losses.

Tuesday: Armstrong at Henry is my game. Hopkins at Wayzata in a big Classic Lake showdown. Brooklyn Center at Minnehaha in an important Tri-Metro West game. Eden Prairie at Eastview in a big Lake conference matchup.

Wednesday: No boys games, vote in the "Games On Tape" poll for the game you'd like me to review for my Wednesday night post.

Thursday: Shakopee at Holy Angels in a real nice Missota matchup. Big games in the city leagues. Henry at Washburn and Central at Johnson.

Friday: Rosemount at Jefferson, after all I've said here about Andrew Brommer its only fitting that I see him play this season. But the only game that matters, Hopkins at Minnetonka. The basketblogger is getting married this night. Obviously he had nothing to do with the wedding time.

Saturday: West Lutheran at CHOF (1:30), North (St. Paul that is) at CDH girls 4:00 and maybe the St. Anthony girls at BSM at 7:15. Washburn at Como Park (12:30) and Johnson at South (2:00) in addtion to Edison at Arlington (1:30) are fun city wars.

YTD Stats

• 101 games (74 MN split 62 boys and 12 girls, 27 WI split 23 boys and 4 girls)
• 41 buildings
• 132 teams (105 boys and 27 girls, 91 MN teams split 73 boys and 18 girls, 35 Wisconsin split 27 boys and 8 girls, 6 outstate split 5 boys and 1 girls)
• 2 Genders

Current Poll Stats
4A: 8 (Missing Rochester Mayo and St. Cloud Tech)
3A: 6 (BSM, STMA, Rocori, Johnson, AHA, Princeton)
2A: 1 (St. Bernard's)
1A: 2 (MCA and Cass Lake-Bena)