Mercy Rules

At the start of the high school football season in 2014, a new rule was put into place on gridirons across Ohio. The “mercy rule” goes into effect when one team is ahead of the other by thirty points or more at the end of the first half. When that happens, officials start to use a running clock, only stopping for specific actions such as an officials’ time-out or stoppage of play after a score. If the losing team manages to close the gap to under thirty, then the normal clock management resumes, still allowing for the possibility of a miraculous comeback.

Having sat through more than my fair share of painful routs in the past, the mercy rule is a welcome change, shortening the drawn-out blood-letting and hopefully reducing the possibility of injury in a game that is beyond redemption. Since the Ohio High School Athletic Association officials determined about one third of the games were impacted by the rule in the first week of the season, it appears as though the mercy rule has its value.

There’s been a similar scenario in Little League for years. Known at times as the slaughter rule, the game is called if a team is ahead by ten runs or more after four innings. The mercy rule has also been in effect in backyards and sandlots for many years, because kids understand perhaps better than adults – when you’re getting beat badly, it’s time to cry “uncle” and live to play another day.

It’s certainly possible to take the mercy rule too far. A recent incident in a peewee football game in Georgia brought a $500 fine and a one week suspension for the coach when an eight-year-old boy scored on a pick-six, an interception he ran back for a touchdown. The penalty was enforced against the Lawrenceville Knights because they totaled more than thirty-two points against their scoreless opponent. How is a third-grader supposed to understand that he should have dropped the ball?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines mercy as “kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly,” or “kindness or help given to people who are in a very bad or desperate situation.” I’ve got to wonder: if the mercy rule can be put in place in the competitive world of sports, then why not consider its use in the broader context of life?

What would it look like if mercy was the guiding force in our families, the workplace, the classroom and the church? If my rule of thumb was to choose mercy rather than make sure the other person gets what he or she deserves, would I react differently the next time someone gets in the express lane at the supermarket with seventeen items?

I’m not suggesting we become marshmallowing parents, the sweet but gooey response that creates dependency and lack of responsibility. Nor should we create a classroom or workplace with no consequences for behavior. Yet it is possible to live in a structured and nurturing way where mercy becomes the natural choice long before the other person needs to cry “uncle.”

Mercy involves giving another the benefit of the doubt, or seeing through their eyes. Mercy also uses the tool from addiction treatment, the acronym HALT. Is the other person hungry, angry, lonely or tired? If so, could I help to alleviate that concern so together we can figure out what’s really going on?

In a football game, the weaker team may be less talented, less prepared, and less practiced, and so, because of both their actions and their inherent weakness, they deserve to lose. But, the mercy rule would whisper, they don’t deserve to be slaughtered, humiliated – in football or in life. Here’s how the Old Testament prophet Micah provided balance to the question. “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Pope Francis says it this way: “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.” I’m glad the mercy rule isn’t just for a frigid Friday night at the stadium, but one we can claim to live in community together.

Loving September

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” As you read these seven words, I’m guessing you hummed the Edward Pola and George Wyle tune, first sung by Andy Williams in 1963. While many consider the season of kids jingle-belling to be the most wonderful of all, I’m not ready for Christmas to be upon us yet. Instead, I’m casting my vote for an Ohio September as the most wonderful time of the year.

Why? It’s September, and if my children were younger, I’d admit that shipping them off to school each day brought a semblance of calm and order to my life after long summers punctuated by the words of the familiar refrain: “There’s nothing to do.” While the carefree days of summer have their place, the return of a daily rhythm is a gift to parents.

It’s September, and the Cleveland Indians are playing some good baseball, having won five of their last seven games. While the odds aren’t great for them to play in October, there is still that statistical possibility, and we continue to hope that a couple of other teams will fall apart.

We made our first and last visit of the year to Progressive Field this week, spending six hours at the ballpark as the Tribe came up with two wins on a chilly afternoon. My commitment to avoid wearing socks until October was strongly tested, but my toes survived the challenge. I’ll be sad when the radio voices of Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus are silenced again until April.

It’s September, a month marking the return of football. I must have been born with a football-watching genetic marker, for I’ve been a fan from an early age. Many years as band parents ingrained our Friday night activity patterns, so when the Arrows are home, we head to Community Stadium. Here’s a suggestion for the powers-that-be: reduce the size of the reserved seat section, as the cheers of the crowd would be more effective without the large patches of empty seats in the middle of the bleachers. Just saying . . . Go Arrows!

We’re hooked on the Ashland University football games as well, and had a great time at the recent home opener under the lights. I always jump at the first few cannon blasts of the year, but we’re glad when the artillery has plenty of work. Here’s hoping the AU Eagles have a successful season, as I’m afraid our Buckeyes may have rough going this year.

What can I say about the “not-for-profit” NFL? I’m long over the awe I experienced when meeting the Buffalo Bills’ Cookie Gilchrist in person at the age of nine, having talked my way into a father-son banquet at church. Between the Bills and the Browns, my winning percentage has been pitiful in recent years, and I’m tempted each September to ignore the call of the gridiron and spend my Sunday afternoons in other endeavors – naps come to mind. Yet somehow, I get roped in one more time, as this may be the year they’ll go all the way, or at least win more than they lose. While I know Mary Shelley wasn’t thinking about football, the author of Frankenstein recognized the truth of September: “The beginning is always today.”

If the world of sports in September is depressing, residents of Ashland County have one consolation: it’s September, and the fair is in full swing tomorrow. I can’t wait to take the lovely Madelyn Simone for our annual visit, viewing the perfectly groomed animals, riding the rides across the midway, and consuming fair food to my heart’s content. No calorie counting during fair week.

For thirty-five years, my Septembers were filled with planning for the ramped-up activity associated with a Salvation Army Christmas. With that particular responsibility removed from my plate, I’ve discovered that September is quite a good month of its own. I haven’t read Jerry Spinelli’s book, “Love, Stargirl,” but as the days of September drop like leaves from the trees around us, his words ring true: “Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today. Inhabit your moments. Don’t rent them out to tomorrow.” Here’s wishing you a great September!

Just One More Second

November 30, 2013 will go down in history as an unbelievable day in college football. For those who may not worship the gridiron gods, let me provide a snapshot. Football rivalries are part of the tradition that has surrounded the game since its inception. Growing up, it was the T-NT game, an aptly named contest that paired the Davidic Tonawanda High School with its Goliath-like enemy, North Tonawanda High School. Unfortunately, the Tonawanda Warriors seldom were able to defeat the bigger, stronger Lumberjacks, but they never gave up the fight.

Upon arriving in Canton, Ohio, we were introduced to the Massillon-McKinley battle , packing more than 20,000 fans into the stadium for a ferocious contest. It’s always a crazy week in Stark County, as each school vies for bragging rights that will last until the next November encounter.

And then there is The Ohio State University rivalry with the Michigan Wolverines, a classic matchup that stirs up emotion both on and off the field. Those high emotions were evident in the dust-up in the second quarter that resulted in the ejection of three players. That game came down to the last seconds, as Michigan scored a final touchdown and made the ill-fated decision to go for the win with a two-point conversion. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, destiny called their name, and the gutsy call failed to convert into points on the scoreboard. Dodged that bullet.

Not to be outdone by the drama in the Buckeye-Wolverine game, the Crimson Tide of Alabama attempted to roll over their worthy cross-state opponent, the Auburn Tigers. Ranked number one and number four in the nation, these teams passed the lead back and forth, and at the end of regulation time, the scoreboard indicated a tie game. Time for overtime, right? No, wait – could there still be one second left on the clock? Instant replay proved Nick Sabin right one more time, and instead of taking a knee or attempting a Hail Mary pass, Alabama sent on the field goal unit for a very long attempt. Loading up the line with the big guys to prevent a blocked kick, the Crimson Tide had failed to factor in the possibility of a missed field goal that could be returned for – you’ve guessed it – a touchdown, leading to one of the most bizarre conclusions to a rivalry game in the history of the sport.

To be sure, college football has its critics. It’s big money, big business, big television contracts. College should be about educating our young adults for the future, some tell us, not making money on the backs of its “student” athletes. Surely the learning that takes place in the lecture halls and chemistry labs is much more important than what happens on the football field, right?

I’m all for formal education, but I couldn’t help but notice the huge life lessons being played out in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Auburn, Alabama on Saturday afternoon. When the Michigan coach chose to go for two for the win, Dale Carnegie’s words supported his decision: “Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.” However, Buckeye Tyvis Powell reached in and grabbed the ball away from the intended receiver, proving that the words of wisdom from hockey great Wayne Gretzky translate from the ice rink to the football field: “Skate to where the puck is going to be.” Can you say O-H?

Other valuable life lessons were present in the Iron Bowl at Auburn. For Alabama coach Nick Sabin, what a difference a second makes. The coach was quoted as saying, “first time I lost a game that way,” proving that indeed, there’s a first time for everything. For Chris Davis, waiting in the end zone at the completion of the Auburn/Alabama game, the words of Abraham Lincoln speak volumes: “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”

There’s one final life lesson (unfortunately all too familiar to Cleveland fans) that holds true in any kind of rivalry: “There’s always next year.” Just think, only 358 days until Michigan and Ohio State meet again. Can’t wait!

 

It's Time for Some Real Football!

I enjoy reading  By the Way, the Times-Gazette’s review of the entertaining odds and ends from around the county that’s published each Saturday.  A recent comment noted that the Ashland police had a number of calls concerning what sounded like a cannon being fired throughout the evening.  You guessed it – it was the celebratory cannon at Jack Miller stadium, as the Ashland University Eagles scored against their opponents.  Yes, my Ashland friends, football is back!  I’ve had my first popcorn at Community Stadium, and all is right with the world.  Still waiting for those funnel cake fries at AU! 

I’ll agree not to write about the Cleveland Browns if you don’t remind me how badly the Buffalo Bills are doing – again.  Hope springs eternal, but it just doesn’t’ seem right that Cleveland and Buffalo sports fans can’t catch a break.  Out of the 19 million people who play fantasy football, at least half of them are probably discouraged Browns or Bills fans – at least in fantasy football they stand a chance of winning!  OK, I’ll stop now, because football isn’t really about the Browns, the Bills and the team that wears black and gold.  No, we’ve got high school and college football!

Ohioans watch with delight as the Buckeyes march up and down the field at the Horseshoe.  And Eagle fever has taken hold in our town as we head to the stadium or listen for the cannon, especially since our hometown boys are finding success on the campus gridiron.  But still, there’s nothing like Friday night at a high school football game

What continues to draw Ashland county residents to watch the Arrows, Mounties, Redbirds Falcons and Pirates?   After all, it’s just a game, and potentially a risky game at that.  I was disappointed but also relieved when our oldest son chose marching band over football, although when I saw him playing a bass drum while standing on his head, I did cringe a bit.  But athletics, like life, involves risk, and participation in high school sports helps our adolescents focus on achievement, train their bodies, and trust their team – lessons that will last well into adulthood.

Yet it’s so much more than a game.  My high school had the tradition of a T-NT game that concluded the regular season as Tonawanda battled North Tonawanda for the championship of the twin cities – nearly as spirited as the Massillon-McKinley rivalry.  A car parade, pep rally and bonfire led up to the football contest, and as we cheered our team on, it was with a spirit of community pride.  It sounds silly from the perspective of nearly 40 years, but we were proud to sing, “We are the warriors, the mighty, mighty warriors, everywhere we go, people ought to know, who we are, so we tell them.”  Win or lose (and we lost more than we won), we were proud to be from Tonawanda High School.  School pride, community pride – Friday nights help us to stand tall.        

It’s also about perseverance.   I want to give a perseverance shout-out to the Mapleton Mounties.  They’ve struggled on the football field for quite some time, and lost their first game of this season this year.  We watched Coach Ray Frisbee play for GlenOak  and AU, and felt his pain with that one more opening loss.  Yet Ray had hope: “We obviously wanted a better first half but we'll regroup and find a way to get better by next week.”  That’s what perseverance is about, and the next two weeks brought two wins to their record.  That’s a lesson we want to teach our kids.

And ultimately, it’s about our kids.  While there’s only one star quarterback per team, there are hundreds of kids in Ashland County who practice day in and day out, play in the band,  leap into the air on the cheerleader squad, excel on the soccer field, golf course and cross country trail, and  rock the student section of the stadium.  On Friday nights, we as a community have the opportunity to embrace our kids, honor their perseverance, and send them the message, “we’ve got your back.”      

Fight on, Arrows, Mounties, Falcons, Redbirds and Pirates.  See you Friday night!