Little League World Series Scandal

Post #1 » by **DuckIII** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:22 pm

I assume since its a Chicago-based program, many of you are aware of today's report stripping Jackie Robinson West of its wins:

http://espn.go.com/chicago/story/_/id/1 ... ends-coach

I know the success of this team was a big deal both in Chicago and nationally. I'm curious what the local reaction is today and whether or not this was something that you Chicagoans had heard was coming (or at least that the team was being investigated) prior to the report.

DanTown8587 · Post #2 » by **DanTown8587** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:24 pm

Report came out a few days ago and it seemed to be nothing but not surprised after reading the findings.

This is terrible for everyone involved, especially these kids.

Post #3 » by **DuckIII** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:34 pm

DanTown8587 wrote:Report came out a few days ago and it seemed to be nothing but not surprised after reading the findings.

This is terrible for everyone involved, especially these kids.

I got the impression from Mike & Mike that this just broke today. Sorry if its old news.

DanTown8587 · Post #4 » by **DanTown8587** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:39 pm

DuckIII wrote:
DanTown8587 wrote:Report came out a few days ago and it seemed to be nothing but not surprised after reading the findings.

This is terrible for everyone involved, especially these kids.

I got the impression from Mike & Mike that this just broke today. Sorry if its old news.

The stripping of the title is new but the "investigation pending" I believe happened over the weekend/Monday. The stripping of the title and the outlining of their violations is new.

Post #5 » by **DuckIII** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:46 pm

Sounds like these parents/coaches/administrators need to read The Matheny Manifesto, which starts as follows:

I always said that the only team that I would coach would be a team of orphans, and now here we are. The reason for me saying this is that I have found the biggest problem with youth sports has been the parents. I think that it is best to nip this in the bud right off the bat. I think the concept that I am asking all of you to grab is that this experience is ALL about the boys. If there is anything about it that includes you, we need to make a change of plans.

musiqsoulchild · Post #6 » by **musiqsoulchild** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:48 pm

Yep...sad story.

Controls are so damn important in every walk of life. Never thought I'd say this about Little League though.

Post #7 » by **Ice Man** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:51 pm

DuckIII wrote:whether or not this was something that you Chicagoans had heard was coming

Yes, this has been out there a while. Several months back the Chicago Tribune reported about how these Little League kids were spread over several junior high schools in several towns.

Cheating is rampant in high level youth sports. Overage kids, out-of-region kids, whatever. The parents turn a blind eye as long as the team wins. It's a sinkhole of low morality, in all truth.

So shrug. I don't regard this team as any worse (or better) than the rest of 'em.

Post #8 » by **DuckIII** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:58 pm

musiqsoulchild wrote:Yep...sad story.

Controls are so damn important in every walk of life. Never thought I'd say this about Little League though.

Really? Perhaps its because I coach four seasons of little league sports (in a community that actually has a pretty healthy attitude about youth athletics), but I'm never surprised when I read stories like this. Parents and coaches are freaks.

theagent · Post #9 » by **theagent** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:58 pm

I want to know what suburbs these kids in question came from. If a kid came from Oak Park or Hazel Crest.....yeah take that title

musiqsoulchild · Post #10 » by **musiqsoulchild** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:01 pm

DuckIII wrote:
musiqsoulchild wrote:Yep...sad story.

Controls are so damn important in every walk of life. Never thought I'd say this about Little League though.

Really? Perhaps its because I coach four seasons of little league sports (in a community that actually has a pretty healthy attitude about youth athletics), but I'm never surprised when I read stories like this. Parents and coaches are freaks.

Well, I just had my first kid and I can see your point.

I already want him to be on 3 sports teams at his college/university --- Volleyball, LaCrosse and Field Hockey.

He's 7 weeks old.

Professor Frink · Post #11 » by **Professor Frink** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:03 pm

That really sucks for these kids.

WIN · Post #12 » by **WIN** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:06 pm

The official that tattled on them shouldn't have done it by going public like this, this could've all been resolved internally. I just don't see a benefit in doing it the way he did it.

In either case, what's fair is fair, it just sucks that such a positive story turned sour like this.

Post #13 » by **DuckIII** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:10 pm

musiqsoulchild wrote:
DuckIII wrote:
musiqsoulchild wrote:Yep...sad story.

Controls are so damn important in every walk of life. Never thought I'd say this about Little League though.

Really? Perhaps its because I coach four seasons of little league sports (in a community that actually has a pretty healthy attitude about youth athletics), but I'm never surprised when I read stories like this. Parents and coaches are freaks.

Well, I just had my first kid and I can see your point.

I already want him to be on 3 sports teams at his college/university --- Volleyball, LaCrosse and Field Hockey.

He's 7 weeks old.

We're all freaks. But its not at all uncommon these days for some - albeit a minority - coaches and parents to go completely bonkers with their competitiveness, including into cheating.

Of course on the other end of the spectrum there is ridiculousness like this:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3553475

musiqsoulchild · Post #14 » by **musiqsoulchild** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:19 pm

DuckIII wrote:
musiqsoulchild wrote:
DuckIII wrote:
Really? Perhaps its because I coach four seasons of little league sports (in a community that actually has a pretty healthy attitude about youth athletics), but I'm never surprised when I read stories like this. Parents and coaches are freaks.

Well, I just had my first kid and I can see your point.

I already want him to be on 3 sports teams at his college/university --- Volleyball, LaCrosse and Field Hockey.

He's 7 weeks old.

We're all freaks. But its not at all uncommon these days for some - albeit a minority - coaches and parents to go completely bonkers with their competitiveness, including into cheating.

Of course on the other end of the spectrum there is ridiculousness like this:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3553475

That is a HORRIBLE story.

Lowering the bar is idiocy also.

RayClayMatthews · Post #15 » by **RayClayMatthews** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:19 pm

theagent wrote:I want to know what suburbs these kids in question came from. If a kid came from Oak Park or Hazel Crest.....yeah take that title

why would you put those 2 burbs in the same sentence? you make it sound like some burbs would be ok, but Oak Park is on the border of the city, so if thats not ok, then what? Only pseudo-burbs like Forest Glen and Sauganash?

RayClayMatthews · Post #16 » by **RayClayMatthews** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:21 pm

I was at the Bulls game when these kids were honored and EVERYONE there gave them a standing O. Its sad and **** up because the implications of their story were huge on the landscapes of politics, class and race in Chicago and can not be overstated. Sigh.

Post #17 » by **DuckIII** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:30 pm

theagent wrote:I want to know what suburbs these kids in question came from. If a kid came from Oak Park or Hazel Crest.....yeah take that title

Evidently there are rigid boundaries. So you are either in boundary, and valid, or outside boundary and not valid. I can't imagine why which outside boundary suburb should matter more or less than another. What do you mean?

Post #18 » by **DuckIII** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:32 pm

RayClayMatthews wrote:I was at the Bulls game when these kids were honored and EVERYONE there gave them a standing O. Its sad and **** up because the implications of their story were huge on the landscapes of politics, class and race in Chicago and can not be overstated. Sigh.

I wasn't going to bring it up because I didn't follow the story that closely even when they were winning, and know even less about Chicago-specific dynamics. But part of the positive story about this team was its race-profile in a sport that is struggling to connect with black youth in America. I wonder if this will further inflame that problem.

Post #19 » by **RedBulls23** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:41 pm

Those kids deserve better. Not their fault grown ass men and women made poor decisions. All the kids did was played their hearts out for a game they love.

Polynice4Pippen · Post #20 » by **Polynice4Pippen** » Wed Feb 11, 2015 6:42 pm

Rules are rules. If they had more power they could've just redrawn the district map like people in power do all the time.

And the hypocrisy of the coach who reported them is pretty rich. You do it in the name of fairness. Alright, now how about crusading for inner city little league programs to have all the same resources well off suburban little league programs do.

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