[Mudhead]

Yesterday's article by Michelle Smith's on Jaylyn Sherrod foreshadowed the Colorado game. She spoke of how Coach JR Payne had Sherrod sit on the bench with her after her season-ending hip injury and hip operation last season. Payne said she emphasized "will over skill" to Sherrod and to her team as a means of controlling the game.
All coaches teach their players both skill and passion for the game. Skill is matched with intensity. But where does one draw the line? Coaches prepare their players to play a game, but it is a sport, not a war. If a player or a team plays beyond the standards of hard play and see their role as to win at any cost, someone is bound to get hurt. Sherrod's aggressive play resulted in Anna being pushed aggressively to the floor and it took her out of the game. Now it looks as though Sherrod's karma in the scrum that caused her to re-injure her hip may have ended her season again.
Payne should be held accountable for her team's over-the-top aggressive play. Sherrod bought into her coach's "will over skill" game philosophy, and it may have been at a significant cost. I like to watch passionate, skilled athletes play hard, I don’t like to see players knocked to the floor and writhe in pain. I was at the Holiday Classic in Hawaii three years ago and sat stunned with a hushed crowd as Anna lay on the floor without moving for twenty minutes after she was knocked into the court side chairs by an over-aggressive adversary. I thought that her career was over, or worse. This type of play is not basketball, it is a brawl.
Michelle Smith's article

Very we’ll said and spot on substantively.  The only thing I would add is that the game officials have a responsibility to recognize this approach and call the game precisely in order to keep the line between aggressive  play and “maul ball” from being crossed.  Game announcers who proclaim “ let ‘em play “ should accept responsibility as well.

Mea culpa.. I am sure I see the Hulls play as great hustle and aggressive, committed play while opponents might see it very much like Colorado style basketball.  But “fan “ is after all short for ”fanatic” I’m not a coach or an official.

[Mudhead]

Yesterday's article by Michelle Smith's on Jaylyn Sherrod foreshadowed the Colorado game. She spoke of how Coach JR Payne had Sherrod sit on the bench with her after her season-ending hip injury and hip operation last season. Payne said she emphasized "will over skill" to Sherrod and to her team as a means of controlling the game.
All coaches teach their players both skill and passion for the game. Skill is matched with intensity. But where does one draw the line? Coaches prepare their players to play a game, but it is a sport, not a war. If a player or a team plays beyond the standards of hard play and see their role as to win at any cost, someone is bound to get hurt. Sherrod's aggressive play resulted in Anna being pushed aggressively to the floor and it took her out of the game. Now it looks as though Sherrod's karma in the scrum that caused her to re-injure her hip may have ended her season again.
Payne should be held accountable for her team's over-the-top aggressive play. Sherrod bought into her coach's "will over skill" game philosophy, and it may have been at a significant cost. I like to watch passionate, skilled athletes play hard, I don’t like to see players knocked to the floor and writhe in pain. I was at the Holiday Classic in Hawaii three years ago and sat stunned with a hushed crowd as Anna lay on the floor without moving for twenty minutes after she was knocked into the court side chairs by an over-aggressive adversary. I thought that her career was over, or worse. This type of play is not basketball, it is a brawl.
Michelle Smith's article

Very we’ll said and spot on substantively.  The only thing I would add is that the game officials have a responsibility to recognize this approach and call the game precisely in order to keep the line between aggressive  play and “maul ball” from being crossed.  Game announcers who proclaim “ let ‘em play “ should accept responsibility as well.

Mea culpa.. I am sure I see the Hulls play as great hustle and aggressive, committed play while opponents might see it very much like Colorado style basketball.  But “fan “ is after all short for ”fanatic” I’m not a coach or an official.