Defining a Blowout
What's the difference between a team running up the score and blowing out their opponent fair and square?
I still remember the worst loss I ever suffered playing on a team. I was a teenager in a baseball tournament, and we lost by 22 runs.
Nope, that’s not a typo: TWENTY-TWO RUNS!
Put simply, we got our butts kicked.
You might be thinking: Somebody must have been running up the score on you guys. How insensitive.
But that wasn’t the case. The loss was purely on us.
The night before the game, a number of our players were congregating in the hotel where we were staying. I was out having dinner with my parents, so I wasn’t present when the following incident took place.
One of the players proceeded to start complaining about his playing time and bad-mouthing our coach. Before long, he had several other players on his side, and the whining and complaining went on for quite a while.
Predictably, the coach got wind of this, and a heated argument ensued. I was shocked to learn this later that evening. But I was unprepared for what greeted me the next day when I came to the field for the game.
It was as if the very life had been sucked out of the entire team. The player who started the incident was benched. From the first inning on, we played as if we’d rather be anywhere else but on the field. We may as well not have been.
The other team must have thought they were playing against a bunch of Little Leaguers as one run after another piled up. The loss was particularly embarrassing for me, since I had invited some family members and friends to come watch me play.
This was not a case of running up the score on a helpless opponent. It wasn’t the winning team’s fault we didn’t have our act together and mentally failed to show up. But when you look at a lopsided final score, how often does that thought enter your mind?
What Is a Blowout, Anyway?
Several weeks ago, I came across this story about a high school football game with the final score of 91-6. (Again, that’s not a typo). The article tried to answer the question of what constitutes a blowout and how such losses affect kids.
Not surprisingly, the game caused a heated discussion on social media. Some accused Lake Stevens, the winning team and a state title contender, of running up the score on Jackson High, who had only won two games all season.
“A 91-6 victory in a high school football game is absurd,” read one tweet.
Others pointed out that Lake Stevens began easing up late in the first half when the game was already well in hand.
“They scored 14 points in the second half,” another pointed out. “Should they kneel three times and punt?”
Another good question. Ridiculously lopsided scores happen at every level of athletics. In a recent NBA game, the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 152-79. The 73-point margin was the largest in NBA history. The Grizzlies only played their starters for just over 20 minutes.
But that’s professional sports. Blowouts like that don’t occur often. At the high school or youth sports level, scores of 91-6 in football or 53-2 in basketball are more frequent. Ironically, Jackson High’s softball team beat a rival school 19-0. Jackson is the same school that got their heads handed to them by Lake Stevens 91-6.
Long-Term Lessons
Unfortunately, there are no easy answers for what constitutes running up the score. It’s difficult for anyone, particularly kids, to keep playing hard when you’re losing by 50 points and there’s no way of catching up. But should the winning team be penalized for continuing to do the same, especially if they empty their bench and play backups? Try telling a third-string quarterback who is probably seeing his first game action of the season to keep taking a knee.
Perhaps the real question should be, “how will this impact kids in the long term?” In the above HeraldNet.com story, sports psychologist Dr. Frank Smoll weighed in on that issue.
“I strongly doubt that any single game is going to affect a youngster, but if you’re constantly losing, that’s going to leave its mark,” he said.
Many youth leagues and even some NCAA sports have mercy rules to minimize blowouts. Some basketball coaches instruct their players to slow down the offense and concentrate on fundamentals. Football coaches on the winning side of a blowout can use the rest of the game to work on plays they’ve run in practice and do whatever they can to run out the clock. Some schools have outright forfeited or canceled games against far superior opponents, which can cause its own share of controversy.
Let’s face it: no one likes to be on the losing end of a lopsided game regardless of the level of the sport. Losing sucks, pure and simple. But coaches on both sides of the ledger can use the experience as teaching moments for their players. Winners of a blowout can give backup players a chance to see action, but they can also keep the lopsided win in perspective and still show class to their opponent. Teams on the losing end can do the same, and let some time pass before analyzing what went wrong and how they can learn from such disappointment.
Not every competition is going to be a nail-biter. Losing happens even to the best of us, and being on the receiving end of a lopsided score is also inevitable. My team’s loss didn’t devastate us permanently. But I’ve never forgotten it or the lesson it taught me, which in this case is if you don’t play as a team, you reap the consequences. Such lessons can be valuable for any aspect of life, not just sports.
Hot Takes and Great Reads
I knew it was just a matter of time before Nike made its way into the name, image and likeness (NIL) space.
What’s interesting about the signing of the shoe company’s first college athlete is that it’s not a high-profile football or basketball player. She is Reilyn Turner, a forward on UCLA’s soccer team.
Turner, named the 2020 Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year, scored 10 goals this season, including a hat trick.
As part of the sponsorship, Nike and Turner will work with other athletic partners in the Los Angeles area, which will be part of any agreement moving forward with other student-athletes.
“Off the field, I’m proudest of the person that I’ve become,” Turner told the Athletic. “I hope to be a role model for those around me and those after me. I want to inspire little girls and little boys to pursue their dreams, too. As a Black woman, I think about those who have paved the way for me – people like Serena Williams, Michael Jordan and Jackie Robinson. Seeing how they used their platforms to create so much change even beyond sport, it’s crazy to think about even coming close to following in their footsteps.”
For those who don’t know, NIL now makes it possible for college athletes to be paid for endorsements, appearances and other opportunities based off their name. What I particularly like is it gives athletes in all sports the opportunity to make money, not just ones in high-revenue sports like football. Congratulations to Reilyn.
***
Several weeks ago, I caught up with Chase Priskie, who recently made his National Hockey League debut with his hometown team, the Florida Panthers.
Chase has spent the last several years fighting to earn his way into the NHL, and it hasn’t been easy. Over the past five years, he has played in the organizations of three teams, but didn’t get into an actual NHL game until last month. He only played about 10 minutes in that game and was sent back to the minors shortly thereafter.
Chase’s situation isn’t unique. It’s hard to crack the professional ranks in any sport. But what struck me about him was his attitude. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, his roller-coaster ride has only made him more determined to succeed.
When I asked him if the fire to play still burns, he said this:
“I got a taste of competing in the NHL against the best players in the world. Now there’s more of a yearning for me to get back there, compete and get to play. There’s nothing I would change along the way … I think it makes the journey more worth it and makes the end result that much more satisfying.”
His story is a great lesson for young athletes, or anyone for that matter, trying to make their way through life’s challenges. Read my full article on him here.
***
If you’re a subscriber, keep an eye on your inbox next week for a special year-end issue of Better Young Athletes. I’ll be featuring highlights from past articles since the newsletter’s debut back in June, including the first issue.
Don’t miss it! If you’re not a subscriber, it’s never too late to hop on board. I’d love to have you.
***
Want more great content like this? Subscribe free and get Better Young Athletes sent to your inbox each Wednesday.