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The Art of the Blowout and Giving It Your All

Everyone knows that the best teams in every sport (the ones with the most scheduling pull) always start their season off with “tune-up” games. Usually it’s against teams from weaker conferences with weaker abilities, but sometimes there’s just a big difference between the top and bottom of in-conference play.

With several of these games occurring over the last few weeks of MCLA play, I thought I’d share my own 2 cents about this.

Everyone also knows the old saying, “You learn more from your losses than your wins.” And as much as it sucks, it’s true. When your team gets blown out big time, like say, 30-0… you can’t help but question why you’re playing the game, which for many leads to a greater appreciation and love for the game. Sorry to go all Phil Jackson, but they don’t call it The Creator’s Game for nothing.

The next question to be asked: Are blowouts a breach of good sportsmanship? Is winning by 23, the equivalent to 161 to 0 in football, a sign of respect for your opponent? In general I think that it is a bit much, but the MCLA provides a unique situation. Is it fair to tell Nate from Chicago, who mowed lawns all summer to pay his club dues and only gets mop up minutes, to not take it to the rack if he gets the chance? Collegiate club players have more invested in their team than most, so I find it hard to tell people like Nate to not give it his all when he gets the chance. Call me a poor sport but who doesn’t like a return on their investment?

All in all, being on the receiving end of a ginormous whoopin’ ain’t fun. But before mud gets thrown we should stop and think about all the factors that go into high scores. For additional insight into blowouts, see one coach’s perspective.