Freedom Of The Press Meets Angry High School Jocks
	found on Salt Lake Tribune written by profwhat, edited by Bartholomew (Plastic) [ read unedited ] posted Fri 25 Oct 1:10pm
		profwhat writes "Bear River High senior Jeremy Brinkerhoff wrote a column in late September urging students to stop stereotyping one another. Using sarcasm, he started his article by asking, "What's the difference between the football team and the band? Nothing, they both play bad." Unamused, the football team took the column to heart. During a pep assembly earlier this month, assistant football coach Matthew Hyde called four football players and Brinkerhoff out of the audience. He handed a football to Brinkerhoff and told him to run straight. Two of the football players who were supposed to act as "blockers" stepped out of the way, letting Brinkerhoff take a hit from the defenders. The 17-year-old was knocked to the ground, suffering a 6-inch floor burn on his arm along with a swollen wrist and fingers. "They sacked me. It was hard-core," Brinkerhoff said. "I was shocked, humiliated. One thousand kids staring down at you. That's not cool." While Hyde subsequently apologized to Brinkerhoff, the school district has refused to issue a public apology. "It's done and gone. If you stir the pot, you might get more than you bargained for," said Principal Dale Thomas. District Superintendent Martell Menlove said administrators feared creating more animosity, particularly a backlash against Brinkerhoff."

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show almost all: 116 commentsbest: 13 comments by oldest first (ignore threads) newest first highest scores first oldest first newest first (ignore threads)

1.  How very odd   by toothless joe       at Fri 25 Oct 1:15pm score of 1 irrelevant     This is strange, indeed. Everytime I've ended up with a rug burn, it's been a good thing. » born » tagged » tattooed » pacified »   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

28.  Re: How very odd   by Anonymous Idiot       at Fri 25 Oct 6:56pm score of 1.5 funny   in reply to comment 1     I presume you didn't get them from two highschool football players. Or you play for a different team than I had thought...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

2.  Sounds like a scene from a bad teen angst movie   by Philosawyer       at Fri 25 Oct 1:19pm score of 3 compelling     "It's done and gone. If you stir the pot, you might get more than you bargained for," said Principal Dale Thomas. At least the Assistant football coach Matthew Hyde offered to resign. The school should have accepted it or at least the school should apologize for childish behavior. A prank by students is one thing and should be punished appropriately, one assisted by the assistant coach in front of the whole school is atrocious whether or not he wanted them to physically hurt the kid. Humiliating a student for a comment in the news paper is no way to run a school. The Principals saying he asked for it is no role model for a school principal. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as "Your plastic pal who's fun to be with."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

67.  Or a scene from "Boston Public"   by destiny       at Sat 26 Oct 1:35pm score of 1   in reply to comment 2     A student walk-out triggered violence on this week's premiere of Boston Public. Hearing that the students were planning to criticize school funding priorities, the weasely vice-principal sicced the football team on them. And a riot broke out... --- Destiny-land. The happiest blog on earth.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   113.  Losers, the entire lot   by weiyuent       at Sun 27 Oct 10:49pm score of 3 brilliant   in reply to comment 2     Using sarcasm, he started his article by asking, "What's the difference between the football team and the band? Nothing, they both play bad." Brinkerhoff later cited derogatory comments about the drill team, cheerleaders and cowboys as examples of wrong thinking. Let me get this straight: Nerd uses irony to defend jocks against being stereotyped as being dumb. Jocks can't comprehend irony, jocks and coach take offense. Coach instructs jocks to knock nerd down. And we wonder why the stereotype of the dumb jock exists.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

3.  I was prepared to be pretty pissed off...   by HerbieTheElf       at Fri 25 Oct 1:25pm score of 1.5 compelling     ... but then I read the article. Honestly, it sounds like the main culprit in this clusterf**k, Coach Hyde, did the right thing. He tried to show everyone that his team could take a good joke. Unfortunately, he discovered that you can't always control teen-agers, and the skit got outta control. When that happened, he apologized, and I got the impression the apology was sincere. Even Brinkerhoff said the skit apparently mended fences and relaxed tensions, which I suspect his decision to make a bigger deal of it (and, I guess, NOT accept the apology) screwed royally. And it's not like there were broken bones or gang rapes. It's a f**king floor burn. The coach actually apologized. Do you realize how rare that is these days?! In my opinion, Brinkerhoff is just adding credence to the notion that journalists are the biggest hypocritical crybabies on the planet - step on other people's toes because you can, but wail like the dickens if someone steps on yours. "You never ask questions when God's on your side." -- Bob Dylan   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

16.  Re: I was prepared to be pretty pissed off...   by CAronen       at Fri 25 Oct 2:58pm score of 1   in reply to comment 3     Hey, those floor burns hurt...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   26.  So it's okay because he said he was sorry?   by DensityDuck!       at Fri 25 Oct 5:44pm score of 2.5 compelling   in reply to comment 3     The coach actually apologized. Wow, that makes it okay then! There's no problem with getting beat up as long as the guy who allowed it said he was sorry afterwards! Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   32.  Re: So it's okay because he said he was sorry?   by HerbieTheElf       at Fri 25 Oct 10:14pm score of 1.5 astute   in reply to comment 26     Everyone's so eager to throw stones and pass judgement... Um, Brinkerhoff did not get beaten up. REPEAT: HE DIDN'T GET BEATEN UP. He had a floor burn because they tackled him a little roughly. It didn't require a trip to the hospital. It might have needed a little fucking Neosporin and a bandage. Does that make it OK? No. But part of the problem with this messed-up country of ours is no one is allowed to make a mistake because assholes like you refuse to forgive when asked for forgiveness. It was a floor burn. A FLOOR BURN. Not a black eye. Not a broken nose or arm. Not a prison rape or a collapsed lung or a broken rib. The coach apologized and clearly realized the whole thing was a bad idea and poor leadership on his part. If the apology was sincere - and the article gives you every indication it was (did you READ the article?!) - then yes, it should count for something. Get over your bitterness and anger and consider the idea that people aren't perfect and can sometimes make mistakes. And, in this case, the mistake could have been MUCH MUCH WORSE than a (#*%^ FLOOR BURN!! "You never ask questions when God's on your side." -- Bob Dylan   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   37.  Re: So it's okay because he said he was sorry?   by Anonymous Idiot       at Fri 25 Oct 11:59pm score of 0.5 witty   in reply to comment 32     You're right. This was only a floorburn. However, a teacher put into motion events which should have appeared undesirable to a reasonable person. This, to me, seems like grounds to ask for an apology from the school administration if you don't mind sounding a bit whiny. That the teacher apologized is a credit to him, but doesn't remediate the injury. However, common sense tells us : If you write shit about the high school football team then get forced on stage to run a play with 'em : 1) expect to get tackled and 2) don't cry about it afterwards unless you're seriously hurt, or else people will apparently want to see you raped.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   38.  So it's okay because he only got hurt a little?   by DensityDuck!       at Sat 26 Oct 12:40am score of 1.5 compelling   in reply to comment 32     It was a floor burn. A FLOOR BURN. Oh wow! That's not a problem at all, then, because he only got hurt A LITTLE BIT! I mean, Christ, people are such wimps these days! Okay, let me point out here that physical violence against his person was not an outcome that the author could have reasonably expected. If the school's regulations included "oh yeah, and if some guy writes an editorial that you don't like, you can beat on him some as long as it's not gonna leave a scar" then that's a different story. Stop trying to make excuses for what happened based on degree. Sure, the results in terms of physical damage weren't so bad--but THAT AIN'T THE FUCKING POINT HERE. It's like saying that if you try to run someone over with a bus but they're only slightly bruised, you shouldn't be persecuted for attempted running-over-with-a-bus. Then again this is the country whose youth thinks it's acceptable to steal as long as you don't pay for it, so I'm not surprised. Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   41.  HINT: Read the article   by HerbieTheElf       at Sat 26 Oct 7:13am score of 1   in reply to comment 38     This is from the article (You know, the thing we're s'posed to read before commenting?): Art teacher Matthew Hyde, an assistant football coach, said he wanted to diffuse the tension over the column with the Oct. 4 skit, which he did not clear with Thomas or the cheerleading adviser in charge of the assembly.       He called four football players and Brinkerhoff out of the audience, and quietly instructed two of the players to "take him [Brinkerhoff] down gently. We're not trying to hurt him." And your side: It's like saying that if you try to run someone over with a bus but they're only slightly bruised, you shouldn't be persecuted for attempted running-over-with-a-bus. Good analogy. I guess if I pat someone on the back for a job well done that I should be prosecuted for attempted murder since I could've severed his spine... Hyde wasn't trying to run over someone with a bus. He wasn't even trying to hurt the kid. He was trying to "diffuse the tension." Yes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but all of your posturing and attitude should be reserved for an act with more malicious intent. You're so eager to make this coach out to be John Goodman from "Revenge of the Nerds" that you're not giving him the benefit of the doubt that we all deserve: that maybe he just fucked up. As for your comment about "this country," is your argument so desperate that you need to make such ridiculous and pointless generalizations? "You never ask questions when God's on your side." -- Bob Dylan   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   44.  You're selling really hard, but I ain't buying.   by DensityDuck!       at Sat 26 Oct 9:23am score of 1   in reply to comment 41     Yes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but all of your posturing and attitude should be reserved for an act with more malicious intent. It's not the "malicious intent", and I agree that there was none on the part of the coach. I'd be less sure about the good-naturedness of the football players, and that is the issue at hand here--basically, it's negligence. You're right that my analogy to running over someone with a bus isn't exactly appropriate. How about someone asking me if it's okay to cross the street? I absentmindedly say "yeah, sure", and they walk out, not knowing that there are five homicidal bus drivers waiting just down the road (which I would have known myself, because I know those bus drivers pretty well, but it didn't occur to me to look.) Or, possibly, if the coach trains his players to be aggressive and physical, maybe he should recognize that sending a weedy columnist into action versus players who are carrying personal grudge is maybe not going to have a happy ending. Yes, the coach didn't know it would go as far as it did. That's why he should only be fired instead of jailed. You say "[Hyde] wasn't even trying to hurt the kid." That he got "play-tackled". As though a thousand high-school students aren't going to see that little morality play and think "okay, the lesson here is that if you go up against the jocks you get beat up, and you better hope it's in public so they can't hurt you too bad". Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   50.  Re: So it's okay because he said he was sorry?   by JulesRules       at Sat 26 Oct 11:05am score of 1.5   in reply to comment 32     It was a floor burn. A FLOOR BURN. Not a black eye. Not a broken nose or arm. Not a prison rape or a collapsed lung or a broken rib. Is that how far you think it should go before the school issues a public apology? Yeah, it was a floor burn, and the swollen wrist and hand indicate a sprain, and the story indicates that the only part the victim was really concerned about was the humiliation. It was an act of public humiliation by an adult representative of the school in response to a column the kid wrote urging peace between all the different cliques. Apparently the school administration doesn't think that's a big deal. The problem I see is that the school administration refused to issue a public apology. Why not? Yes, mistakes were made. So why won't the school acknowledge them? The coach didn't apologize until AFTER the pep assembly. Why didn't he apologize the second it happened? He was right there, checking the kid to see whether he was OK. Maybe he wasn't really so concerned as you think he was. I'm not asking for the Coach's resignation, but I sure as heck think the school should issue a public apology. yada yada yada   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   62.  Re: HINT: Read the article   by zelwyn       at Sat 26 Oct 1:05pm score of 1.5 interesting   in reply to comment 41     What I don't understand here is that if the kid had actually been seriously hurt (which he manifestly wasn't in this case..) because the coach wanted to use this little demonstration, it would have opened up both the coach (and, since he was acting under color of some sort of school authority) and the school to some serious liability. The article doesn't mention if the players were wearing their gear, but knocking someone to the ground (indoors, I assume..) while wearing full padding opens up the "knockee" to some potentially serious risks.. What if the kid didn't "fall right" and broke his back? Didn't anyone consider that? The Coach should be forced to resign. Say, I'd buy that for a dollar!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   68.  Re: So it's okay because he only got hurt a   by destiny       at Sat 26 Oct 1:47pm score of 1   in reply to comment 38     let me point out here that physical violence against this person... Oh, come on. When a jock does it, it's okay. Wait! I was being satirical! Don't give me a floor burn! Er, I could rant about how physical dominance is promoted to our impressionable youth by these athletic programs. And there's boxers, football players, and high school jocks who then go on to commit violence crimes. But I think it's pointless to extrapolate one way or another from a single incident. There's never enough information in a single article. And yet people project their own agendas onto these stick-figure morality play. In that spirit, I'll just say my sympathies lie with the writer. --- Destiny-land. The happiest blog on earth.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   75.  Re: So it's okay because he only got hurt a   by dogdick       at Sat 26 Oct 3:55pm score of 1   in reply to comment 38     Then again this is the country whose youth thinks it's acceptable to steal as long as you don't pay for it Come on now, they're only following the example set by their leaders. (rim-shot) Wa-hey! Only comment 38 and an excuse for Bush-bashing! (isn't "stealing without paying" the very definition of stealing?)   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   111.  Re: So it's okay because he only got hurt a   by zelwyn       at Sun 27 Oct 4:26pm score of 1.5 succinct   in reply to comment 38     It's like saying that if you try to run someone over with a bus but they're only slightly bruised, you shouldn't be persecuted for attempted running-over-with-a-bus. Or prosecuted. :) Say, I'd buy that for a dollar!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   35.  its not about the floor burn   by Anonymous Idiot       at Fri 25 Oct 10:28pm score of 0.5 brilliant   in reply to comment 3     It's about humiliation. It was a power play. Now he pooh-poohs it, like it was nothing... of course he does. That doesn't mean you should believe him. The coach unfairly abused his position to gain the upper hand - the coach, an adult, who has no excuse to be playing hurt feelings with the kiddies. Is he not tough enough to take a little ribbing? Too bad, coach. There's the door - now go. He messed up, royally. He deserves every bit of the scorn he has been receiving, and more. This will be a good lesson to the children of the school, too - this way, they can learn that extreme dumbass actions have consequences, and become better citizens as a result. If nothing else, punish him for them.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   130.  Re: I was prepared to be pretty pissed off...   by hiker       at Sun 3 Nov 4:17am score of 1   in reply to comment 3     Are you an American herbie the elf? Did you know that thousands of Americans have lost their lives fighting for American freedoms such as the right to free speech and the right of free press. Maybe you think a highschool student being assaulted for using that freedom is OK and trying to stand up for his rights of freedom of speech and press is cry babying. Well herbie the elf go where they don't have these freedoms and then you can have no one including yourself with the freedom to criticise as you seem to think journalist do but can't take. And of course which you seem to be able to do yourself. Are you a journalist?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   131.  Re: I was prepared to be pretty pissed off...   by HerbieTheElf       at Sun 3 Nov 6:15am score of 1   in reply to comment 130     Well, hiker, in fact I was a journalist for 20 months, and I currently work in a private school where one of my many duties is to teach journalism (and media literacy). In America no less!! And here's a couple of the important lessons media literate people should learn: (1) If you're going to discuss an article, you should read it first; (2) it is unfair to judge people too harshly by their actions in a single event, because we simply cannot extrapolate entire personalities based on one moment in time. If you had followed Rule #1 (did you READ the article?), you'd see that, according to the reporter, the coach intended the skit to be a clever way of showing that his team was big enough to take a joke. Unfortunately, his team wasn't as big as he thought they were. But here's the key: He took responsibility for it, apologized, and offered to resign. That is: something under his umbrella of responsibility got out of his control, and he was man enough to admit it was his fault. Pretty rare and mature actions in today's workd, especially if the coach had planned the intimidation all along, don'tcha think? Meanwhile, your "intrepid reporter" suffered a floor burn. Not a broken jaw. Not a torn ACL. A floor burn. Somehow I'm just not convinced that (sarcasm) such a horrific act of intimidation and brutality (/sarcasm) has quelched the fires of journalistic freedom. Call me a naive optimist that killing the 1st Ammendment Spirit in our citizenry requires more than a friggin' floor burn. "You never ask questions when God's on your side." -- Bob Dylan   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   132.  Re: I was prepared to be pretty pissed off...   by hiker       at Thu 7 Nov 5:55am score of 1   in reply to comment 131     Well herbie the elf, I really can not understand why you are stuck on the floor burn. You don't think a stunt like they pulled could have done more damage. I really don't think that is the point here. The point is that if everytime a journalist wrote something we didn't like, someone decides to ruff them up, it wouldn't be long before their would be no journalist. If someone doesn't stand up against it because they weren't hurt. Then were will it end. Who will be next. People need to know it is wrong to attack a journalist for what they write. Your right it is great a coach would apologize. However, the coach in question is an art teacher. What better way to say this is wrong to the world than to report it. It seems you would take the stand of the Principal who wanted to sweep it under the carpet. Why, because it was only a rug burn... Also just to let you know your rule #1, I guess I do have an advantage over you. As I live in the town, I know the coach, and I know the student. Lastly I would say you are a cynic. I hope you are not teaching that to your students. Because what happened to this 17 year old student could have been devestating to his future and present. If you think its ok to devestate a kid as long as all they get is a floor burn you shouldn't be working with students. Go work with a football team they thrive on being devestated...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

4.  they'll get what they wanted...   by coquito       at Fri 25 Oct 1:26pm score of 1     feared creating more animosity, particularly a backlash against Brinkerhoff. great, once Brinkerhoff's done successfully suing the school (yo, Brink, i can be out of lawschool in 4 more years, i'll represent you!!) all the kids will want to be his new friend ;) In Hindu, you have not one God, but many, many, many, many, many gods -- learned Hindu scholar   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

5.  You Have the Right to Free Speech...   by Eric Blair       at Fri 25 Oct 1:28pm score of 1     as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it. That's what the Clash wrote, anyway. Young Jeremy has learned that what society pretends to admire it in reality actually despises.       I can empathize with this guy. When I was younger, I used to put my real name on everything I wrote. Now, I wrote some pretty controversial things, and I got some heat because of what I wrote. That's why now, like most Plasticians, I use a handle. ("Eric Blair" was the real name of a writer who was born in India like I was. The real Eric Blair also used a handle to avoid getting into trouble for what he wrote. He wrote some pretty good stuff.)       Jeremy committed Thought Crime and was found guilty by the Thought Police. That's life. I was never scared of the regular police, the FBI, ATF, etc. but I was always frightened of the Thought Police after I had a bad run-in with them. High school is supposed to be a learning experience, and it looks like Jeremy is learning how the real world actually works instead of how it is supposed to work. Oh, well...better to learn this sooner than later.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

6.  Re: You Have the Right to Free Speech...   by toothless joe       at Fri 25 Oct 2:20pm score of 1   in reply to comment 5     ("Eric Blair" was the real name of a writer who was born in India like I was. The real Eric Blair also used a handle to avoid getting into trouble for what he wrote. He wrote some pretty good stuff.) So, you picked the real name of a guy who published under a pseudonym to be your pseudonym so that you wouldn't have to publish under your real name? That makes my head hurt. Jeremy committed Thought Crime and was found guilty by the Thought Police. Thought Police? Did you miss your medication or something? I think the story is funny. The kid cracks a joke about how much the football team sucks in the paper and then goes to a pep rally where he gets knocked down by some football players. Then the sissy says he got a rugburn and was humiliated. And he's mad because the football team can't take a joke? Here's a question for Kristen Moulton, the reporter who called the affair a "Media Blitz" (and how right she is): if his booboo was so big, why didn't you have your photographer show it in that sad, sad picture you ran? » born » tagged » tattooed » pacified »   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   8.  Re: You Have the Right to Free Speech...   by kallisti       at Fri 25 Oct 2:32pm score of 1   in reply to comment 6     The kid cracks a joke about how much the football team sucks in the paper and then goes to a pep rally I dunno how it is where this guy is from, but in East Texas, pep rallies are not optional. So... The man cracks a joke about how much the judge sucks in the paper and then goes to court Enjoy.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   17.  Re: You Have the Right to Free Speech...   by Eric Blair       at Fri 25 Oct 3:03pm score of 2.5 informative   in reply to comment 6     Jeremy's family thinks that getting physically attacked for an individual's views sends "the wrong message about freedom of the press." Was Jeremy actually attacked? Well, he suffered a 6-inch floor burn on his arm along with a swollen wrist and fingers. So, do you feel that attacking someone is the best way to deal with a person if you disagree with their views? Why couldn't someone who disagreed with Jeremy's views write an article criticizing Jeremy's views in the school paper or send in a letter to the editor or otherwise expressed himself?       Does the fact that Jeremy went to a pep rally somehow imply that it was "OK" for him to get attacked? Why is that? Does a school's duty to protect its students' and students' duty not to attack each get temporarily suspended because all parties were in a pep rally?       Jeremy mother stated "You can't go out and physically attack someone for what they write." Is there anything in that statement that you disagree with?       The Principal states "It's (the attack) is done and gone. If you stir the pot, you might get more than you bargained for." Oh...thanks Principal, for clearing that up. So the Principal is stating that if you write something objectionable there is a strong chance of your being physically attacked for it. Glad to know the Principal is teaching these kids proper values.       Perhaps more ominously the Superintendent states that"the administration feared creating more animosity particularly against Brinkerhoff". What does this mean? Does it mean that the administration fears that Brinkerhoff could get attacked more often since his views proved unpopular? Does the administration feel, as the Principal stated "getting more than you bargain for" includes getting attacked for expressing an unpopular view?       Glad to know that you think its funny that somone gets attacked for utilizing his right to free speech. Sorry Jeremy's family and I can't share your sense of humor.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   45.  Re: You Have the Right to Free Speech...   by nyekulturniy       at Sat 26 Oct 10:14am score of 1   in reply to comment 6     Eric Blair's pen name was George Orwell. Nyekulturniy... Proudly confusing readers and editors since 1981!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   21.  Re: You Have the Right to Free Speech...   by toothless joe       at Fri 25 Oct 4:33pm score of 1   in reply to comment 17     Physically attacked? They play-tackled him. Boo hoo. Honestly, I don't believe he was injured at all. He didn't even get bruised. He claims he got a floor burn, but there's no evidence of that in the picture. And I'm not exactly confident in the accuracy of a reporter who writes, "Brinkerhoff was not cool about itwith it." Does the fact that Jeremy went to a pep rally somehow imply that it was "OK" for him to get attacked? No, the fact that he went to a pep rally to support the football team after making derogatory statements about said football team in the paper gives them the right to pull a harmless practical joke on him. He was not, as you say repeatedly "physically attacked". He was carrying a football, running behind blockers and was play-tackled. Is it so shocking that a person who is carrying a football and being pursued by tacklers would be tackled? No one forced him to get up and run with a football and, other replies to my previous post aside, I highly doubt he had to go to the pep rally. My favorite part of the article was the accompanying, overly manipulative picture. Did you notice how the shot is taken from above? That's a common psychological trick to make the subject appear small and vulnerable and evoke pity. Do you see the way he's holding his wrist? It makes it look like he's in pain, but it also hides the wrist that is supposedly swollen. Again, there's no evidence of the supposed floor burn. I wonder how many takes they needed to get him with that piteous look on his face. The most amazing thing is that Brinkerhoff managed to get a reporter to listen to his little temper tantrum. » born » tagged » tattooed » pacified »   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   33.  thank you for supporting your local jerks   by Anonymous Idiot       at Fri 25 Oct 10:16pm score of 0.5 succinct   in reply to comment 21     No. The problem is, the editor is a kid. The coach is an adult. Big difference. Kids are allowed to have their feelings hurt and act out because of it. Adults, especially those in positions of authority, are not. He is too old to act so stupid. When adults act like children and a hailstorm of righteous anger falls down around their heads, they deserve it. Frankly, he was an idiot; if he was too dumb to figure out that his actions crossed the line, then harsh disciplinary action will teach him. Apparently he could use the lesson. A role model for students, of all people, should know this. Just one of those life lessons - he can live and learn.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   133.  Re: You Have the Right to Free Speech...   by hiker       at Thu 7 Nov 6:04am score of 1   in reply to comment 21     toothless joe of all people I would think you would understand this the best. I can only guess you are toothless from making comments that make people mad...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

7.  Sacking for Columbine   by wrestler       at Fri 25 Oct 2:21pm score of 2 compelling     Here's a publicized instance of the kind of high school humiliation that happens all day, every day, but almost always under the radar, except for the odd case where it's done in front of an audience, or the victims decide to turn the tables, as in Columbine. The typical high school is a little less isolated than the island of the Lord of the Flies, but the lesson plan is roughly the same. Good thing, too, since those lessons are needed out in the cold cruel world. The real tragedy would be successfully creating a school environment free of the very educational occasional hard knocks of humiliation. If the kids didn't supply such knocks to each other, the adults would be obliged to add them to the curriculum. Ontogeny, after all, recapitulates phylogeny. We should expect (and maybe even encourage) the educational process to be a microcosm of history, only, hopefully, a bit less bloody. It would be a shame to leave school with the lessons such experiences can deliver unlearned. Just imagine, for instance, the psychic damage a sheltered innocent could endure if they accidentally wandered into the maelstrom of Plastic.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

9.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by orbweb1       at Fri 25 Oct 2:39pm score of 0.5 astute   in reply to comment 7     Correction: Ontology recapitulates phylogeny. QUIS CUSTODIET, IPSOS CUSTODES   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   14.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by wrestler       at Fri 25 Oct 2:51pm score of 1   in reply to comment 9     See what I mean? Good thing we I got used to humiliation back in high school. Except that my allusion was accurate: Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) said that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny". Ontogeny: The origin and development of an individual organism from embryo to adult. Also called ontogenesis. Ontology: The branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   99.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by Anaximander       at Sun 27 Oct 5:55am score of 1   in reply to comment 9     Actually, ontology recapitulates phenomenology.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   22.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by jolleyicecream       at Fri 25 Oct 4:41pm score of 1.5 scholarly   in reply to comment 14     Not many chances I get to comment on Ernst Haeckel, but I thought "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" meant that the development of an embryo in the womb is a microcosmic reflection of how the entire species evolved. So for instance, we started out as single celled, developed multiple cells, went through sort of an amphibious phase, grew hair and limbs, and finally became the kind of primates who humiliate each other at pep rallies. If you have a different understanding of Haeckel's theory/law/whatever, I'd be into hearing it. I'm not saying you're wrong at all, and it's entirely possible my liberal arts brain has misinterpreted this concept wildly. Jolley Ice Cream. Your online novelty delivery e-solution.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   25.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by wrestler       at Fri 25 Oct 5:41pm score of 1   in reply to comment 22     Your interpretation is dead on as far as I can tell. I was using it (unclearly, obviously) as a metaphor for social ontogeny as a recapitulation of social phylogeny: Independent infants develop into waring tribes of toddlers who develop into increasingly diplomatic factions of teenagers who develop into the formal organizations of adults. A child's development in school recapitulates human history. I think there's something more than a metaphor here. Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny in systems governed by Darwin's selection algorithm, which includes both biology and culture. As another example, almost every introductory physics class recapitulates the history of physics as a convenient way to bring students toward the point where they can influence the phylogeny of physics.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   116.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by Palindrome       at Mon 28 Oct 4:17am score of 2 astute   in reply to comment 25     Independent infants develop into waring tribes of toddlers who develop into increasingly diplomatic factions of teenagers who develop into the formal organizations of adults. A child's development in school recapitulates human history. This isn't, however, something that just happens naturally - toddlers have to be taught to manage feelings of anger and fear and teenagers have to learn the social skills to manage those formal organizations. The problem here is that sometimes they don't learn those skills well. Maybe if our schools didn't foster an environment that rewarded this kind of behavior (or better taught kids to manage feelings of anger or insult) then our society wouldn't have so many enfant terribiles walking around. "He is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins. -Frederick Douglass"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   12.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by Dvandom       at Fri 25 Oct 2:46pm score of 2.5 compelling   in reply to comment 7     Yeah, imagine the horror of a world in which everyone is taught when young that cruelty is bad and should be avoided. We can only pray that any students currently learning that lesson can have it beaten out of them as soon as they get out of school. ---Dave It would be disingenuous if it wasn't so sarcastic.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   15.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by wrestler       at Fri 25 Oct 2:54pm score of 0.5 obnoxious   in reply to comment 12     ...imagine the horror of a world in which everyone is taught when young that cruelty is bad and should be avoided. My point is that a good way to learn that lesson is to experience a little cruelty, hopefully in homeopathic doses. It's one of the few lessons that is easier to learn in high schooling than in home schooling.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   31.  the right response   by Anonymous Idiot       at Fri 25 Oct 10:02pm score of 0.5 astute   in reply to comment 15     The answer to cruelty is not to meekly submit or smile at it as some kind of valuable life lesson. The answer, if you have the power, and this boy does, is too hit your tormentors hard enough and tough enough for them to regret it. Lawyers, public outcry, legislators, the school paper... this boy should hit his attackers with everything he's got and let them learn the valuable life lesson about the so-called place of cruelty in our society. When the coach is begging for his job with the publicly embarrassed parents baying for his head, let him reflect on the homeopathic justice of it all.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   71.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by miriamsong       at Sat 26 Oct 2:50pm score of 1   in reply to comment 7     Ontogeny, after all, recapitulates phylogeny. right, so the correct way to run a school is to have the little apes fight each other over the waterhole? umm, how about less biology and more anthropology in your educational diet? the reason we teach children principles is to help them avoid having to learn them themselves. the principle here being freedom of the press. in your school, they would have given brinkerhoff the zenger treatment. in my school the coach gives the football players a little talking-to about what you do about disagreements in a democracy, and adding that if they can't get over a little ribbing in the press, then they shouldn't be playing football or doing anything else in public.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   73.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by wrestler       at Sat 26 Oct 3:41pm score of 1   in reply to comment 71     right, so the correct way to run a school is to have the little apes fight each other over the waterhole? These apes are going to be fighting over various waterholes for the rest of their lives, so yes, they should be educated in waterhole fighting tactics and strategy. Lately, the legal system has become more relevant to that education than hand to hand combat. So this incident is a good opportunity for a civics lesson. Lacking such incidents, it could make sense to simulate them, or in the right circumstances, stimulate them. Having a school paper is a good example of that approach.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   80.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by DensityDuck!       at Sat 26 Oct 7:02pm score of 1   in reply to comment 73     These apes are going to be fighting over various waterholes for the rest of their lives, so yes, they should be educated in waterhole fighting tactics and strategy. Er...okay. I guess that if you believe we can't act on a moral plane higher than "kill-eat-hump-shit", your view makes sense. Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   97.  Re: Sacking for Columbine   by wrestler       at Sat 26 Oct 10:17pm score of 1   in reply to comment 80     Er...okay. I guess that if you believe we can't act on a moral plane higher than "kill-eat-hump-shit", your view makes sense. "It may be that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong -- but that's the way to bet." - Alfred Damon Runyon   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

10.  re: Freedom Of The Press Meets Angry High School J   by lordsatan       at Fri 25 Oct 2:41pm score of 1     hyde apologizing to brinkerhoff is good and all, but what about the football players? the lesson they learned from this is that they can bully students and there won't be any consequences if they just say "ooops, sorry."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

11.  Ban Team Sports   by zeda       at Fri 25 Oct 2:46pm score of 1.5 disingenuous     Problem solved. Next!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

48.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by monobrau!       at Sat 26 Oct 10:43am score of 1.5 compelling   in reply to comment 11     Team sports are an important part of training the sheep to be a good herd. Do away with them and there is a danger that kids might actually cultivate an interest in things that really matter. And the last thing we need is more pointy-headed intellectuals making a fuss about "civil rights", and "corporate accountability". Now shut up and watch the world series and have a Bud Lite before you come up with any more bright ideas.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   63.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by swalve       at Sat 26 Oct 1:06pm score of 1   in reply to comment 48     A) There's nothing wrong with team sports when they are played properly, within the ethics ('sportsmanship') of the game being played. B) Nobody is forcing anybody to watch or play sports. If you're in High School, maybe you have to play a few sports in gym class. Other than that, you are free to cogitate on the horror that is life and other pointy-headed endeavors. "If silence is golden, you couldn't raise a dime!"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   85.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by eduardo       at Sat 26 Oct 8:11pm score of 1   in reply to comment 11     Out of the dozens of people I know who share your sentiments, not one is in good shape. I am not an athlete but I understand and respect that it's about. I am sorry you felt awkward changing in the locker room for gym class. J'ai une petite amie avec des tres, tres grandes tetons.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   98.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by zeda       at Sun 27 Oct 1:34am score of 1   in reply to comment 85     Yes I'm overweight, although I had plenty of run until you puke egalitarian fun in high-school. I would have been far better served by more information on nutrition, as that has a greater impact on weight than exercise. The important fact is that athletic achievement has no impact in the grand scheme of things. Academics should be the only emphasis in schools. The corrupting influence of team sports is too great and the correlation between sports and bullying can't be ignored. Don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for those athletes who don't get a good education.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   104.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by monobrau!       at Sun 27 Oct 9:55am score of 1.5 clever   in reply to comment 85     Right. So you know a lot of lard asses. Funny, most of the people I know who share that sentiment are bike commuters, snow boarders, skiers, runners, and surfers. People who I would estimate to be of sound mind and body. Most of the people (but certainly not all) that I know that are in to watching football and baseball are the lard asses sitting on the couch in front of the TV every weekend. Oh sure, they were in great shape 20 years ago, some even played on high school and college teams. That was a long time ago, and now, when the rest of us head outdoors, they relive the glory days and cheer for some over-paid steroid mutant because he's paid to play on "our team".   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   100.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by nyekulturniy       at Sun 27 Oct 6:57am score of 1.5 compelling   in reply to comment 98     From my observation working as a sub teacher in a Maryland school, athletics are good for teaching students how to follow instructions and working together. Even if we don't like the idea of working together, there are times you have to listen to instructions and not do your own thing, such as when some asshole in a Caprice is sniping at your buddies, or the school is on fire. It beats close-order drill. I do agree the emphasis should be on academics. There is nothing like seeing kids who LOVE to learn learning. They're about 10% of the school population. For many of the rest, especially the type who are indifferent to academics, sports serves as an incentive/disincentive to come to school. There are those you can't reach, but what can we do? Nyekulturniy... Proudly confusing readers and editors since 1981!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   102.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by eduardo       at Sun 27 Oct 8:32am score of 1.5 compelling   in reply to comment 98     Here's the thing though - of all the people in high positions in our society - CEOs, politicians, etc., there's a disproportionate number of those who've been athletes (mainly football) back in the day. And why not? Sports teach you how to set goals, how to compete and not give up, how to get along with others even when you're striving to be the best, etc. Those are valuable lessons to be learned at an early age, and such skills get your further in life than does intricate knowledge of calculus, or whatever. Like I said before, I am not an athlete (I am not an academic, either - my sport has always been 'making money') but I respect athletes. Sometimes I wish my girl would take her athletics (she's on the tennis team) more seriously and have that "can do" attitude rather than getting discouraged when she does poorly on a test or something. J'ai une petite amie avec des tres, tres grandes tetons.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   103.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by Anywhere       at Sun 27 Oct 8:58am score of 1   in reply to comment 98     I would have been far better served by more information on nutrition, as that has a greater impact on weight than exercise 1. More information on nutrition and gym class are not mutually exclusive. 2. How does one come to the determination that the food you consume has a greater impact on weight than exercise? If you consume more calories than you burn off (through exercise), you gain weight. They seem equally important to me. Gateway computers are pieces of shit, and their customer service is abysmal. Ask me why if you want to hear me vent.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   105.  Re: Ban Team Sports   by DensityDuck!       at Sun 27 Oct 11:06am score of 1.5 funny   in reply to comment 103     2. How does one come to the determination that the food you consume has a greater impact on weight than exercise? Because exercise is hard, and "eating right" is easy. My (unscientific) philosophy is that it's not what you eat, it's how much; and it's whether or not you're physically active. They don't underfeed Marines, after all, and they're about the last people you'd expect to see on the overweight list. Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

13.  You know...   by homisthecat       at Fri 25 Oct 2:50pm score of 1.5 astute     He could have at least used correct grammar! It should be "they both play badly," not "they both play bad."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

20.  Re: You know...   by pythonista       at Fri 25 Oct 4:02pm score of 1   in reply to comment 13     Actually, the usage of "bad" as an adverb is fairly common, if somewhat nonstandard.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   65.  Re: You know...   by dmunk       at Sat 26 Oct 1:18pm score of 1   in reply to comment 20     Just because it's commonly used doesn't make it correct. Where the hell was the Journalism teacher/newspaper editor? I think even the pathetic MS Word Grammar checker could have caught that one. It's frightening that a 17 year-old journalism student has that kind of grasp on the English language. It sure doesn't give me hope for the rest of the kids.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   88.  Re: You know...   by Tessera       at Sat 26 Oct 8:38pm score of 1   in reply to comment 20     It's only common among [more] illiterate people*, and is certainly not common enough to be considered correct even under a very broad descriptivist interpretation. It's certainly not in the AP stylebook, at least... *Note: This is not meant to be an offensive remark, it's just the more aware you are of the underlying grammatical structure, the worser a sentence like that sounds.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   91.  Re: You know...   by Mad Ogger       at Sat 26 Oct 9:32pm score of 1   in reply to comment 65     I think even the pathetic MS Word Grammar checker could have caught that one. Nope. Just tried it out. It's frightening that a 17 year-old journalism student has that kind of grasp on the English language. It sure doesn't give me hope for the rest of the kids. Obviously you've never read a college newspaper. Actually, I think there may be a logical reason for using bad as an adverb. Badly would be ambiguous in the sentence under discussion. It could mean either wickedly or poorly. I can't say why, but to me bad in that sentence seems like it can only mean poorly. I don't like adverbs anyway, so it hardly bothers me.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   112.  Re: You know...   by smokeanoog       at Sun 27 Oct 7:08pm score of 1   in reply to comment 88     *Note: This is not meant to be an offensive remark, it's just the more aware you are of the underlying grammatical structure, the worser a sentence like that sounds. Ow my ears.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   117.  Now THAT'S how you respond to bad press!   by Palindrome       at Mon 28 Oct 4:29am score of 1.5 witty   in reply to comment 13     Nitpick the grammar, saucily skewer the writing style, and layer with haughty ironic humor. I wish someone had told that to the jocks. "He is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins. -Frederick Douglass"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

23.  Why not a public apology?   by MustWork       at Fri 25 Oct 5:07pm score of 2 compelling     Superintendent Menlove said he did not believe the Brinkerhoffs should have a role in deciding how the district responds to the incident. "If she's upset she didn't get to approve the discipline, I'm sorry," he said. "That's just not going to happen." If it was MY child who had been at the butt-end of this childish prank, YOU BET that I would have some say-so in the review / discipline of the teacher. If the school superintendant didn't like it, he really would not have liked both the civil and criminal charges that would have been flying. The teacher - acting in his official capacity as a representative of the school district, instructed two minors to physically attack another minor. While IANAL, I believe we could come up with at least an assault charge, two counts of contributing to the deliquency of a minor, sue for injury, public humiliation and emotional distress. Apparently, the teacher realized that he had f*cked up big time immedeatly. I bet, that if the coach had taken the mike at the rally and publically apoligized, then the parents wouldn't have their shorts in a knot. Unfortunately, it seems like the school administration has an evelator which does not go all the way to the top floor. Where is the harm in a public apology? Are they afraid that by publically admitting that the teacher was wrong that they would open themselves up to further liability? What morons! Makes me glad that I home-school. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat History class.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

24.  Two points   by Anonymous Idiot       at Fri 25 Oct 5:12pm score of 1.5 brilliant   in reply to comment 23     Apparently, the teacher realized that he had f*cked up big time immedeatly. 1) We're allowed to say 'fuck' here. See: fuck, fuck, fuck. It's fun, isn't it? 2) If you're going to make a word bold, you might take a look at the spellcheck hint for it. I hope you have someone else homeschool your child in spelling.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   61.  theory = application   by Anonymous Idiot       at Sat 26 Oct 12:37pm score of 0.5 brilliant   in reply to comment 24     1) We're allowed to say 'fuck' here. See: fuck, fuck, fuck. It's fun, isn't it? Thanks for the tip... in that case, fuck you, you snide asshole.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   101.  Re: Two points   by verb       at Sun 27 Oct 7:31am score of 1.5 compelling   in reply to comment 24     Just to balance things out, I was speaking to a high school teacher I hang out with earlier this week. He made a reference to "Chernobyl... you know, where they gassed the Jews." I fear. --v. "During a nuclear incident, it is important to avoid radioactive material, if possible." -- Dept. of Homeland Security   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   59.  Re: Why not a public apology?   by kallisti       at Sat 26 Oct 12:28pm score of 1   in reply to comment 23     Superintendent Menlove said he[...] If it was MY child who had been at the butt-end of this[...] Menlove? butt-end? AHAHAHAH! ;) Just wanted to share that. I thought it was a play on words at first, but.. I'm not sure anymore. ;)   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

27.  But what of the band?   by Pengie       at Fri 25 Oct 6:18pm score of 2.5 funny     The saddest thing is that the band is insulted just as badly as the football team and their director didn't bother to send anybody down to administer some cold hard brass tuba justice or, at the very least, a trom-boning. I also wonder why, when I was in school, we couldn't have had any educational officials with a name like "Menlove". There is enough potential there to keep many a detention hall occupied for a long time.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

39.  Re: But what of the band?   by DensityDuck!       at Sat 26 Oct 12:43am score of 1   in reply to comment 27     The saddest thing is that the band is insulted just as badly as the football team and their director didn't bother to send anybody down to administer some cold hard brass tuba justice or, at the very least, a trom-boning. Indeed, I'd expect that the piccolo player would get involved, and that afterwards every time Brinkenhoff hiccuped he'd play a note. Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

29.  This kid didn't read Peanuts enough   by Argus Defthammer       at Fri 25 Oct 7:19pm score of 1.5 clever     Help me out here... The coach calls three gorillas (and I mean that nicely) and Brinkerhoff out of the audience, hands the ball to B and tells him to run and two of the guys would block for him...and he did it? You know...I only had to read the adventures of Lucy and Charlie Brown to know that never, never, ever involve yourself in a football activity with someone who holds a grudge against you. In my world (with a heapin' helpin' of 20/20 hindsight), I would have handed the ball back to coach and say, "No, you do it". Of course, the coach would be successful at which point I would ask for a round of applause for our heroic coach and players and then sit the fuck down. Diamond encrusted howler monkey   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

57.  Re: This kid didn't read Peanuts enough   by MustWork       at Sat 26 Oct 11:47am score of 1   in reply to comment 29     Help me out here... The coach calls three gorillas (and I mean that nicely) and Brinkerhoff out of the audience, hands the ball to B and tells him to run and two of the guys would block for him...and he did it? Let's set the scene a little more colorfully... The coach called this boy and four "gorillas" down from an audience of say 2000 fellow students. You have been trained all of your life to obey your teachers. You are also in the spotlight because suddenly 2000 of your fellow students are looking at you and expecting you to comply with what should normally be a reasonable request, for the good of school spirit. Talk about peer pressure. It would be the very rare teenager who would be able to resist in such a circumstance. The coach set him up, and the coach screwed up. A public apology - either during another public event, or even in the student newspaper, would be the minimum appropriate response. P.S. The "kid" might also want to clear the air a little - in one of his future columns (if he ever gets to publish another), he might actually praise all of the various student activities, rather than run them down. Freedom of the press is great, but he should also realize that columnists (especially in HS) have to live in the world that they write about. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat History class.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   77.  Re: This kid didn't read Peanuts enough   by Argus Defthammer       at Sat 26 Oct 4:21pm score of 1   in reply to comment 57     Oh I agree an apology is in order...also you make a good point about the kid having been trained to obey adults. I happen to work with kids who have made an art out of disobeying adults so my p.o.v. might be a little different. I'm a little murkey on the need for praise, however. If this kid spent all of his journalistic time running down school activities...then yah, he should lighten up. Is seems that it was just a one time joke. Also, what about the school activities that are unworthy of praise? Having worked on a school paper a very very very long time ago, I remember there being a fine line between writing stuff that was meaningful and pushing out pablum that was palatable to the people. I hope young Brinkerhoff grows a sharper, more thoughtful barb, better football sense...and thicker skin. Diamond encrusted howler monkey   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   92.  Re: This kid didn't read Peanuts enough   by Mad Ogger       at Sat 26 Oct 9:37pm score of 1   in reply to comment 57     P.S. The "kid" might also want to clear the air a little - in one of his future columns (if he ever gets to publish another), he might actually praise all of the various student activities, rather than run them down. Freedom of the press is great, but he should also realize that columnists (especially in HS) have to live in the world that they write about. Seemed obviously satirical to me. I guess he was foolish to think that more than one football player in 50 has any understanding of irony, though. Actually, I have a neuron that's telling me that in the UK and Australia there is sort of a tradition or practice of satirically ripping people/things that have gotten a little too pretentious. Is that a misconception? It always seemed like something we should import to America, even though I doubt it could grow in our soil.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   79.  Re: This kid didn't read Peanuts enough   by Orbie       at Sat 26 Oct 6:45pm score of 1   in reply to comment 77     The article wasn't actually putting down anyone. It wasn't a rant about the stupid jocks. It was about stereotypes and "wrong thinking", and the derogatory comments were examples of such which he used in his story. You are god ... choose wisely.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

34.  I'm appalled...this is un-American   by Mad Ogger       at Fri 25 Oct 10:18pm score of 1.5 informative     Why hasn't this gone to court? In Utah, "an act, committed with unlawful force or violence, that causes or creates a substantial risk of bodily injury to another" is assault, a class B misdemeanor. Just slap a charge on the coach and the players. Let the players shit their pants a bit about getting a record. If they become suitably contrite, let 'em go, otherwise let 'em plead guilty to disorderly conduct and pay a $750 fine. The coach should pay for medical expenses in any case. Or maybe it would be more appropriate to make the coach do 200 pushups at a special school assembly. Apologies are nice, but punishment is better.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

36.  Misapplication of "Freedom of the Press"   by senseofhistory       at Fri 25 Oct 10:31pm score of 1     As it's typically used, "Freedom of the Press", or, synonymously, freedom, or protection of speech is a muddy concept. From a Constitutional point of view, the 1st Amendment guarantees that Congress (nor, per the establishment clause, a state legislature) won't outlaw it. Beyond that, speech isn't especially protected. A person may say or print whatever they wish, but if someone doesn't like it, they're free to counterattack in a variety of ways, including ways that are shocking, humiliating, and uncool. Of course, neither side is permitted to cross the line and commit outright physical threat or assault, because legislatures have passed a slew of laws against that, quite unrelated to freedom of speech. For example, suppose I work for a newspaper, and write and have printed a news or editorial article casting a negative light on one of the paper's major advertisers. They're quite within their rights to have me fired, or, in the unlikely event that I've some policy or contractual protection against that, to have me shut out of future print, on pain of pulling their advertisements. They're not Congress, no laws have been made, and freedom of speech is as safe as the framers intended it. Nothing's stopping me from starting my own private paper, or, if I'm not that un-cash-constrained, standing a sidewalk with a sign, in order to continue my speech. As far as Brinkerhoff's plight goes, while his public creaming pushes the line between rough play and assault, he seems satisfied that no crime was committed, thanks in part to Hyde's apology. Parents, reporters, and school administrator's seem to be making more of the event than any of the actual participants would like. Unfortunately, this sort of muddled bandying of constitutional freedoms is rampant throughout American society, where there's a tendency to generalize the guaranteed immunities of the individual from opposition by the state into immunity from opposition by anybody. In human society, if you stir the pot, you may indeed get more than you bargain for.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

47.  Re: Misapplication of "Freedom of the Press"   by Anywhere       at Sat 26 Oct 10:43am score of 1   in reply to comment 36     I'll agree with you that constitutional freedoms are often misapplied. However, the establishment clause you mentioned applies to government all the way down to the local level, of which the school board is a component. One could certainly make the claim that the football players in question, acting at the direction of a teacher, were agents of the school board. That said, I do agree with many of the other posters on this thread that the coach's immediate apology was sufficient penance for a misthought prank. Gateway computers are pieces of shit, and their customer service is abysmal. Ask me why if you want to hear me vent.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   66.  Re: Misapplication of "Freedom of the Press"   by jukeboxcharlie       at Sat 26 Oct 1:34pm score of 1   in reply to comment 36     From a Constitutional point of view, the 1st Amendment guarantees that Congress (nor, per the establishment clause, a state legislature) won't outlaw it. Beyond that, speech isn't especially protected. That is incorrect. Read from the following essay on Findlaw. But it was with the Court's assumption that the Fourteenth Amendment restrained the power of the States to suppress speech and press that the doctrines developed. At first, Holmes and Brandeis remained in dissent, but in Fiske v. Kansas, the Court sustained a First Amendment type of claim in a state case, and in Stromberg v. California, a state law was voided on grounds of its interference with free speech. The 14th Amendment bars states from depriving persons of their "liberty" without due process of law. The cases above establish that freedom of the press (and speech, and all expression for that matter) is a liberty under the 14th amendment, and thus incorporates the states into the protection of the Federal constitution. This is my sig. Here I have a pithy quote, or wry comment.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

42.  story   by mmandell       at Sat 26 Oct 8:25am score of 1 succinct     Didn't you know that football is far more important than journalism in many small-town cultures? Since, frankly, they have nothing else to cheer for and validate their meaningless lives, let them have football! PS The schools usually represent the community, of course!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

83.  Re: story   by eduardo       at Sat 26 Oct 8:07pm score of 1   in reply to comment 42     I don't play/understand football (I am foreign) but I do know highschool newspapers. Football really is more relevant of the two. J'ai une petite amie avec des tres, tres grandes tetons.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

43.  Bullshit On 'Em All   by SacredGroundChuck       at Sat 26 Oct 8:44am score of 1     On Brinkerhoff: he could have said anything else about the football team and the band: they both play at sports, they both have school spirit, they both have dedication to their school, they both do their best which sometimes isn't enough. But no - he had to put in a cheap shot, then talk about how derogatory comments about other school groups is bad. Seems like he needs to read his own columns. Double bad on him for non-original thinking and idolization of a goober for his column name, "The O'Brinkley Factor". Bad on the football players: if Hyde had told them to go easy on this guy and they didn't, they should be removed/suspended from the team. If they won't listen to the coach during something minor, what does that say to them about their actions on the gridiron? Didn't they realize that injuring the guy could have potentially made the team look vindictive and unable to take some criticism? (Right now the team is 4-5, so far the worst showing they've had in the past three years.) If you don't think Coach Hyde is criticizing the team worse than Brinkerhoff, you haven't been around too many high school football coaches. Bad on Hyde, too: he didn't clear the "skit" with the proper organizers of the pep rally, he didn't tell Brinkerhoff adequately ahead of time, and he thought that the sacking of a 150-lb untrained kid by two 200-lb trained players would show up Brinkerhoff's words. It didn't - the coach and the players seem petty now. Brinkerhoff didn't say he could coach or play better than anyone else, he just said the team played badly, which they are right now. Most others in the school are probably saying it too. Are the players going to sack everyone who spouts criticism? My, that will certainly promote the ol' school spirit. How 'bout this: suspend the players one game for not listening to their coach, suspend Hyde one game for not following the chain of command he's supposed to instill in his players, suspend Brinkerhoff's column two issues. Since this was not official school district policy, Brinkerhoff doesn't get his apology from that body; this will reinforce the idea that freedom of speech doesn't mean you yell "fire!" in a crowded room. "Did you know that the human brain is the only computer in the universe made of meat?"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

54.  Re: Bullshit On 'Em All   by JulesRules       at Sat 26 Oct 11:39am score of 1   in reply to comment 43     How 'bout this: suspend the players one game for not listening to their coach, suspend Hyde one game for not following the chain of command he's supposed to instill in his players, suspend Brinkerhoff's column two issues. Since this was not official school district policy, Brinkerhoff doesn't get his apology from that body; this will reinforce the idea that freedom of speech doesn't mean you yell "fire!" in a crowded room. Making a bad joke in a high-school paper column is not the equivalent of yelling 'fire!' in a crowded room, especially when other groups besides the football team were targeted by the joke, and later in the article he defends the team against stereotypes aimed at them. Brinkley's column effectively has been suspended - he has been heavily censored since the incident. Hyde and the players have gone unpunished. At the very least, Brinkerhoff should get an official apology from the school for the actions of one of its representatives. yada yada yada   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   55.  a football team of sissies   by Anonymous Idiot       at Sat 26 Oct 11:44am score of 0.5 compelling   in reply to comment 43     ...if they can't take one on the chin without bursting into tears and tackling the person who talked bad about them. The football team is not some sacred institution that needs to be protected from disgruntled kids. The other way around, in fact - the kids need to be protected from the excesses of those prima donna players.       I'm not sure Brinkerhoff even took a cheap shot at them - look at their behaviour; I would say they deserved it. Football is, in fact, a game, and like all games, a fairly meaningless one at that - sorry to burst your bubble over it. When you yell fire in a crowded theater, you put people's lives in danger; when you say a team is bad... so what? Anybody should be able to say anything they want about something as mundane as athletic performance in the school environment; if schools can't even be held to this simple standard, how are people expected to stand up and say difficult things in the places where it's really needed - whistle blowers in government agencies, etc? You erode basic freedoms like freedom of speech when you let these formative incidents go (school papers don't have complete freedom of speech, but that's not an excuse to teach people the party-line values of a totalitarian regime).       That's why the coach should be fired, because one of the biggest problems with this messed-up country of ours is assholes who set a bad example for everybody and then get a slap on the wrist for it. When those football players and students grow up and think about abusing somebody else, they'll have the coach's example to remind them.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

46.  heh   by dioxide       at Sat 26 Oct 10:28am score of 3 clever     if his blockers didn't block for him, doesn't that prove his point that the team plays badly?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

64.  Re: heh   by Ajax       at Sat 26 Oct 1:18pm score of 1   in reply to comment 46     Exactly! Why did we have to wait 46 comments for someone to point out the obvious? :) "Way to defend your team's skills, Goblitzy -- let the ball carrier get sacked." That would've been the first line of my column the next week, anyway... Attacking the issue at hand, here's my take: the kid's words were misinterpreted. He was writing an anti-nastiness piece, not one intended to wound. The fact that his thrust escaped the football team is unfortunate, but is one of the hazards of being a writer -- just ask anyone who posts sarcasm on Plastic, they'll tell ya. ;) But let's pretend for a moment that he was serious. Let's say the whole column was nothing more than an attack piece on the school's football team (and the band). Would he deserve to get pummeled for it? Most of Plastic apparently says no. But you know what? I think that "authorities" unapologetically turning a blind eye to the occasional well-deserved bust in the chops would do a lot to bring back civilized discourse and mutual respect. Yes, it's not fair for a skinny little kid to be soundly thrashed by his muscular colleagues on the football team -- if (and this is important!) he has done nothing to deserve it. "Sticks and stone will break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is the biggest crock of shit there is. Words do hurt -- the right ones at the right time can kill -- and if the kid who wrote the editorial was surprised to find out how hurt and humiliated he felt after being dumped on his ass at the pep rally...imagine how the football team would have felt had his snarky column been intended seriously, as they seemed to think. (Since he wasn't serious, though, this case doesn't apply and the team is demonstrably in the wrong.) But let's admit it, to ourselves at least: wouldn't it satisfy one's sense of fair play to hear that a nasty, mean-spirited, fatuous harpy like Ann Coulter or Maureen Dowd got a good, sharp slap in the face from their target, after using a public forum to do nothing more than spread malicious lies in the guise of "free press"? Asking a kid to take a serious beating at the hands of bigger, stronger kids isn't acceptable. But asking a kid to sit still and do nothing while his "intellectual/rhetorical superiors" have their way with his reputation and self-esteem (or else attempt to match them at a battle of wits when they're practically unarmed by comparison) isn't acceptable either. I say, if the kid is being a little snot, let him find out what that's going to get him in the real world. We can't always meet with adversaries on the ground of our own choosing...and an awful lot of over-educated, under-empathetic fucks deserve to be reminded that no matter how many synonyms for "cretin" they can think of, their lip can get busted in response just like anyone else's. "Free speech" does not, and should not, mean "speech without consequences to the speaker." "Coca-Cola® and Armageddon® / We like it, like it, yes we do!" -- Clutch.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   114.  Re: heh   by stevetherobot       at Mon 28 Oct 2:00am score of 1   in reply to comment 64     I think that "authorities" unapologetically turning a blind eye to the occasional well-deserved bust in the chops would do a lot to bring back civilized discourse and mutual respect. I thought that one of the features of civilized discourse is not busting someone in the chops. Isn't inflicting violence on someone else the ultimate act of disrespect? "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."--Isaac Asimov   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

49.  the three point program   by burntfriedman       at Sat 26 Oct 11:04am score of 1.5 succinct     Point #1: it turns out the football team does suck. they apparently have really shitty blockers--how could you fuck up on yer home turf like that(at least the school has good writers). Point #2: this is out of some american high school movie plot...i realize that jeremy brinkerhoff was singled out in a crowd in order to "perform" but couldn't he tell it was coming? Point #3: what the hell was the coach thinking? did he actually think he was teaching a lesson(that's why you're there mr. hyde--to teach not coach football...if i abused my position of authority/power for revenge, i'ld be fired--no matter how petty. fire the coach. he tried to intimidate an entire school with his antics. Physically beating anyone down in public for their writing isn't america, its nigeria.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

51.  Pisses me off!   by nmacey       at Sat 26 Oct 11:29am score of 1     How is this news? I am the editor-in-chief of a high school paper in Salt Lake (just down the road from this High School), and we have kids dealing drugs and getting hit by cars because of our busing situation. Daily I am ridiculed by teachers because of my opinions in the paper. This kid needs to grow the hell up.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

69.  Re: Pisses me off!   by SteamboatDreamboat       at Sat 26 Oct 2:14pm score of 1   in reply to comment 51     Hey, your school name doesn't rhyme with "byline," does it? Go Eagles! "When life hands you lemons, make coffee... and then you'll have the desire to make lemonade." --Jon Friedman   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   70.  Re: Pisses me off!   by nmacey       at Sat 26 Oct 2:35pm score of 1   in reply to comment 69     I don't get along with skyline. It rhymes with Byland though ;) Highland High :) Up with Rams, down with Recruiters   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   107.  Re: Pisses me off!   by MsGeek93       at Sun 27 Oct 2:05pm score of 1   in reply to comment 70     Highland High, huh? Like the high school in Beavis and Butt-Head?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

52.  It's all about expectations   by kindall       at Sat 26 Oct 11:34am score of 2 compelling     Obviously football players are used to giving and taking hard hits, and they undoubtedly considered what they did "being gentle." To them, if you can get up and walk away, then it was no big deal. No bones were broken, so they probably thought that they had followed the coach's instructions not to hurt Brinkerhoff. I was tackled once unexpectedly in PE in middle school. It was supposed to be a touch football game but some wiseass thought it would be fun to tackle the awkward geek for real. Got the wind knocked out of me, which was a profoundly unpleasant experience, given that it had never happened to me before. Now the kid who tackled me had been tackled himself dozens of times and naturally thought I was being a sissy. I, on the other hand, couldn't breathe and was hurting worse than I'd ever hurt in my life and for thirty seconds I wondered if I was going to die. Given that, my reaction of laying on the grass and howling with what breath I could muster was perfectly appropriate. When I got my breath back I asked that kid what I'd ever done to him to deserve that, and he looked at me in amazement. It was all part of the game for him. This was of course the last time I ever participated in football of any kind. So first, we see that if you tackle people who are not used to being tackled, even "gently," you will probably hurt them more than they expect and they will be greatly upset. Second, anyone who goes back for more, repeatedly, after being tackled the very first time is brave, crazy, or stupid. Third, putting kids who are brave, crazy, or stupid enough to enjoy playing football into a situation with someone who's not used to being knocked to the ground is just asking for trouble, especially if the players had some kind of grudge against the target, and the coach should have realized this. Last but not least, it's obvious that having any incident like this happen in front of a thousand of your closest peers inevitably magnifies the humiliation. A pattern of this sort of behavior, unchecked and repeated over time, is exactly what causes things like Columbine. Fortunately, the coach realized he'd made an error and said so publicly instead of brushing it off as "roughhousing," and Brinkerhoff seems well-adjusted enough that this single incident won't cause him to go ballistic. I doubt, however, that the players who tackled him will ever truly understand why he was upset. More likely they think of him as a bit of a sissy. To get back around to the topic of the post, I doubt this incident will have any long-term chilling effect on free speech in the school. Kids already have severe restrictions on their freedom of speech which are far more egregious than those that they might impose on themselves because of this incident. I'm not incoherent, you're just dumb.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

81.  Crap! No more mod points.   by DensityDuck!       at Sat 26 Oct 7:05pm score of 1   in reply to comment 52     +1 "fuckin' A", anyway. Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   95.  Re: It's all about expectations   by Mad Ogger       at Sat 26 Oct 9:53pm score of 1   in reply to comment 52     Yup, I agree with you 110%. I took up judo 2 months ago so I'm no stranger to being thrown around, sometimes pretty hard, and it doesn't upset me. Yet the kind of thing the coach did has no place in judo. Even someone who voluntarily comes to judo doesn't get thrown until he's learned how to fall safely. And it would be considered very poor form to throw someone who doesn't know how to fall just because you didn't like something they said. Another interesting difference is that the greater the skill of the judo player throwing you, the less it hurts. I think this difference is because judo is more about learning and teaching, whereas football is more about winning.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

53.  just a couple of thoughts...   by PenguinSushi       at Sat 26 Oct 11:34am score of 1     1. wouldn't that be "...Nothing, they both play badly?" 2. apparently the band actively admits they play bad(ly)... ...or perhaps they just chose not to make a big deal about a highschooler's snide article?... "One Penguin To Rule Them All..."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

58.  Re: just a couple of thoughts...   by burntfriedman       at Sat 26 Oct 11:57am score of 1.5 astute   in reply to comment 53     there goes the school's whole education package. the art teacher is the assistant coach who can't even make a two on three play work. the english department puts out dissident writers as well as poor spellers(or do they suffer from poor grammar?. and the principal fails to respond with the proper discipline.. three strikes you're out...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

60.  Are we missing the point?   by Saviolo       at Sat 26 Oct 12:33pm score of 2.5 astute     Didn't anyone else notice that Brinkerhoff was writing a column trying to get kids to stop steretyping one another? If he was using the joke as an example of the bad taste that's being exhibited by his fellow students, then he's really sticking up for the football team. What's the usual stereotype for football players? Someone in the column has already called them gorillas. Really, the stereotype is usually that the football players are huge, hulking, semi-literate, violent jocks. They're doing a good job at dispelling THAT little stereotype, aren't they? -Cheers! Stay in line, citizen! Our weapons are only to protect you!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

120.  Re: Are we missing the point?   by mckinnkb       at Mon 28 Oct 9:55am score of 1   in reply to comment 60     Using sarcasm, he started his article by asking, "What's the difference between the football team and the band? Nothing, they both play bad." just a point - the write up says he started the article with those lines. It might have continued to say something like "this is stereotyping and it's bad blah blah blah". Maybe not the best use of sarcasm, but not deserving of what happened to him for sure.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

72.  Severely humor-impaired.   by superdude       at Sat 26 Oct 3:12pm score of 1     First, the punchline of the joke wasn't funny. "They both play bad"? I'm not getting it. Second, the thing at the assembly wouldn't have been funny even if it had gone off as planned. "Me hit kid. Show me play football good!" Something very strange is going on. Everyone is trying to make a joke, but no one has the slightest clue how to do so. It's as if everyone has been zapped by a giant, humor-destroying laser beam. I'm not saying it's because the story took place in heavily Mormon Utah. Some of my best friends are Mormons, and they're some of the funniest people you'll ever meet, if your sense of humor leans toward family-friendly fare. Squeaky clean anecdotes about the funny things children do, and such.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

94.  Re: Severely humor-impaired.   by Agaric       at Sat 26 Oct 9:47pm score of 1   in reply to comment 72     *Agaric runs over and sacks Superdude because he doesnt get the joke* You dont "get" how "they both play bad?" is a joke ??? Your one of those people that tryed to have a petition against the lord of the rings:the two towers because you though they were refering to Sept 11th, arent you ? admit it ! *Agaric sacks superdude again, rolls him up in a carpet and throws him off a bridge*   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

74.  Interesting   by rbkida       at Sat 26 Oct 3:55pm score of 1.5 funny     Art teacher Matthew Hyde, an assistant football coach... Maybe he should have made a joke about the coach too. Your inspiration to live.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

82.  "If you stir the pot, you might get [burned]..."   by funchords       at Sat 26 Oct 7:59pm score of 1.5 compelling     "It's done and gone. If you stir the pot, you might get more than you bargained for," said Principal Dale Thomas." To me, the above quote is the most irresponsible part of this story. I don't know if a public apology is called for, but Dale Thomas is not apologizing. He's basically saying that the kid got what he deserved. That ain't right. - -Born Free! (Except for the $15 co-payment.)   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

84.  Tremonton, Utah ... interesting stats...   by funchords       at Sat 26 Oct 8:09pm score of 1     Total Population: ... 5,592 of these, White ... 5,186 (94.1%) or 15 to 19 years ... 549 or unmarried partner ... 38 Small white very conservative town. - -Born Free! (Except for the $15 co-payment.)   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

87.  Half-way off topic.   by eduardo       at Sat 26 Oct 8:18pm score of 1     I don't think the coach reacted properly, nor do I think the kid wrote anything extreme. But in general, I think this illustrates a good point about free speech. Your free speech goes along with others' freedom of opinion - and sometimes the opinion inspired by one's speech is that one is full of shit and need to get beat up. Not that violence if justified, but there's something about keeping it in mind. J'ai une petite amie avec des tres, tres grandes tetons.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

96.  Re: Half-way off topic.   by Mad Ogger       at Sat 26 Oct 9:59pm score of 1   in reply to comment 87     What is your point? If you're trying to point out the facts, we've all heard of Salman Rushdie. I even accidentally read 3 of his books once. I didn't realize it wasn't a trilogy about Bart Starr until the end of Haroun. Or are you trying to insinuate some nefarious idea?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

89.  Could be worse   by kcscouts       at Sat 26 Oct 8:39pm score of 1     What everyone involved is failing to consider is this: Sure this kid gets pushed around this time, but then the popular kids continue the joke and elect him Prom King. Just when he accepts his crown they dump blood on him. He kind of zones out for a second, and then unleashes his heretofore unknown, except to his overcontrolling mother who he telekinetically murders with kitchen knives, forks and shears, powers. Locking the doors and lighting the gym on fire. Unleashing fiery ironic justice. Think about it. It could happen.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

93.  Re: Could be worse   by Agaric       at Sat 26 Oct 9:43pm score of 1   in reply to comment 89     Thats fucking brilliant man, I pissed myself laughing. +5 (Damn funny)   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

109.  Post-tackle wit   by NikTheEngineer       at Sun 27 Oct 2:51pm score of 1     After getting hit by the defenders, the kid should have got up, dusted himself off and said, "Damn ... if only you tackled like that in a real game. The blocking was the same as usual, though." If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much as to be out of danger? - Thomas Henry Huxley.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

110.  I don't get it   by logan       at Sun 27 Oct 3:40pm score of 1.5 compelling     What was the tackle supposed to demonstrate? "There's no hard feelings, and to prove it, we'll knock you down in front of the whole student body." I'm not being disingenuous here. I really don't get it. I don't see how the event could possibly be considered funny under any circumstances. The Coach knew Brinkerhoff would get nailed, and that it would be painfully obvious that he'd been set up. I can't for the life of me come up with a punchline or any explaination that doesn't depend on Brinkerhoff being humiliated and possibly hurt. Can someone explain it to me? "Spockmate!"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

115.  Maybe people need some understanding   by hiker       at Mon 28 Oct 2:31am score of 2 informative     I am personally acquainted with the student. First of all the story came about because the school refused the senior to write a response in his column in the next school paper. The Principle and newspaper teacher advisor has told the journalism class they are to put the incident behind them. Although the journalism class was concerned a similar attack could happen to them. In the assembly the coach said they were thankful to the support of the newspaper staff. Then sacked one of them. The teachers have also been given a gag order to no longer talk about the incident. The senior went public to tell his story because he could not tell it in the school paper. The second point is the senior feels the student body needs to be told what happened was not right. The school officials refuse to do this. The journalism teacher and principle have come down hard on the kids and the last one was no more than an announcement paper. How will kids learn journalism skills with that. A lot of you have tried to say because the senior was not badly hurt it is OK. However, why would the coach and principle both grab the senior after the skit and ask him if he was ok? If they thought he was not hurt? Now are you saying that only if a kid had his neck broke or was killed that then something like this should be stopped. Or does it show a lot of courage for a senior to fight to have this kind of thing stopped before someone does end up hurt more seriously. For your information, Many of you people seem to get off on attacking again a 17 year old senior journalist. In my view we should support this kid in his fight against a bigger foe. I would also like to give some of you advise. I have got caught up in these kind of things before and it seems to me that the best thing for most of the writers to them, is to get off their computer and go get a life!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

122.  Re: Maybe people need some understanding   by logan       at Mon 28 Oct 1:03pm score of 1   in reply to comment 115     I am personally acquainted with the student. So. Apparently you live in the area. Perhaps you could give us all some first hand information about what's happening? Is the local paper covering the story? What's the social climate at the high school? Is it common for football players to bully and intimidate without fear of punishment? What was the crowd reaction at the time of the incident? Was there a collective "Ooooh, that must have hurt. This is bullshit." or a collective "Yeah! That'll teach him."? Since the school district has realized how amazingly liable they are and issued gag orders, it will be difficult for us to follow the story. Please, keep us updated. And if Brinkerhoff is the victim of a reprisal, let us all know toot-sweet. "Spockmate!"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   123.  Re: Maybe people need some understanding   by DensityDuck!       at Mon 28 Oct 1:32pm score of 1   in reply to comment 122     What was the crowd reaction at the time of the incident? Was there a collective "Ooooh, that must have hurt. This is bullshit." or a collective "Yeah! That'll teach him."? Based on my own memories of high school pep rallies, it was probably more like a collective "Huh. Sucks to be him. Who was he again?" Eagles may suck, but weasels don't fly jet planes into...uh...how did that go, again?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   124.  Re: Maybe people need some understanding   by hiker       at Tue 29 Oct 2:05am score of 1   in reply to comment 122     This town is a highly Mormon community. In fact, Coach Hyde and Superintendent Menlove are Mormon Bishops. At one time this area was a farm community. However, with many small and large businesses built in the area it gives the town a small city feeling. The town does stand behind its football team and with little entertainment opportunities in the town football gets a lot of attention. Now to answer you question. The local paper; It always stands behind its Mormon leaders and the football team. The publisher of the local paper has children in the highschool. I'm sure he knew of this incident but it wasn't until three weeks later that a paper in a bigger community (Logan) heard about the incident and wrote a story. This story brought in TV News casters and the Salt Lake Tribune. I called the local paper and they said they would have a article in this Wed. The kids were said to have all been standing up to try and see what was happening while many of the football players up front were jumping up and down and shouting for joy. The crowd went quite and it left only a group of football players cheering. It was said the crowd seemed in shock... I do know the family no longer wants a public appology. Coach Hyde did that on TV. I do know they are now asking for a written apology from the Principle and Superintendent. They are also asking the studentbody to be told that Jeremy was not in on the skit and that what the football team did was not ok. By the way, kids have been saying that one of the boys who tackled Jeremy had been telling friends before the pep rally that he was going to kick his butt.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   125.  Re: Maybe people need some understanding   by hiker       at Tue 29 Oct 2:14am score of 1   in reply to comment 124     Here is the full highschool column. By the way I should mention Jeremy plays on the Highschool band.       What's the difference between the football team and the band? Nothing, they both play bad... I heard this joke the other day and wondered what really was the difference between the football team and the band. At Bear River High there seems to be an abundance of separate groups. There are in-groups such as the football team, cowboys, and the cheerleaders, and out-groups such as band members, nerds, drama members, the swim team, and geeks. These groups seem to compete constantly. But for what? And why are there cliques?       I read an article last year in the school newspaper that asked everyone to go out and find a new friend from a different clique to erode the walls of ignorance that cliques produce. Give me a break! The fact, is that cliques are one-hundred percent natural. People, by nature, hang out with other people who are interested in the same things that they are. Cliques serve quite a few effective functions. These include giving people security and direction and uniting the genders of the same social classes. But why is there competition between cliques?       To start, there are few things that bring people closer together than a common enemy. Take for example 9-11. When it comes to cliques we are taught from a very early age that jocks are dumb and that geeks don't and can't have girlfriends. This is not at all true. Some of the smartest people I know are jocks, Cade Buck readily comes to mind. As for geeks having girlfriends. One of the best things about cliques is that they introduce guys who are geeks to girls who are geeks and from this get geeklets. Competition comes from these types of stereotypes. Just because you belong to a clique doesn't mean that you need to be ignorant. Stereotypes, and not cliques, produce ignorance. Cliques are healthy.       Jared Curtis, a football jock, exclaimed the other day that "this school has lost all of its pride!" I agreed. To tell you the truth, I appreciate it when the football team gets clobbered. We have a handful of people on the football team and when they win I can hardly make it through the halls without being suffocated by their gigantic heads. Yet for some reason girls like big heads. Maybe this is because it makes up for their stupidity. Furthermore, when it comes to nerds and geeks they give themselves a bad name by reading all of the Star War books three times each trimester, picking their nose in class, joining the circus, and keeping all of the girls at bay with the odor from their feet! How about the cheerleaders? Who do they think they are? Britney Spears? I mean really! One thing's for sure, I'd like them better if they were. I've heard that to be a cowboy you really have to enjoy it. I guess that's why cowboys date cows. Speaking of which, when is someone going to tell the Hi-steppers that Halloween isn't for another month.       How many of you hate me now? The paragraph above is a perfect example of what you should not be like. It correctly demonstrates what stereotypes produce: ignorance and essentially, hate! I'm not asking any of you to hang out or even talk to each other but please do not encourage stereotypes and do not push yourselves on the rest of us.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   126.  Good God   by profwhat       at Tue 29 Oct 2:51pm score of 1   in reply to comment 125     The Salt Lake Tribune got it wrong. He wasn't even using the "they both play bad" joke sarcastically; he was just quoting it, without saying it was true. For this he gets ritualistically humiliated? It's been about a decade or so since I wrote for my high school paper, but now I do seem to remember that we used subtlety at our peril. hiker, thanks for posting this.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   128.  Re: Maybe people need some understanding   by Anywhere       at Wed 30 Oct 1:41pm score of 1   in reply to comment 125     Thanks for all the extra info. I can't say the column was especially good-- but I also, for the life of me, can't figure out what so many took umbrage to. Gateway computers are pieces of shit, and their customer service is abysmal. Ask me why if you want to hear me vent.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   129.  Re: Maybe people need some understanding   by hiker       at Thu 31 Oct 4:57am score of 1   in reply to comment 128     If you could see their school paper, which the teacher tells them to keep on a 6th grade reading level, you would find this article is excellent. Finally gave the kids something to read over a glorified announcement sheet.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

119.  File Charges   by Prexaspes       at Mon 28 Oct 6:02am score of 1     I would ask the government to file assault charges against the neanderthals. There is also of course a battery on the person suit in a civil court that one could use against them as well. Cheers Everyman has two nations, and one of them is France. - Benjamin Franklin   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

121.  Real justice   by crowley       at Mon 28 Oct 10:33am score of 1     Just give the kid a baseball bat and tell him to take down the jocks, gently of course.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

127.  Fostering the Criminal Mind   by Symmetry       at Tue 29 Oct 5:11pm score of 1     Extra-curricular sports have no legitimate place in a public school assembly, period. That regular gym classes are falling by the wayside is bad enough. Cancelling classes and legally requiring the entire student body to engage in tribal groupthink while teams of jocks demonstrate their prowess serves only to disenfranchise the exercise of the intellect, and, apparently, the wit. Add to that the legitimization of neanderthal chants and taunts designed to heighten sentiment against some other hated school's teams, and it becomes even more insane to further the false notion that team sports , or their athletes, or their coaches, matter.       I confess that the "required" attendance at high school pep rallies was directly responsible for onset of my life of crime. Yes, I gave up my perfect attendance record, threw my honor society aspirations to the wind, and, for the first time in my law-abiding life, I skipped - pushed to the brink by one screaming cheerleader too many, and an irrational identification with some Ayn Rand heroine. Fortunately, hiding under the stairwell with me were several like-minded individuals, two of whom remained good friends for life, and one of whom I eventually married. ( Was it love, or were we driven together by an inhuman collective? )       In short: I can't believe they're still making kids do this. "He had but one eye, and the popular prejudice runs in favor of two" - Charles Dickens   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]