RI football team forfeights...before even playing!

To read the article, go to: http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/football/articles/2010/10/05/st_georges_calls_an_audible/

OK, my personal opinion on this is that it is just ridiculous. I mean, yes, you want students to be safe, but saying, there is no way in hell you can beat a team? How demoralizing is that? Yes, nine out of ten times, they will probably crush you, but anything can happen out there. They could have an off day, have slippery butterfingers and fumble the ball, interceptions - there is always a chance for victory.

What if the 1980 U.S. men's Olympics hockey team had said "man, those Russians are going to crush us, let's give up right now," and walked away? They never would have won the gold, that is what would have happened. (Plus we wouldn't have the inspirational movie, "Miracle")

Or what if UW-Whitewater had thrown in the towel? My freshman year there was the start of their five-year hot streak (and they are still on a roll). We were scheduled to play Linfield in the playoffs and everyone, including my father, said we were going to lose. And you know what? It was close, but in the end we won 44-41. And we continued to go on a winning streak until we lost to Mt. Union at the 2005 Stagg Bowl.

Mt. Union is also an excellent team, and we have faced them every year at the National Championships since 2005. And yes, they are good - they have won 10 titles since 1993. (They were national champions in 1993, 1996-1998, 2000-2002, 2005-2006 and 2008) But still, we managed to defeat them twice in the past five years - first in 2007, and then again last year, in 2009. Don't get me wrong, they were close, down to the wire, but we beat them 31-21 in 2007 and 38-28 in 2009.

So come on coach, give the kids a shot. After all, what kind of message is that sending to the kids? If you don't think you can win or succeed, don't even try? Personally, I think that is a pretty poor lesson. Besides, it's not life or death - it's football. So let them play, let they try. After all, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.