Show some humility

[Lazy Scout]

Give me a celly any day over the bad sportsmanship displayed by the Lakeville North squad. Luckily no one was injured.

[sinbin]

If forced to pick the lesser of two evils, of course.

[SECoach]

Give me a celly any day over the bad sportsmanship displayed by the Lakeville North squad. Luckily no one was injured.

Both equally selfish.

[Cdale]

If LN had a problem with the continued goal celebrations they should have stopped Edina from scoring.

[SECoach]

Reading into this way too much.... these are kids celebrating an exciting time in their lives. These players are not paid adult professionals, kids who love to play for the love of the game who love their teammates. Yes, I do believe they all got to touch the trophy while eating their cake too.

I would agree if it was raising sticks in the air and being excited about scoring a goal for the team. Too common now that celebrations are about the individual and not the team. Oh, I guess that is a common thread in most team sports now. I guess soon, if not already, that will become the norm and we will forget all about working and playing as a team and for a team.

[joey]

Spirited discussion, mostly good-natured, with just a bit of an edge here and there. That's what makes this board an interesting read.

Disclosure: I was pulling for North, just to see some shake-up in the landscape. North broke down (to put it mildly), and can learn from this experience.

Regarding the criticism of the Edina scoring celebrations:

The only people who should be allowed to criticize how a 16-year-old reacts to scoring a goal in the biggest game of his life (so far) is someone who has BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT HIMSELF.

So, here's my a template for future board posters to use when they pen their criticism of the Edina goal celebrations (fill in the blank):


"When I was 16 years old, and I scored a goal in front of 16,000 screaming fans and a million viewers at home, something that I had imagined doing 10,000 times on the outdoor rink down the street, I reacted to this most amazing occurrence by______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________, which was not at all what any of the Edina kids did last night".



Now, this is my own good-natured ribbing of those who have never experienced what those TEENAGERS in the green sweaters got to experience, yet still feel that they are allowed to criticize their actions.


I was pulling for North, yes, but I know how those Edina kids felt last night.

If you don't, then please, regarding the goal-celebrations, please step aside.

[keepyourheadup]

I think that's where you're missing the point Joey, this is not a indictment of Edina players but rather a disturbing trend that goes much further into the mentality of athletic competition. We saw this type of thing after almost every goal scored this weekend. Who remembers the way Grant Potulny reacted after scoring the OT game winner against Maine in 2002? Pure unadulterated joy which simply can't be contained or rehearsed. Its hard to compare that with doing a rehearsed celly on the 8th goal of an 8-2 blow out. How about last year in the class A final when the kid scores in OT and then runs away from his team mates to draw the attention to himself when his TEAM just won a state title? I watched 30-40 high school games this year that did not include the Hornets and saw the same thing. I Attended several bantam games and it was even worse there. Its no accident you don't see this in the NHL very often, they simply know better than to show up their opponent.

I agree that if the other team is going to start running at you that I'd try to bury them too, that's fine but just line back up and go right back after them. There is no need for all these theatrics that are preplanned. The best celebrations are those that are spontaneous and occur in the moment.

Its not just hockey, T.O. on the star in Dallas, Carlos Gomez striking out 4 times and then hits one a mile and starts ridiculing the other team or something in just about every NBA game played right now. It cheapens the game and is just plain bad sportsmanship. To narrow the scope of the argument to one game is ignoring the fact that its become common place to disrespect the other team.

[SECoach]

I'll take one last stab at it, and won't need your template.

Celebrating is great and a goal is a goal, a win is a win. INTENTIONALLY AVOIDING YOUR TEAMMATES, to ensure that you can display your individualism, is in my opinion, selfish whether it's in front of 10 fans or 20,000 fans, scrimmage, or state title game. Proof of that is not whether I have been in this situation, but how hockey players have reacted in these situations for decades. It's not the same for many now, and I believe it's selfish, all about me, and unfortunate. Yea, kids can be dumb and ignorant, I just won't throw my hands up and support it. I won't allow it as a coach or as a parent and have faced it in both situations. My role as an adult is to show them a different way, not condone their selfishness in a team sport. By the way, I would have the same reaction to our team pulling what the North players did. Kids need to be taught. Their actions cannot be sloughed off as "well, that's what kids do". This is far from the end of the world as we know it, but let's face it, we have a job to do and ignoring this by the people that have a chance to change it is sad. I don't care if it's Edina or Luverne doing it.

[Slammer]

Spirited discussion, mostly good-natured, with just a bit of an edge here and there. That's what makes this board an interesting read.

Disclosure: I was pulling for North, just to see some shake-up in the landscape. North broke down (to put it mildly), and can learn from this experience.

Regarding the criticism of the Edina scoring celebrations:

The only people who should be allowed to criticize how a 16-year-old reacts to scoring a goal in the biggest game of his life (so far) is someone who has BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT HIMSELF.

So, here's my a template for future board posters to use when they pen their criticism of the Edina goal celebrations (fill in the blank):


"When I was 16 years old, and I scored a goal in front of 16,000 screaming fans and a million viewers at home, something that I had imagined doing 10,000 times on the outdoor rink down the street, I reacted to this most amazing occurrence by______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________, which was not at all what any of the Edina kids did last night".



Now, this is my own good-natured ribbing of those who have never experienced what those TEENAGERS in the green sweaters got to experience, yet still feel that they are allowed to criticize their actions.


I was pulling for North, yes, but I know how those Edina kids felt last night.

If you don't, then please, regarding the goal-celebrations, please step aside.

This is spot on. I've played at the tourney, but being a goalie there's not much celebrating to do until after the game. I've never had a problem with anyone celebrating after scoring in front of 18,000 people and thousands of more watching at home. They deserve to celebrate after working their asses off all year.

[Ref22]

Congrats to the Hornets. You played great. It's easy to see why folks don't like you. Show just a bit of humility when you score and you're five goals ahead. I understand when a game is won in overtime, a kid would get excited. But a four or five goal lead would call for some humility. If one of my kids dropped to one knee and did the fist pump, we'd have a talk. These guys would put the NFL to shame. Even the radio announcers were sick of it. I agree.

It's the state tournament championship game let the kids have some frickin' fun

[keepyourheadup]

Somehow by teaching our kids to celebrate first and foremost with their teammates on the ice is stifling their fun? Its that exact mentality that has allowed it to become what it is...their just kids, its all in fun, its more than that folks and if sports is about teaching life lessons which is so often the claim then what exactly are we teaching them? Bud Grant allowed his players one spike of the football in their career, I guess I'm guilty of feeling there is a good reason for that.

[HShockeywatcher]

To me it all comes down to what we, as fans and parents as a whole, are asking for. In the last couple years there was emphasis put on calling the game better; after the first handful of games last season, that went away. As I and others have pointed out in other threads, the attitudes and actions of players is representative of what their coaches and parents allow, along with what is allowed by the rules.

Once the hockey community as a whole wants players to stop this, it will stop. To me, though, it's more something coaches need to stop individually.

[southpaw]

The coaching staff for both teams should hold themselves accountable for their player's behavior whether it's cellying a 5 goal lead or whacking a player for a nicely finished check. Not to mention the sad attempts to draw penalties from North. Saturday night's game was sad to watch in regard to the lack of respect for each team. Is this really what high school hockey has come to?

[cake83]

In defense of Lakeville North, dirty hits and flopping were about the only things they were doing successfully all night.

I clearly had a horse in the race so it may be hard for me to be objective. It was pretty clear to everyone that the game got heated and the coaches and refs needed to get ahead of it early and they didn't. It's hard to blame a bunch of kids once it all went too far, but the refs seemed to miss and make some bad calls all game long and the coaches let the kids take advantage of that.

I think it's a bit "chicken or the egg" when the last 5 minutes took place. Edina kept the pressure on and maybe ran things up and over-celebrated, but LN was played desperate and dirty for much of the game and I think Edina got sick of it. It's not fair to pick on Edina by saying "act like you've been there before," when the same advise should go to LN. Act like a team worthy of the championship game.

If nothing else, this has made me excited at the thought of a rematch next year. What a game that might be...

[urban iceman]

Both teams could learn from the Class A title game. Good clean game and very mutual respect afterward.

[almostashappy]

In defense of Lakeville North, dirty hits and flopping were about the only things they were doing successfully all night.

Practice makes perfect.

To second (or third) points made up thread... in the absence of an "excessive celebration" penalty, or a directive from on high for referees to start calling unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for flagrant cellys, it's up to the coaching staffs to clamp down on this stuff. Imagine what Herb Brooks would have done if one of his players acted this way after scoring a goal.

[BogeyMan]

It starts and ends with the parents and the coaches. If they allow it, it will continue. If they don't, it will stop. 'nuff said.

I thought the MSHSL was going to try and end some of this "look at me, look at me" stuff this year? I remember seeing something about it on the news or in the paper before the season started. Boy, they sure did a great job of curbing those actions!!

How about just pointing to the guy who did all the work, beat the D-man off the wall and set you up for a tap in goal vs skating away from all your teammates, then tug on the jersey, the one knee bow and arrow routine, or jump into the boards act.

What's next? Guys pointing at their name on the back of the jersey with flashing neon? That should get the attention of all the scouts in the stands.

[buttonupyrovercoat]

Some folks seem to live to suck the joy out of any sporting event: celebrations are markers of moral decay, the teams are all mediocre, the league is engaged in a grand coverup of declining attendance because nobody goes anymore...

I loved the Goldie shuffle when I was a kid and I don't see the problem with creative displays of enthusiasm now. Frankly, I don't get the bans on celebration in football either. And I love the student sections, the goofy hair (mullets and dye jobs alright), .

Was it a perfect tournament this year? No, and it would have been nice to see competitive championship games. But I still loved it, and the sectionals. And that talent level is pretty amazing, and far beyond what we saw even 20 years ago.

The negativity is what really sucks. Explains why a lazy, sour misanthrope like Barreiro is top dog in this sports market. (whoops, guess I'm going negative too)

[Bluewhitefan]

The negativity is what really sucks. Explains why a lazy, sour misanthrope like Barreiro is top dog in this sports market. (whoops, guess I'm going negative too)

How is this relevant? He's lazy because you don't agree with his opinions?

[buttonupyrovercoat]

Relevant? What?

He's lazy because he's lazy. He is the undisputed king of the strawman. Never saw a sporting event he couldn't find the negative in (though if it's a popular one he'll wait a day).

[Bluewhitefan]

Relevant? What?

He's lazy because he's lazy. He is the undisputed king of the strawman. Never saw a sporting event he couldn't find the negative in (though if it's a popular one he'll wait a day).

Oh. Okay, now I get it. The negative, "lazy" sportswriter is somehow responsible for kids over-celebrating and taking garbage cheap shots at the end of a horrible performance. Thanks for the insight.

[karl(east)]

The "excessive" celebrations aren't happening everywhere. Maybe I missed one or two here or there, but I spent the entire season watching a team that seemed to stick by the new emphasis on team-oriented celebrations. So yes, it does start at the top, and a coach can set the tone. This team didn't seem to enjoy its season any less, either.

Ultimately, I'd say I'm in the "not bragging if it's true" camp. I didn't much mind Edina doing it because they earned it. But if you do something to intentionally draw extra attention to yourself, don't be surprised when other people take offense. Some people like to go with the well-polished look; others like to play the villain. There's a place for both.

[buttonupyrovercoat]

Relevant? What?

He's lazy because he's lazy. He is the undisputed king of the strawman. Never saw a sporting event he couldn't find the negative in (though if it's a popular one he'll wait a day).

Oh. Okay, now I get it. The negative, "lazy" sportswriter is somehow responsible for kids over-celebrating and taking garbage cheap shots at the end of a horrible performance. Thanks for the insight.

You might want to re-read my post and see that you've created a strawman of your own there. Not remotely what I said.

[Sleepysteve]

So, here's my a template for future board posters to use when they pen their criticism of the Edina goal celebrations (fill in the blank):


"When I was 16 years old, and I scored a goal in front of 16,000 screaming fans and a million viewers at home, something that I had imagined doing 10,000 times on the outdoor rink down the street, I reacted to this most amazing occurrence by______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________, which was not at all what any of the Edina kids did last night".

I raised my stick and was hugged by my line mates in the corner to the left of the goalie. I was 18 at the time though

[SECoach]

I agree that it begins and ends with the coaches and parents.

What does it say about Stillwater that they have their team name on the back of their jersey, where typically a players name goes? Is it possible that this coach has made a point of emphasis, playing and celebrating as a team, or am I just reading too far into that? Coach means mentor in most languages, and coaches, along with parents are responsible for establishing these things, or not, in their team culture.