I have never heard of such a thing:

School seeks to forfeit a 100-1 win

Associated Press
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DALLAS -- A Texas high school girls basketball team on the winning end of a 100-0 game has a case of blowout remorse.

Now officials from The Covenant School say they are trying to do the right thing by seeking a forfeit and apologizing for the margin of victory.


Samantha Peloza grabs a rebound in practice a week after their 100-0 win.
"It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened," Kyle Queal, the head of the school, said in a statement, adding the forfeit was requested because "a victory without honor is a great loss."

The private Christian school defeated Dallas Academy last week. Covenant was up 59-0 at halftime.

A parent who attended the game told The Associated Press that Covenant continued to make 3-pointers -- even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points.

"I think the bad judgment was in the full-court press and the 3-point shots," said Renee Peloza, whose daughter plays for Dallas Academy. "At some point, they should have backed off."

Dallas Academy coach Jeremy Civello told The Dallas Morning News that the game turned into a "layup drill," with the opposing team's guards waiting to steal the ball and drive to the basket. Covenant scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and "finally eased up when they got to 100 with about four minutes left," he said.

Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. It is winless over the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia.

There is no mercy rule in girls basketball that shortens the game or permits the clock to continue running when scores become lopsided. There is, however, "a golden rule" that should have applied in this contest, said Edd Burleson, the director of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. Both schools are members of this association, which oversees private school athletics in Texas.

"On a personal note, I told the coach of the losing team how much I admire their girls for continuing to compete against all odds," Burleson said. "They showed much more character than the coach that allowed that score to get out of hand. It's up to the coach to control the outcome."

In the statement on the Covenant Web site, Queal said the game "does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition. We humbly apologize for our actions and seek the forgiveness of Dallas Academy, TAPPS and our community."

Covenant coach Micah Grimes did not immediately respond to a message left by The Associated Press on Thursday.

Queal said school officials met with Dallas Academy officials to apologize and praised "each member of the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team for their strength, composure and fortitude in a game in which they clearly emerged the winner."

Civello said he appreciated the gesture and has accepted the apology "with no ill feelings."

At a shootaround Thursday, several Dallas Academy players said they were frustrated during the game but felt it was a learning opportunity. They also said they are excited about some of the attention they are receiving from the loss, including an invitation from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to see an NBA game from his suite.

"Even if you are losing, you might as well keep playing," said Shelby Hyatt, a freshman on the team. "Keep trying, and it's going to be OK."

Peloza said the coach and other parents praised the Dallas Academy girls afterward for limiting Covenant to 12 points in the fourth quarter. She added that neither her daughter nor her teammates seemed to dwell on the loss.

"Somewhere during that game they got caught up in the moment," Peloza said of the Covenant players, fans and coaches. "Our girls just moved on. That's the happy part of the story."

Right. They beat another team 100 to nothing, then they want to rub it in even more by saying, Oh, it wasn't even a real game anyway...we shouldn't have even shown up.

This story makes me want to hurl my breakfast. And its already supper time.

Where do you see that reported? I read the story twice, and see nothing of the sort. But I'm back from the bar, maybe my reading comprehension isn't what it should be.

Anyway, the idea of a 'golden rule' for blowouts is nothing new.

I don't really see the controversy. This seems to me like a story for a slow news day.

No, it wasn't reported that they wanted to rub it in. That was my sarcastic interpretation of the event as it could be understood by any normal beer sodden reader. So nanny nanny boo boo and fooey on you.

Seriously. Calling their win a "victory without honor" just sticks in my craw. When you go onto a field or a court, you play to win and do your best. When its over, you shake hands with the other team and go away friends. That's sportsmanship--not being embarrassed for playing your best. What are they going to do the next time they are scheduled to play against this team? Offer to tie their hands behind their backs?

Play to win, and play hard, or don't show up. Ain't nothing to apologize for.

Maybe the Detroit Lions could have a do over.

Is it easier to be a great winner or a great loser?

Everybody is great at something.

Everybody is terrible at something. (except my in-laws, or so they seem to believe.)

I agree with Stoney..utter nonsense! I play Gaelic footie here and we would never take the foot of the petal..I'd have too much respect for myself and my team to short change them.If I could win by 15 points or 40 I'd take the 40 and if someone said anything to me(unlikely cause this seem to be american way of thinking) I would smile and kiss the goal medal that would be hanging around my neck.

Amen!!!

Bit of an update, even weirder ...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,482825,00.html

DALLAS — The coach of a Texas high school basketball team that beat another team 100-0 was fired Sunday, the same day he sent an e-mail to a newspaper saying he will not apologize "for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."

See link above for the rest of the story ...

Sometimes I have to hold back my own awesomeness so others don't feel bad that they're not as good as me, so I totally understand this story.

To quote the Princess Bride-
"Westley: [as he is unsuccessfully fighting Fezzik] Look, are you just fiddling around with me or what?
Fezzik: I just want you to feel you're doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed."
Really, the whole thing is absurd.
If I lost at something completely and utterly, was completely destroyed by my opponent, then they came over and apologised for doing it...I would be furious!
For 20 years, starting when I was six years old, I played against my father in chess. For 20 years, I never won a single game. Not one!
He always played his best, no matter what. I kept playing my best, no matter what. I got darn good. I beat a lot of other people. Finally, after 20 years, I won a single game.
Never once did he even consider apologising for wiping the floor with me. He didn't make me feel bad about it, but he never apologised.
Of course, after that one game that I won, I refused to ever play him again...
But that's just me. Always go out on top.
Gwyd

Latest update: They just fired the coach....

Yep, see story posted yesterday up above ...