While Lawrence Academy denies they’ve set a “35 point cap” on impending routs of punier prep competition, Newport, RI’s St. George’s Academy for total pussies canceled tonight’s game against their highly-favored Massachusetts counterparts rather than play the part of tomato cans. An outraged NESN’s Eric Ortiz declares, “Pop Warner, Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi are rolling over in their graves…what’s the point of having a football team if you don’t want to play every opponent on the schedule?” I dunno, presumably it looks good on a resume at some point?
Just because Lawrence has three 300-pound offensive linemen, five players committed to Division I programs and won all but two games by at least 40 points last season is no reason to give up before even suiting up.
That sends a terrible message to kids.
“We don’t think you have any chance to avoid getting crushed so we are going to take out the mystery and put you out of your misery ourselves.”
Imagine if the 2001 New England Patriots had taken that attitude against the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. There never would have been a dynasty in Foxboro.
Upsets happen all the time on the gridiron — and life — but underdogs have to have the courage to take the field against Goliaths.
If Lawrence is the late-1970s Pittsburgh Steelers of New England private high schools, other schools need to devise more creative game plans and show some heart. If schools don’t have the guts to compete, replace football with knitting.
It’s more heroic to lose 84-0 than surrender before kickoff because you’re afraid of what might happen.