TxHoops

When it was suggested that a WOS guard was going to feast without Devon and Jordyn on the floor, someone predicted Bush might be the best player on the floor tonight

OF 20 BC 18 H

BC 10 OF 7 End 1 Looks like all area officials are on a mandate to call it tight. This one tight both ways.

Seriale. He will be the tallest and most athletic kid on the floor if they play Silsbee (well, maybe not more so than Tyler but the foot taller helps). I just don't know if they are deep enough to hang with Silsbee. But not having Devon makes it more interesting for sure.

Dang!

Ray Charles could have told you it would be called tight tonight. You can expect that at least until you get a few rounds deep in playoffs. Get your hands off and move your feet.

I don't disagree. I'm as disappointed, if not more so, in the way adults have acted and spoken after this mess. And we wonder why some kids don't know how to behave themselves.

I have not. I have personally spoken to a few people who were there, one neutral and the rest LCM folks. They ALL recounted the incident the same way. Due to the consistency of what I've heard, and the fact they are friends of mine (and again, mostly LCM people), i have no reason to doubt their version of the LCM involvement in the incident. I've made no bones about how highly I've regarded Devon and I also personally know the opponent who threw the other cheap shot. I guess I've had a lot to say because I dedicate most of my free time to helping kids. Anyone that knows me well can tell you that. It's tough to remove that "hat."

I'm not shifting blame. And no one has posted the video of the LCM kid sucker punching the Silsbee kid. In fact, that kid's dad has stated he doesn't want it posted. Some people have class, some don't. If you don't believe me, go read the thread of the clown who posted it on Facebook and the comments he's made there.

And if kids don't think colleges have someone designated to look at their social media accounts when they are evaluating a student-athlete, they are sorely mistaken. We often take up our kids' phones entirely when on road trips much to their chagrin. But they spend way too much time on Twitter and Snapchat and not enough time focusing on the important things. Again, if I was a HS coach (or college for that manner), I would be issuing Twitter bans right and left for any indisrection...

Not justifying that either. Two wrongs... I don't listen to it with my kids ("but she did this first") and I especially expect adults to get the simple concept. However upon reviewing the thread on Facebook and some comments the original poster has made to other kids (name calling, inviting them to come to his house and fight him), I guess the term "adult" isn't very appropo in this instance.

No one is arguing that but that doesn't make it right for an adult to do what was done. The "it's the age we live in" argument can be made in about an innumerable amount of things. And with a great many of those things we are worse for the wear. Right is right and wrong is wrong, today just as it was in the 50s when my parents were teenagers. You choose to be part of the problem or part of the solution. And, again, as adults we should hold ourselves to a higher standard.

If you were asking me, I agree with ST413. Both. The mere posting of the video was done to call a 16 year old out by an adult. I think that was childish in and of itself. A parent from Silsbee could have posted a video of his son getting sucker punched but has stated he had no desire to do so or even to call that opposing player out. Moreover, he has stated he forgives the kid and wishes him the best. To make matters worse, I've read on social media where the guy who plastered the video all over social media that he hopes Devon loses all his scholarship offers (I read his comments). So he obviously posted it with malicious intent. Yes, I know the same argument is made about Devon's actions. But we as adults, and parents, should be better than that. But I guess congrats to the guy. He had a video go viral and let everyone around know about a kid's grave mistake. Just to make a point, in the game prior to this fiasco, my own child was subjected to a play that most everyone on here would consider very dirty. It involved a kid who was involved in the fiasco on Tuesday. And it no doubt happened because that kid was frustrated over the play that just occurred. I didn't get the video and post it. I didn't even comment about it at the time. And i wouldn't call the kid by name here. I don't see the benefit for anyone. It was missed by the officials and I have no idea if his coach saw it at the time or on film. I assume if he did he at least had conversation with the kid. In closing, you guys are probably aware of this but there is a reason we have a different judicial process in this state (and country) for juveniles. Their proceedings are held in private, the information is sealed, and their records are cleared and not accessible when they reached adulthood. Why? Because we don't want people having mistakes made as kids following them around for the rest of their lives. I view this whole ordeal in the same manner.

I agree. And all this social media can cause a lot of ills. My son asked me yesterday after all the publicity, "Dad, what kind of a man would post that video on Facebook and Twitter and say he hopes a kid loses any scholarships offers he has?" My response was, "Not much of one..."

You two need to stop passing that stuff back and forth. Are we going to have to separate you two?

I would encourage the "adults" of Silsbee to try and ensure the whole point of the punishment is not missed. Devon is young and has 2 more years of high school ball. He is a good kid and is loved by many. Human nature, and especially for kids, is that when you get put on a pedestal for so long, you begin to think you can do what you want. This thing has gone viral thanks to a guy from Orange who thought it a good idea to post the video clip all over social media. Now I've seen it on Bleacher Report, etc. Regardless, I believe this will be largely forgotten by the public in general 2 years from now when he graduates. Assuming he learns and behaves the way he knows how to on the court. When you are as supremely talented as he is, you don't need to do a dang thing but play to shine. He has that advantage over 99 percent of the kids he will play at the high school level. Conversely, if this opportunity is taken to make him a martyr, the great benefit he can actually RECEIVE from this whole ordeal will be robbed from him. He won't be as likely to learn anything from this and will be prone to think he is being mistreated. That would be a HUGE disservice to Devon in my opinion. Because if he doesn't take this experience and grow from it, and makes any similar mistakes in the future, he could be branded beyond repair and just about as bright a future as you will see around here in basketball will be wasted. So I beg the adults around him to help him understand what is to be GAINED from this and keep the focus where it should be. He's a smart kid with a huge heart who has always been very coachable. That inherently means he's also teachable. Anyone with a dialogue with him should make sure that's exactly what happens with this.

Did you not even read the post you quoted. "Difference" was only in there twice...

But part of your point is well taken. Silsbee, deservedly or not, is getting a bad reputation that is not reflective of the good folks there. They do need to be mindful of how they handle things from here on out to improve that stigma and not add to it.

I saw with my own eyes plenty of support from his teammates and I'm sure he had it from the community. I'm not saying they should have cast him away. I hope he learned not to be an ignorant racist and has grown from it. I also see a difference in the actions of the two. And there was a difference in the punishments. One wasn't harsh enough imo. But that's up to the school and not my call. Therefore my opinion on that matter is irrelevant.

I can almost assure you the UIL agrees with you.

So we should say Bridge City's gonna Bridge City with what happened in football? I was disgusted by that whole ordeal but was very vocal in that didn't represent the community of BC. I don't have a problem with a community having a rally for the team and letting a kid know they still love and support him. Part of what he should learn from all this anyway imo. And don't know why anyone else would even care...

UIL generally leaves these matters up to the districts and the DEC. I would highly doubt they would interject themselves into this based upon the swiftness and the manner in which this has been handled.

Absolutely. They are very good and I very much enjoyed watching them at a football game this year. Maybe it's the acoustics in that gym but when they play, you can't hear the person next you. It's deafening. But you might be right...maybe we're just old....

I agree with just about everything in this post. I really believe both sides will be on their best behavior. As far as the last sentence, that will be an interesting matchup for sure. But don't be surprised if Bush is the best player on the floor on Friday . That little joker can go.

I did not hear of any Silsbee fans storming the court last night and my experience with WOS fans always been positive. I can't believe grown folks can't behave as such and students can't be adequately warned and dealt with by administrators.