Althouse: An extremely casual touchdown.

November 8, 2010

An extremely casual touchdown.

By a middle school quarterback:

50 comments:

Trooper York said...: The Cowboy's already drafted some of those defensive players.; 11/8/10, 6:14 PM
Trooper York said...: Did I tell you that PS 142 is going to win the PSAL Superbowl?; 11/8/10, 6:15 PM
Sprezzatura said...: They start them young.

I was just talking to a friend. His eight year old's team got to the the championship (of some sort). They lost the big game this weekend.

So they're giant, super-sucky losers. No awards for non-victory around here.

Just kidding, the kids did a good job!; 11/8/10, 6:25 PM
kjbe said...: Back in the day, my hs fastpitch team had a similar play - with a runner on first, the batter gets her 3rd called ball and takes off for first as if it were a walk. Of course, the runner on first, advances to second.

Once the balls and strikes get straightened out, the batter goes back to complete her at-bat and the runner remains at second. Base stolen.; 11/8/10, 6:28 PM
mesquito said...: That's my hometown! Pretty crafty, huh?

I tell you what.; 11/8/10, 6:37 PM
garage mahal said...: Looks like the defense didn't know what to make of the over the shoulder hike.; 11/8/10, 6:38 PM
RuyDiaz said...: "The Cowboy's already drafted some of those defensive players."

So, Jerry Jones is finally showing some sense?; 11/8/10, 6:40 PM
Anonymous said...: Bravo! A brilliant bit of acting preceded the move.; 11/8/10, 6:44 PM
Lucien said...: Is this a "teachable moment"?

One hopes/suspects that the players on the defense in this clip will learn more from it than those on the offensive side of the ball.

One fears that if one of the defenseive players had leveled the QB as he walked across the line of scrimage, a penalty might been called ("Little Johnny just wanted to show the ball to the Referee.")

Protect yourself at all times.; 11/8/10, 6:47 PM
sunsong said...: LOL - who says there's nothing new under the sun :-); 11/8/10, 6:48 PM
Known Unknown said...: I thought it might be a false start on the QB, due to the fact that he makes a significant motion to get the over-the-shoulder hike, but on review, it's no different than a QB moving to take the ball from under center in a normal hike.; 11/8/10, 6:49 PM
Chennaul said...: Dallas has fired Wade Phillips.; 11/8/10, 6:54 PM
Lance said...: Under NCAA rules they would have been penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, celebrating in the end zone.; 11/8/10, 6:57 PM
rhhardin said...: That's why you want defensive players to have firearms.; 11/8/10, 6:58 PM
Bob Ellison said...: In soccer once...never mind. Nothing remotely this clever ever happens in soccer.; 11/8/10, 7:06 PM
Revenant said...: Brilliant. I wonder if it was planned or spur of the moment?; 11/8/10, 7:07 PM
Photog714 said...: Clever? Brilliant??

Disgusting. How sad.; 11/8/10, 7:11 PM
Anonymous said...: That seems a little unfair at that level of play to me.; 11/8/10, 7:24 PM
Capt. Schmoe said...: That little bastard is so sneaky, he will likely be a presidential candidate someday!; 11/8/10, 7:26 PM
Meade said...: I'll take the defensive back #19 for my team. Kid's got game.; 11/8/10, 7:41 PM
TWM said...: Great play and the kids on defense learned an important lesson - never take anything for granted.; 11/8/10, 7:51 PM
Methadras said...: lol; 11/8/10, 8:03 PM
Trooper York said...: Hey Captian Schmoe, that's the play that Col Steve Austin used to get into Farrah's pants.

He just grabbed his ball and plowed right in.

So to speak.; 11/8/10, 8:12 PM
Beth said...: Yes, #19 didn't give up. He should use this for his recruiting tape down the road.; 11/8/10, 8:32 PM
mccullough said...: I agree with Seven Machos. This was a bush league play.; 11/8/10, 8:50 PM
traditionalguy said...: Sort of like saying you are following rules until it is too late for anyone to catch your fait accompli. This QB had been protesting a 5 yard penalty, and then loudly told his center to give them another 5 yards...took the ball and started walking off 5 yards, until at yard 6 he hit the after burners. Doesn't this look like an Obama tactic to you?; 11/8/10, 8:57 PM
AST said...: Cute. Don't try that in college or the pros.; 11/8/10, 9:19 PM
Bob Ellison said...: You people saying "unfair", "bush league", "disgusting", "Obama tactic" comments are silly. It's a game, and the rules are the same for both sides.

No, wait. You all are right. Let's take the ball back to the line of scrimmage. It's not a game; it's an art form. No trick plays allowed.; 11/8/10, 9:31 PM
Bob Ellison said...: It just came to me! It's neither a game nor an art form, but instead an allegory. The QB was Obama, and #19 was Boehner. Or the other way around. But the QB got knocked down at the end, so maybe he's actually Pelosi or someone else. Possibly Sarah Palin.

It's philosophy. The stock-still defenders are the dollar, and the jubilant offensive players are the yuan. Wait, that makes it economics. I'll ask Krugman and get back.; 11/8/10, 9:43 PM
KCFleming said...: Does the quarterback involved get clotheslined their next set of downs?

All's fair.; 11/8/10, 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...: Pogo -- I agree. I'm sure that kid plays both ways. If I'm the other coach, I have 10 guys block his ass for four straight downs, or until he is sufficiently injured. And I hope he is the coach's son.; 11/8/10, 10:03 PM
Trooper York said...: Seven...just one little thing...it's a kids game...just kids....you know what I mean?; 11/8/10, 10:06 PM
Trooper York said...: I went to watch my granddaughters town play down in Florida last year. They had a bunch of games all day with kids in different weight classes. The girls were cheerleaders for the boys in their age group and it went on all day as the parents sat and watched. It seemed like all american fun to me.

Of course when I was a kid we played rough tackle in the street for money. Or down Red Hook park. No pads. No cleats. No shit.

Pads were for girls.

Things are a lot more civilized nowadays.; 11/8/10, 10:09 PM
Trooper York said...: I am against organized sports anyway. The kids should just go out in the street and choose up sides and play.

When the parents get invovled you get all this bullshit.; 11/8/10, 10:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Trooper -- I was wandering around Navy Pier here in Chicago not long ago with my little kid and there was some kind of cheerleading convention going on. Except it was more like dance and it was 11-year-olds. The little girls were wearing these ridiculously over-sexualized outfits and the moms were lard asses.; 11/8/10, 10:11 PM
Trooper York said...: Oh I agree with you there. There can definitely be oversexualization going on. But this thing in Florida was not like that. They were doing all of this athletic stuff with them throwing the kids up in the air and what not. It was all very innocent and pure.

And there was quite a few MILF's in attendance. Not that I noticed you see. Just sayn'; 11/8/10, 10:15 PM
Damon said...: "They marked out five yards, but then [Eighth-grade quarterback Jason Garza] tells the center they're marking out five more yards," says Rodriguez.

Many middle and high school football leagues rule books would call this a deciteful tactic and therefore unsportmanlike conduct. We would have to see the rule book, but everybody is so giddy over the trickery that they don't really care if it was legal.; 11/8/10, 10:31 PM
Bender said...: Trickery and deception are part of the game.

This was no more unsportsmanlike than a play-action, fake-handoff and then pass play is.; 11/8/10, 11:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Bender -- Violence is part of football, too. Is it okay to bring switchblades and kill all the opposing players? Because if so, I want to see some eighth graders do that on youtube.; 11/8/10, 11:27 PM
The Dude said...: Trooper York wrote...

"I am against organized sports anyway."

That explains why you are a Y*nkees fan.; 11/9/10, 3:16 AM
Fen said...: If I'm the other coach, I have 10 guys block his ass for four straight downs, or until he is sufficiently injured. And I hope he is the coach's son.

He's like 12 years old...

Why not take it up with the other coach after the game?; 11/9/10, 6:29 AM
Unknown said...: As soon as the QB starts in with the "Where's our ball?" crap, I, as referee, shut the play down and penalize 15 yards, under either the NFHS or the NCAA codes. The rule book and approved rulings are clear on this point. The stripes here fell asleep .; 11/9/10, 6:49 AM
AllenS said...: Illegal Procedure:

A penalty that includes movement by an offensive player before the snap.

The quarterback and center are guilty of this infraction.

Five yard penalty. Repeat down.; 11/9/10, 7:27 AM
Fen said...: A penalty that includes movement by an offensive player before the snap.

No. Its called a "side-hike" and the QB executed it legally.

The stripes here fell asleep

Again, no. The coaches ran this trick play by the refs before the game started, so...; 11/9/10, 7:34 AM
Old RPM Daddy said...: One of my friends played center on his high school team. He said that in one particular game, he was facing off against a tiny, little nose tackle, who managed to wriggle right underneath him on his way to the quarterback. That worked once, and only once.

Similarly, I suspect no team will ever be able to try that play again. Fool me once, and all that.

WV: snesse. Gesundheit!; 11/9/10, 7:48 AM
Original Mike said...: The coaches ran this trick play by the refs before the game started, so...

And here I was going to compliment the refs for being on the ball, so to speak.; 11/9/10, 8:04 AM
CJinPA said...: "This was no more unsportsmanlike than a play-action, fake-handoff and then pass play is."

Wrong. In that example, everyone knows the PLAY HAS STARTED.

This is middle school for crying out loud. Another youth coach who forgot why he's there. You know more than a few parents felt shame. Not enough to pull the coach aside and set him straight, probably, but a few.; 11/9/10, 8:54 AM
Unknown said...: It's interesting how many people will just kind of go into a stupidity loop when the input is considerably different from what they expected. You expect to see a regular snap to the QB, but instead he starts yapping about "five yards" and just walks across the line of scrimmage with the ball. He's carrying the ball across the line of scrimmage! Pound him! But everyone just kind of stares at him like "what exactly is going on?" And off he goes.

It reminds me of the scene in "Band of Brothers" where one lieutenant takes off on foot to link up with another American infantry company. He runs right through the German lines, and none of them fire a shot...they just basically point and stare, like "what the hell is this Amerikaner doing? Is he besoffen?" And he makes the link-up, and runs back the same way he came, and still doesn't get shot. Amazing.; 11/9/10, 1:32 PM
traditionalguy said...: CJinPA...Actually, the goal at this level is to out think the other side with trick plays. If you didn't have that option, then as a coach you would have to preach about hurting the boys on the other side to beat them.; 11/9/10, 1:43 PM
Cabbage said...: If you click through to the youtube page, you might be able to spot the related video where this particular trick play fails.

Everyone plays their part, except the safety, who sprints past his ten idle teammates and levels the quarterback.

I chortled.; 11/9/10, 2:27 PM