- I’ve just about had it with Retarded kids.
I’m sorry, these kids are all inspiring and everything, but I just think now it has gone too far. First there was the story of Jason McElwain, the autistic basketball team manager of Greece-Athena High School in Rochester, NY, who suited up for the first time on Senior Night, basically his last chance to play. Not only does he get in the game, but he goes 7-13 (6-10 from 3 point range (13 shots in the last 4 minutes?! That’s Kobe Bryant-esque)). It truly is one of the most amazing stories I’ve ever seen (movie rights with Columbia Pictures, being Executive Produced by Magic Johnson - here’s the best piece on it, here’s another similar one- and another, and here’s something I can only describe as “Disabled Rapper raps to J-Mac”- and here’s a somewhat funny joke about Jason and the guy that was guarding him). I love watching the video from the game- I could watch that over and over. The students are amazing- their excitement gives me chills, how they jump up and down for him- it’s thrilling. It can move even the coldest of hearts (if you don’t tell them that Jason works in the bakery at Wegman’s now and his dream is to manage the bakery some day).
Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated often writes uplifting stories for his last page article. This past week (March 5, 2007 issue), he wrote about Sean Cronk, a 17-year-old hoops junkie who got called up to play for the Varsity team during the Playoffs for Everett High in Boston. During the city Championship Game, Sean replaced an injured player to shoot two free throws with 20 seconds left with his team up 3. He made both with an awkward, over the head, soccer throw-in type motion. Rick writes this article because Sean has cerebral palsy. (Rick also mentions that the kid “can’t stop a slug on D”, which I thought was strange (it was Rick’s way of trying to treat him like every other kid (then don’t write the article, Rick))). All in all, a good story- fine.
But now comes the reason I’m writing this post/article (let’s call it an article, it sounds more grown up). If there is an opposite to Reilly’s story, it’s Josh Neace of Silver Grove High School in Kentucky, who also has cerebral palsy. He, also, is a big fan of the high school basketball team. Josh, though, is the cameraman for all of the games. He may dream of suiting up and playing, but he knows it really isn’t a reality. Sean Cronk, in the previous story, can hit free throws like Mark Price. Josh is more like a poor man’s Chris Dudley at the line. So when his coach told him to suit up for Senior Night last week, he still didn’t expect to actually get in the game.
At this point, I just want to point out that there are a few strange things about this story that reporters don’t mention because they are just trying to push the inspirational angle. For one, Josh is a Junior. Not that that should invalidate what he did, but he’s not a Senior. It’s Senior Night. Some poor Senior who struggled to get playing time in this small Cincinnati suburb of 1,200 is going to be overshadowed by a Junior? Whatever, we’ll move on, plenty of other things will invalidate the inspiration in this story in a second.
With 52 seconds left and the Silver Grove Big Trains (I did not make up that name) up 40, one of their players drove the lane and got fouled hard. Just like with Sean, a teammate got injured and the coach chose to put the kid with cerebral palsy in. Except for Josh, his team was up 40. Sean Cronk’s coach needed a kid to make those free throws to seal the city title- and he made them both. What happened to Josh was a little different…
The entire High School in this basketball crazed town in northern Kentucky has only 35 boys in it, grades 9-12. 22 of them try out for the Varsity team. During try-outs this year, a group of boys tried to convince Josh to quit. They said the coaches were only using him and that they pitied him. At least this was what was reported- and it was reported to show how much Josh overcame in the end, not to reveal the truth. This supposedly mean group of kids may actually be the only ones with clarity in this story. Anyways, Josh kept to it and his spot on the team was to film the games.
So with the team up 40 and needing to substitute in a player to shoot free throws, 24-year-old Coach Tony Bacigalupo calls upon his “crippled” kid.
Josh hurries on the court. He waits at the line for the ball. The Referee bounces it to him- and he drops it- a sign of things to come.
Then it started. The opposing coach, Heritage Academy’s Steve Offutt, told his sophomore Point Guard Ryan Saint-Blancard to step over the 3 point line, in doing so, committing a lane violation. This was in order to keep letting Josh Neace shoot free throws until he made one.
Josh’s first shot- just a bit too long. The second one… way off (and Josh jumps over the free throw line). Before Josh takes his third shot, the Ref has to tell him to keep shooting, as Josh knows he really only gets two. Instead of being the bigger man and denying any more shots, Josh goes back to the line and waits for the ball for a third one.
Josh shoots… AIR BALL. Now he goes directly back to the line, he wants more. The crowd cheers a little louder. Josh gets the ball for his fourth shot. It’s up… it hits hard off the middle of the backboard and comes right back to him, another violation for not hitting the rim.
He passes the ball back to the Ref and sets his feet, one behind the other. He gets the ball. He dribbles twice and throws one up higher than the last. It hits the top of the backboard, bounces up gently… then falls right in the basket. Swish.
It takes Josh a second to realize he made it. Most of his teammates jump up from the bench (except for a couple who maybe have my opinion. Two of his teammates just sit there and don’t get up. They maybe see the atrocity that is happening right before their eyes).
Not only is this NOT an inspirational story, but it’s downright wrong. Rick Reilly would be astounded at this special treatment. All of the adults in this story, especially the Referees, hurt this kid, not helped him like they thought they were doing. Josh is a smart kid. He has a 4.0 GPA and takes a class at nearby Northern Kentucky University. He doesn’t need special treatment. There are plenty of kids out there who aren’t good at sports. They don’t get special treatment, they don’t even get to make the team. Josh is just a smart kid who’s not athletic. Like the millions of other kids like him, just let him deal with it. And, Josh, I hate to break it to you, Buddy, but there are no do-overs in the real world.
And, if you can believe it, there’s more to this story. Before I finish, I’d like to point out the fact that Steve Offutt, the opposing coach, deliberately told one of his players to commit a lane violation PRIOR to Josh shooting any of his free throws. He had no faith in the kid. He EXPECTED the “disabled” kid to miss them. Not a great message you’re sending, Coach.
Also, the kid who committed the lane violation only did it for the first two shots. He stopped walking in the 3 Point Arc after that. So, technically speaking, the third and fourth shots were the actual free throws and the fifth shot was clearly illegal (and I’m not even counting the lane violations Josh made). That is the Referees’ fault. Somehow that fifth awful shot miraculously made it, because if not, everyone might still be sitting there in that gym waiting for Josh to sink one. What were they going to do, keep letting him get closer until he makes it?
But we’re still not done yet. I want to tell you about the end of the game. That, as I said, came with the Big Trains up by 40 (now 41) with 52 second left. The last 52 seconds is the worst part of this story.
Heritage Academy’s Coach Offutt, the one who told his player to commit a lane violation, now tells all of his players to pass the ball to Josh. He TELLS them to commit a turnover. So, as good players do, they listen to their coach. The final 52 seconds of the game consisted of both teams’ players rebounding and then passing the ball back to Josh Neace as he laid up brick after brick. He never made one shot and the time eventually ran out.
In this story of anti-inspiration, we can only thank the game’s timekeeper for not stopping the clock until Josh made a field goal… or else someone would have definitely put Josh on their shoulders so he could just lay it in.
Here’s video of the free throws and here’s a page that has a link to the video if my link doesn’t work.
UPDATE: Those links no longer work and the video is nowhere to be found. If you have video of this or find it anywhere, please email me at SportsAtRandom@gmail.com. Thank you.
(Here’s one of the few existing links to a story on this, though)
And please, if you have any information on if that is the real Reverend Matt Neace, Jr. in the comments section, please let me know. Or email me, Reverend. I’d love to talk to you about character and integrity.
