LazyLightning doesn’t normally do sports but after reading this tweet from reader Moe, it just had to be shared. According to the linked SBNation article, a Farmington High School hockey player, allegedly upset that most of his playing time was replaced by a sophomore, scored into his own net and flipped off his team before saluting and skating off the ice to boos and cheers. Farmington went on to lose the game 3-2.
My first year playing soccer as a kid (I was 6 or 7) I played on team called the “Kicks”. We were terrible, absolutely terrible. We scored one goal the entire season and I scored that goal–on our own team. It was raining, I put the ball behind my head to throw it out onto the field. The ball slipped and before I could dive on it, it barely rolled over the goal line. Our coach, the nice man he was, gave us all trophies with our names and “Kicks” on it. While the trophy is long gone and the sad memories of scoring my first goal on myself are long gone, I still remember that better than any other including events in my athletic career which should have been far more memorable to me.
While my story is not exactly related to the Farmington goalie’s, it begs the question: what is your most memorable sports moment? Did you ever feel you were cheated by an underclassmen? Did you ever consider but never do something like this? Did you ever actually go through it or witness someone else doing it? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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February 13th, 2013 at 8:12 am
To add a little more context, this hockey team was up 2-1 with about 3 minutes left when the goalie did this, and Farmington ended up losing 3-2, so this sort of had a big impact on the outcome.
Mostly, the kid is a little dick. If you are not good enough to start, then quit the team. Don’t screw over your teammates, no matter how much you dislike or disagree with the coaches. I won’t deny that his exit is hilarious, and no doubt he’ll be on Tosh.0 at some point in the future but otherwise mostly forgotten about in about 3 days.
Sorry to hear about your traumatic athletic childhood, Bill. But look on the bright side. If you lived in Columbia, you’d have got murdered for that own goal.
February 13th, 2013 at 8:29 am
Yeah it was a dick move, but really funny.
Also, it’s Colombia lefty. Unless you were talking about South Carolina?
February 13th, 2013 at 8:38 am
I meant South Carolina. They take Soccer really fucking seriously in the south. It’s bigger than NASCAR.
February 13th, 2013 at 8:55 am
I don’t think it’s funny. When I hit play on that video, my blood boiled. This kid needs a reality check.
What do you think Jack Jablonski would give to be able to even ride the pine for his hockey team right now? Or to skate one single practice? Or even to be able to slide himself into a hockey jersey?
How about the hundreds of kids out there born with a heart defect, handicap, or other physical or mental characteristic that prevents them from getting on the ice or court or ball field?
What did hundreds of parents, coaches, volunteers and other people sacrifice over the years to get that kid in those $1000 goalie pads, to get that kid on the ice day after day, and to get that kid on the team? From Mites to High School, how many people poured their sweat and time into this kid, asking nothing in return except maybe a chance to return the gift of love of the game?
How many times did his parents eat $100 in raffle tickets, $1,000 in annual dues, $200 for a new goalie stick, stand in a freezing fucking concession stand doing their volunteer hours, get up at 4:30 a.m. to drag his ass out of bed to get to the rink, stay up until midnight to drag his ass home from the rink, an God knows what else so this kid could pay them back with a stupid stunt and a middle fucking finger on Senior night??
I suspect Austin Krause lost playing time to his teammate because he clearly has no balls, no heart, and no character. He probably lost playing time to his teammate because he played as though he was born with a certificate in his hand from God decreeing that he automatically deserves the starting job on his High School team. He probably lost his playing time because he goes through the motions in practice as opposed to a hungry sophomore that works his ass off, shows a little gratitude, and maybe recognizes that in a flash, all of this can be over.
This was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment action. He had time to think about it. The fact that at no point did his conscience kick in and say, “this is stupid” is proof that he needs a serious life adjustment.
I don’t see some kid being funny or proving a point. I see this kid looking the sport, his parents, thousands of volunteers, coaches, and other selfless people in the face and giving them the middle finger. I see this as a kid looking at his God-given blessings and talent, wadding them up and taking a giant steaming shit on his gifts.
This kid has some things coming to him. I hope the people around him, starting with his parents, are smart enough to give it to him good.
February 13th, 2013 at 8:59 am
It’s HS hockey, not the effing Olympics. Everyone takes it way too seriously.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:09 am
It doesn’t matter Moe. When people invest, literally, thousands of hours into YOU, you don’t do shit like that in return. Gratitude is gratitude. Humility is humility. Class and grace are class and grace. Be it Pee Wee sports or the Olympics.
You just don’t do that. Period.
Especially on Senior Night where, no matter what your position is, you are generally acknowledging what got you to where you are. Where most of the kids are saying goodbye to a beloved activity they will no longer be able to play competitively.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:11 am
I still laughed.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:14 am
We’re happy for you.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:56 am
MSPD is spot on with his analysis.
I’m ashamed to be a resident of Farmington right now. He clearly doesn’t know what it means to be a team player.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:57 am
I’d be ashamed to be a Farmington resident in general :)
February 13th, 2013 at 10:13 am
There’s no “i” in team, but there is in idiot – two actually.
February 13th, 2013 at 10:57 am
Lame, but I can report from experience that being a goalie sucks. Almost as much as being a goalies parent. No execuse but I know where the frustration comes from.
February 13th, 2013 at 11:29 am
So, here’s what I’ve pieced together.
1. A sophomore goalie who’d been starting most of the year over a senior was injured, opening up the starting spot for the senior.
2. There’s been ongoing tension all year between the goaltenders and their families over who got to start.
3. The senior, holding a 2-1 lead, scores a goal in his own net, flips his bench off, and leaves the ice. Chaska scores a go-ahead goal 30 seconds later on a power play against Farmington’s 3rd-string goalie.
4. Farmington may have lost their first home section game in school history as a result.
5. The sophomore goalie had started a game earlier in the season against Chaska and posted a shutout.
6. This same senior goalie, who multiple sources say is going to the Marines after graduation, was recently arrested for punching his manager at work.
(A coworker of mine said he heard most of the seniors had been sent to JV and that all of the coaches had been fired. I haven’t been able to confirm that anywhere but a Deadspin comment, so take that for what it’s worth.)
Conclusion: Moe thinks we’re supposed to just laugh at what this kid did.
I don’t care if the team was fielding a whole line of freshmen and sophomores, this isn’t even in the realm of acceptable or funny ways to deal with the situation. This kid took a dispute with his coaches over playing time and made it clear this his own ego means more to him than his team. He didn’t just lose that game for his coaches, he lost it for his entire team.
I don’t care where you’re from, this was completely childish. The kid deserves whatever he has coming.
February 13th, 2013 at 11:38 am
The kid in question is a raging, narcissistic asshole. He will forever be remembered as that; congrats, fucknozzle.
Anyway, to Bill’s question at hand:
I was on the downhill ski team “back in the day.” I was okay, but certainly not the number one guy in any race. One race, I was in the gate and said to myself, “I’m either going to win or I’m going to break my leg. Since the latter is more probable, I’m going to just have to get comfortable with how that’s about to feel.”
I blasted through the course, waiting to snap my femur. Screw it.
I won. ;)
February 13th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
I don’t condone what the kid did – and I think MSPD makes many valid points in his speech. That being said – I’d bet $100 there’s more to this story. People don’t do this based on just a lack of playing time. There has to be additional issues/things that pushed him to this point. I’d be interested in hearing his thought process.
Additionally – I’m all for gratitude and humility. But – there comes a time to call people out. I called a teacher out my senior year on grading practices. I was a straight A student and I thought he screwed people. Didn’t go over well with the teacher and became a huge issue – and long story short – I won the argument after many meetings with the superintendent. Made many people (including other teachers) pissed during the process and I was labeled many things during the process by those that didn’t understand/know all the facts. Careful what assumptions you jump too.
PS – Jorn – I was a downhill skier too – loved the story and super cool that you won!!
February 13th, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Sadly, the video is gone.
February 13th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
The original post of the video (likely by a friend of the goalie since I don’t see any other reason someone would happen to have their iPhone shooting video at that exact point in time) was taken down. However, the video is still very much alive and well on the web.
February 13th, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Um, Joey, I also called it a “dick move”.
But what cracks me up even more than what he did, is the response here. OMG, I am so offended. Jesus people. You read Bill’s blog, you must have thicker skin than this.
February 13th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
I don’t think anyone’s offended by it. His teammates should be, given the tremendous impact it had on their season and all of the effort they’ve put into the game and the team. But it doesn’t personally offend me. It just needs to be called what it is: immature, juvenile behavior. I’ve seen a few people actually glorifying him for doing it.
Most of us who played sports have dealt with being shorted on playing time. In Little League, my brother, who’s a year and a half younger than me, made the all-star team for the first time as an 11-year-old, the same time I made the team as a 12-year-old. We both started the first game, but I was supposed to come out after 3 innings. In the second, I hit a home run. I didn’t wind up sitting that game. But I sat plenty of others and didn’t exactly like my coach (he coached me for a number of years and showed favoritism to his son, who wasn’t as good as his dad thought).
I can’t think of any scenario in which intentionally striking out or dropping a fly ball, flipping off my coach, and walking off the field would have been funny.
February 13th, 2013 at 1:32 pm
This isn’t the time or way to do this. He humiliated his parents, potentially ruined a once-in-a-lifetime moment for his teammates, and like I said earlier, basically spit in the face of a whole community of people that probably worked really hard and sacrified to get him where he was.
All because he wasn’t happy with the coach or the playing time he was getting.
Also, grading policies and your ice hockey playing time are apples and oranges.
Moe, I’ll admit, this is an area of sensitivity to me so it’s a rare time where I’m commenting from a personal place, not my “MSPD” persona. I’m a parent of three kids in all kinds of activities. I’m a volunteer hockey coach (Apple Valley, not Farmington). I was a youth, high school and college hockey player. Several times a week, I work with kids that scratch and claw and sweat and beg and borrow just to be able to play the game. And this touches on a few values that are incredibly important to me.
My reaction is partly driven by thinking about how mortified I would be if my kid did this, especially on Senior Night. I’m sacrificing a lot of my life to pave the way for my kids — and OTHERS’ kids — to develop and succeed. What’s more, a metric shit-ton of other good people are sacrificing for my kids — teachers, association boards, carpools, volunteers, coaches, and the others I mentioned earlier. For what? Nothing, save for giving kids an opportunity and being around a game or activity they love.
I don’t care what sets it off…if they turn around in 5-10 years and crap on all of that because there is “some rift” between coaches and players or coaches and parents, that will be a disgrace.
Maybe you’ll get it when your kid(s) get a little older and you’re spending every waking hour sacrificing for them and their opportunity.
I’m all for jokes and people doing stupid things and whatnot, but this one is different in my opinion. Flame away.
February 13th, 2013 at 1:32 pm
Wish I could have seen it, but the link now says that the video “was removed by the user” whoever that was I guess I’ll have to track it down elsewhere.
Anyway I’m sick of the extensive local TV coverage that is lavished on high school sports. Back in the day (70′s & early 80′s) they would show about 30 seconds of a “key match-up”, read the scores of the “important” match-ups and be done with it.
It must bring in the ratings though or else they wouldn’t be doing it.
As I have no children myself, I’m afraid that I can’t stir up the passion that MSPD has for high school athletes and their parents (why should I care about the White Bear Lake high school team when I have no emotional, or familial interest in them?)
Philosophically (to me anyway) there seems to be a disconnect between the stated values of good sportsmanship, clean play, and and what some college and pro sports athletes demonstrate in real life (using PED’s raping women, or other heinous acts).
I get the impression that if you are a goody two shoes, by-the-book type of player, you are at a competitive disadvantage these days.
My opinion is that this kid is a product of a amateur sports culture that encourages dirty play and almost requires the use of PED’s to be competitive.
So why the hate for this kid? Yeah he’s an idiot for doing what he did, but we all did stupid things growing up so why is this any different? I would speculate that it’s likely that his parents made him go out for sports when he really didn’t want to.
But I don’t see this is a slap in the face to all parents that are involved in organized youth sports, they made that choice when they signed on. No one is forcing them to do this so you have to take the good with the bad.
Are they all like that? I don’t think so, but there are enough bad apples around to give that impression anyway.
February 13th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Nurd, I posted a new link to the video in my last comment.
February 13th, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Who hasn’t been in a situation where they wanted to the exact same thing? I know I have several times. However, I have enough sense and respect for others to know that the consequences would be far worse than the satisfaction of pulling a “dick move” like this.
I agree with MSPD, this wasn’t a backyard stick-ball game, this goalie and his family have spent thousands of dollars and years of training for him to shit all over it.
Hopefully the military will kick this kid’s ass and he’ll get himself on track.
My big “sports moment”? In a sophomore phy-ed class in high school we were outside playing softball and our teacher decided that it would be fun to play a little game with the varsity baseball team that was practicing in the next field. I was immediately placed in right field as that is a good place for a weak kid with no skills. When one of the varsity sluggers stepped up to the plate and cranked a huge shot down the first base line i started running. It was going foul but I wanted that catch. I was going as fast as I could and quickly approaching a marshy area that was next to the field. I just got the tip of the ball in my glove and pulled it in with an over the head grab that would have been featured on SportsCenter. I was barely able to stop myself before hitting the swamp.
Having half the varsity team come up to me that day to congratulate me on my amazing catch was seriously the highlight of my entire high school experience.
February 13th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
My High School track coach was one of the most fantastic people I have ever encountered. Mr. Drazenovich. He was all about being your personal best, and having respect for yourself and those around you. His speeches were “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr” kind of moving. I remember one in particular…
“You know who a winner is? I’m not talking now about the guys who go get first every event. That’s fantastic and all, and I applaud you for it, but a winner on this team and in life is the guy who does his best AND is better every day. A guy who never quits. An example of a winner is Bill here.”
He pointed to Bill Linn. I knew Bill, I counted him among my friends. Bill was a stunningly nice guy and a fantastic student. And, when it came to track, he sucked. Bill ran the 800 and 1600 meter. In every race, there’s be the pack, and then there’d be Bill maybe 20 to 40 yards back. Each and every time with a grin on his face.
“Is Bill our fastest runner? No. Heck, he hasn’t even placed in a meet. But he runs every singe race the best he can. He comes to every practice. He supports his teammates with every move. And, most importantly, Bill is better every day. Each and every meet, no matter how he places against everybody else, Bill has cut his time in his events. That’s a winner. That’s a campion. That’s a hero.”
This. This is what I got out of my sport. It was all about being a better man. And I am a better man because I had a coach who put that at the top of the list.
So, now, contrast this against the boy in our story above.
February 13th, 2013 at 2:51 pm
He’s joining the Marines? I am sure this type of behavior will go over well with a drill sergeant.
February 13th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
He was suspended 10 days from school for the incident.
Also this is from a comment I have seen from someone with a kid in the FYHA:
This kids dad at his daughters U10 hockey game yelled expletives across the ice at the coaching staff and then after the game went up to a coach and threatened and berated him. When he was banned by the board from the rink he continued to come, and had no remorse for his actions even though there were many young children that had to watch this adult act as a two year old. This family has caused Farmington two black eyes and I don’t know if the father was part of this but I sure wouldn’t doubt it.
—————————–
As for Bill’s question:
My most memorable was skating at the Met Center for Wayne Gretzky’s Coca-Cola Future Stars competition after placing 2nd in our city competition. I was a first year Bantam at the time and ended up placing 2nd against all the others that also placed in their town’s competitions, the one that beat me was a JV player so I was pleasantly surprised how well I did, guess hitting 3 of 4 in the accuracy shooting did pretty well for me and the time sitting in my driveway shooting pucks day in and day out at pop cans paid off in the end.
The prize, top 3 in each age division were presented a plaque at center ice in a pre-game ceremony of the North Stars and Red Wings with a picture taken at center ice for a poster (which we never got) and got to stand out with our skates on for the national anthem. One of the only times I said to myself just don’t fall in front of the packed crowd, was a blast and will never forget it. Still have the plaque and jersey, missed a game to do it but it was one of the better decisions and harder decisions I had to make especially to miss a game near the end of the regular season.
February 13th, 2013 at 3:29 pm
Message to the spectator that shot the video… TURN YOUR FREAKIN’ PHONE 90 DEGREES.
http://youtu.be/Bt9zSfinwFA
February 13th, 2013 at 3:29 pm
linkstorinks,
I think the comments here and on other places about this story about the goalie’s families fighting about this is pretty self explanatory and supports your information that the father of this little fucker is also a dickweed. The apple never falls that far from the tree (except in Bill’s case because his kid is really likeable).
My kids grew up playing hockey, and one of them was a goalie. There was one particular team she played on in which we needed to sit away from the parents at every game because of the small faction of them that were fucking assholes. It was like somebody just punched them in the nose when an 12 year old couldn’t stop a puck that got past her. I’d like to say that some hockey parents are the worst, but every sport has their share of this crap.
February 13th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
Thanks to Joey’s new YouTube link, I have corrected the removed original video and replaced it with the one he provided. Thanks Joey.
February 13th, 2013 at 8:33 pm
I dunno, I can make all sorts of assumptions, but in general, what do you expect from high school kids? Sure, you expect a lot, but in the end, they’ll more likely than not disappoint you simply because their are essentially just children. It shouldn’t be laid down at the kids feet that he “owes” anyone anything just because they made the mistake of investing all their time in money in something that kids often will at a whim decide they no longer are interested in.
We won’t even go into the fact that playing time is often much more political than skills based. I tried playing football in high school, but switched school districts for 10th grade when we moved. I played for the new school in 10th grade, but the coaches already had their 2 starting line ups based on kids that has grown up together in the district, and I was stuck playing a position I sucked at because they were unwilling to give me a shot where I could do well. They didn’t try to help me with the position they stuck me in, they just stuck me in it and hoped I stayed out of the way.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:51 pm
My fav sport moment is my son’s – skating the 3rd line as a Senior on a Jr Gold hockey team – he gets the 4th shot in a shootout tournament championship game; he makes a Pierre Marc Bouchard move, dekes out the goalie and wins the game. Classy. Agree completely w MSPDs points and while kids do stupid things, this one seems very very stupid.
February 13th, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Stupid kid does something stupid, film at 11.
Really, if this wasn’t on a youtube, would this have been news at all?
Ok, my personal story: I was a very, very bad basketball player my first season in High School, never seeing the floor if there was any doubt of the outcome of the game (only once did I ever play in the first half of a game). I was wavering coming back for the next season, but I went to the first practice. Then I was told I couldn’t have the jersey number I had the previous season, as it was “reserved” for an upcoming underclassman. I decided I’d rather not play. (I was #42).
February 14th, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Good evening, I’m Diane Sawyers, filmed behind a vaseline-smeared piece of cheesecloth.
Coming up next, The bird seen around the world. If a kid does something stupid and it isn’t captured on a cellphone, did it reaaally happen? (bats really fake eyelashes for effect).
We now will debate this topic and delve into the impact of social media on the American public…
February 14th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
My son was the goalie for a soccer shootout at a tournament on fathers’ day. He came out of the net after fending off the other team’s shots, took his shot and won the game. His dad had a great fathers’ day.
February 14th, 2013 at 6:57 pm
But guise. He’s a SENIOR. He DESERVES the play time. He earned by getting older. It’s not about winning or attempting to field the greatest team, it’s about rewarding those with the fortune to pass their classes for 12 years and achieve seniordom.
My first year of teaching I directed the school play. I was told to cast all 8th graders in the lead roles because “It’s their last year”
I cast a 6th grader as the Queen of Hearts. (Alice In Wonderland).
She was miles above any of the 8th grade students who auditioned and got the highest reviews of any character in the play. Including the 8th grade Alice.
February 14th, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Also, I think a 10 day suspension from school (is that right?) for an incident of non-violence at an athletic even is ridiculous.
February 14th, 2013 at 7:20 pm
dm, just like unionized employees.
February 14th, 2013 at 8:04 pm
Bill, depends on the union. 70% of the teachers at my school were fired for sub-par performance. They were all tenured. The union can only protect those who are performing sufficiently.
But yes, i see the parallels. Especially with AFSCME.
February 14th, 2013 at 9:03 pm
dm-
doesn’t matter as long it is a school sanctioned event they can suspend students for misconduct be it spectators or players themselves. I see no problem with what they did.
February 15th, 2013 at 8:05 am
links – I don’t care if you don’t see a problem with it, 10 days is extreme. the average suspension in my district (which has a MUCH higher suspension rate than Farmington, guaranteed) is 3 days. 10 DAYS?? That’s a lot.
I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been suspended, but 10 days is too much. It’s giving a punk kid a 10 day vacation. The point of a suspension is to teach a lesson and give the student a break. Do you really think that 10 days is going to teach him a lesson? Do you really think he needed a break from school because of his behavior at a hockey game?
I don’t. I think he’s going to sit around at home for 10 days, playing video games and drinking Mountain Dew. This is not a kid who is going to feel chagrined by a suspension. 1-3 days would have been much more appropriate.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:53 pm
“This is not a kid who is going to feel chagrined by a suspension. 1-3 days would have been much more appropriate.”
I disagree. We don’t know anything about this kid’s history and if he has been suspended prior to this. Perhaps he has already been suspended 1-3 days this year and next on the list (before expulsion) is a 10 day suspension.
February 15th, 2013 at 3:13 pm
dm-
Don’t shoot the messenger just stating the facts of the matter that districts have rules set forth for school sanctioned events. It was that way when I went to school and it still is to this day. As dsw stated and we do not know if anything happened “after” the video or “prior” offenses but if you really look into you will find there is more information about it, but I am not going to keep posting rumors or hearsay.
Student athletes are also held to higher standards than the spectators, hell that’s why you got to sign the code of conduct before you can even step foot on the turf/ice/court/pool/etc.
February 16th, 2013 at 4:22 pm
MSPD, I agree with your comments 100%. Whether Austin had a valid beef or not, what he did was not appropriate under any circumstances. Part of being a high school athlete is also showing support for your team, coaches, your school, and your community. There may be times when you have to swallow your pride and step down even though you might have been the top dog for years. As a senior he should have been a role model to the younger players, let me qualify that, he should have been better role model. Austin should take a lesson from the FHS’s girl’s tennis team. The majority of this years varisity squad was made up of freshman and there was also a middle school student on the squad. The older girl’s on the team who lost out to the younger ones supported them, the coaches, and showed great sportsmanship at all the matches. While many people have applauded what Austin did, I feel sorry for him and what he may have done to his own future. He is splattered all the social networks now and he may have gained some temporary fame, but what he has done will remain with him for a long time and employers look to social networks as a basis for hiring. He apparently is going into the marines after high school, whether this could affect that I don’t know. I just wonder how he will make it through the rest of the school year, if they let him back. Hell of a way to end your HS hockey career, I think in time he will regret his actions, and unfortunately now has to live with them.
February 16th, 2013 at 4:40 pm
Some things I failed to mention in my previous comment. I have heard many comments from people that the younger players are getting more ice time because their parents contribute more money to the program, the players “suck up” to the coaches, etc. The truth is they have more talent and deserve the ice time they are getting. I mentioned the FHS girl’s tennis team in my previous comment, they played younger, more talented player’s and had the best season they have ever had. My point is, you earn your spot by being the best, not by your age or time you have already put in. If you are displaced by someone else, you work hard, improve yourself, show you are better. You don’t give up, throw a hissy fit, and disgrace your team, school and community along with yourself.