Pretty good summary of Ames-East DM fiasco

[makelovenotwarud]

If the Superintendent Ahart of DM schools is being completely forthcoming with his summary, the incompetence of IAHSAA is stunning and level of not-to-subtle racism from Ames is sad.


http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2014/10/17/east-ames-football-canceled/17450119/

 

[Bigguns10]

How is not wanting to put your students into a potentially dangerous situation racism? There were many factors that came into play for Ames wanting to postpone that game. A school district saying don't worry we will ramp up security, is a red flag! An email from school administrators to parents saying there has been a rumor of a threat, if you don't send send you child to school today we understand, another red flag! Finally, if your school has nearly 2,000 students in it and less than 500 show up that day due to a potential threat that is a huge red flag! I wonder if the superintendent has kids that go to DSM East? I wonder if any administrators in Des Moines that are being critical of Ames and the Association have kids that go to DSM East? If they do I wonder if they were in school on Friday? Ames has kids that work on Saturday too, that isn't just a Des Moines thing. DMPS is trying to make this into something it is not, that is to bad. The game should have been played, DMPS refused not DSM East. That superintendent should not have used those kids to make a political statement. Ames and East both lost an opportunity to play a football game that I'm sure they both had worked very hard to prepare for.

 

[six5hunter]

Originally posted by Bigguns10:
How is not wanting to put your students into a potentially dangerous situation racism? There were many factors that came into play for Ames wanting to postpone that game. A school district saying don't worry we will ramp up security, is a red flag! An email from school administrators to parents saying there has been a rumor of a threat, if you don't send send you child to school today we understand, another red flag! Finally, if your school has nearly 2,000 students in it and less than 500 show up that day due to a potential threat that is a huge red flag! I wonder if the superintendent has kids that go to DSM East? I wonder if any administrators in Des Moines that are being critical of Ames and the Association have kids that go to DSM East? If they do I wonder if they were in school on Friday? Ames has kids that work on Saturday too, that isn't just a Des Moines thing. DMPS is trying to make this into something it is not, that is to bad. The game should have been played, DMPS refused not DSM East. That superintendent should not have used those kids to make a political statement. Ames and East both lost an opportunity to play a football game that I'm sure they both had worked very hard to prepare for.

Hey, I am having a garage sale this weekend....we have a few David Allan Coe CDs for you if you want them!


What? Are you kidding? Ramping up security is a red flag? Kids in Ames have jobs? Oh yeah, the country clubs hire them.

Pathetic

 

[hawkcub]

The DMPD investigated the threat and said it was safe yet they were not contacted by the IHSAA. DME was given 3 options that were not in the least bit fair to them. But it gave Ames HS and the IHSAA some cover. I wouldn't call what went down racist but would call it classist.

As far as how the IHSAA operates, talk to any HS coach at any class for any sport. From those I have talked to I bet you would not get a positive response.

 

[P-Hill Hawk]

The DSM Superintendent this morning on KCWI said that the IHSAA never gave him a chance to discuss it or provide any information to them, and they never talked to the DSM police department. They based their decision solely on the information that Ames provided to them, which was incorrect. He said he thought there was going to be a conference call to discuss it, but there was not. The call was here are your options, make a decision. How can you make a decision that impacts so many student athletes with out doing your due diligence?

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/sports/columnists/bryce-miller/2014/10/20/17614025/

 

[mtdew_fever]

Why was playing the game on Saturday not a viable option for DSM East?

In a difference scenario......what if the game was postponed due to weather? Would DSM East still have said "No" and not wanted to play the game on Saturday?

 

[KidSilverhair]

You're pretty much missing the entire point here. If a game is delayed by weather, it's due to the danger of lightning (generally) affecting both teams and their fans. Delaying/postponing a game there is literally an "act of God" deal.

In this case, rumors - and only rumors - of a gunfight in the neighborhood became known. East officials took action to address it. They called in the Des Moines police, who also investigated the rumors. No credible threat was found, according to the police.

Ames got wind of these rumors and contacted East to express their concerns. That's all well and good - Ames officials need to do what they can to provide for the safety of their community, too. But any options they presented East left out the one of just playing the game as scheduled. They wanted to play in Ames, or at East on Saturday or Monday ... they simply refused to consider playing at East on Friday, as scheduled, even with increased security and police presence.

Then the IAHSAA got involved. Apparently neither they nor Ames took East at their word, nor did either of them even check with the Des Moines police. They stuck with the narrative that "it's too dangerous to play at East tonight" - even though the police department didn't back up that opinion - and gave East options that were not satisfactory to East. That's really where the "disrespect" angle comes from. Ames and the association both did not believe East when East said things would be under control.

I've said this before and I'm saying it again - if Ames was so convinced their community would be in danger by going to East on Friday, they need to take the forfeit loss. Back up the concern for your kids' safety by being willing to take a loss to defend it. Getting a forfeit win when you were the team refusing to play a scheduled game at the scheduled site is all kinds of backwards.

East needs to claim their safety is in jeopardy at Sioux City this week. The state has now set the precedent that East would be granted a forfeit win, because "safety."

 

[EHS1505]

I don't know if anyone can say for sure who was "correct" here. There are only losers in this situation... Even Ames getting the "win" is still a loss for the Ames kids. What athlete wants to win a contest, especially one with significant postseason implications, via a technicality or forfeiture? Any Heelan/LeMars baseball or SBL golf fans want to weigh in here?

Not accepting the Saturday decree on the basis of "kids having to work" gets shot to hell by mtdew's hypothetical question, but it does sound like IAHSAA and Ames were pulling some good ol' boy elitist crap by not giving DMPS any say in their options.

Truth is probably somewhere in the middle, Ames and the IAHSAA pulling a bit of a power card on DMPS but with legitimate options and DMPS legitimately having cleared the threat, but deciding to take the forfeit to use it as a soap box on larger issues.

 

[uncylenced]

Weather related postponement aren't required to be played on Saturday afternoon, Monday night is also an option.

 

[franky1967]

KidSilverhair is spot on! There are several guys that have posted on here over the years, that can look at this situation from both viewpoints and yet all of them come up with the same conclusion. Theses guys I talk about are not just from one City, but from all parts of Iowa.

My stance is this, you can't fault DM East for Ames testing the system and winning, because that's actually what happened. I think Ames knew what DM East response was going to be and was able to score 13pts. without touching the ball. If DM East could prove in anyway that Ames was 1st to ask that the game be cancelled without any other option was put out on the table.
Then the decision should be reversed and at the least the game should be a tie.

If the officials from Ames, asked for the cancellation and was waiting for a response, while DM East was trying to figure out what to do, Then shame on the Ames officials for getting a victory and keeping there lips shut. If I was an official representing a school and I asked the game to be cancelled and then found out that my school won by forfeit. I would be calling the Association trying to avoid this situation instead of what happened.

 

[BettDogs7]

Originally posted by mtdew_fever:
In a difference scenario......what if the game was postponed due to weather? Would DSM East still have said "No" and not wanted to play the game on Saturday?

The fact of the matter is that it was NOT postponed due to weather. It's truly a sad response by the state.

 

[Bigguns10]

Ames did not win in this situation, they got denied an opportunity to play a football game, a game I'm sure they prepared very hard to win and found out at 3:05 they wouldn't be playing it. Against Ank and SEP, East lost by a combined 80 points. Ames played those same 2 schools and lost by a total of 13. I'm not saying victory was assured but to say Ames was looking for a way out of the game is hilarious. Making Ames and the Association as co-conspirators against East is laughable. The Ames AD started working on a plan to keep the game from being cancelled on Thursday night as soon as news came out about the email the East High administrators sent out about possible violence. At some point East agreed to play on Saturday and later backed out when the Des Moines sup realized he could get some pub and screwed both schools out of an opportunity to play the game they love. The guy is a publicity hound, writing letters to the news papers and going on tv, people who believe he did this for the good of East HS are suckers. 1500 of 2000 students from East stayed home on Friday, if 1050 of 1400 Ames students stayed home due to threats Ames wouldn't be hosting a game that night.

This post was edited on 10/20 8:52 PM by Bigguns10

 

[screwloose]

My wife is absolutely not a sports fan. I asked her what she thought of this and she doesn't understand how Ames initially refused to make the trip, then somehow ends up with the win.

The whole debating whether Ames put this whole thing in motion is not in question...they called the IHSAA and said they weren't going to Des Moines. The fact that Ames and the IHSAA twisted this around and forced the DMPS and East to make a decision they couldn't or didn't want to make.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I realize the fact was it was NOT postponed by weather, which is why I mentioned it was different scenario.

What I question is that fair or unfair, Ames wasn't going to play on Friday night due to their perceived possibility of risk. Why exactly was DSM East so focused on playing ONLY on Friday? What point did they make by refusing to play on the other days (Saturday or Monday)?

Originally posted by BettDogs7:

Originally posted by mtdew_fever:
In a difference scenario......what if the game was postponed due to weather? Would DSM East still have said "No" and not wanted to play the game on Saturday?

The fact of the matter is that it was NOT postponed due to weather. It's truly a sad response by the state.

 

[Bigguns10]

What did Ames twist?

This post was edited on 10/20 9:06 PM by Bigguns10

This post was edited on 10/20 9:09 PM by Bigguns10

 

[Bigguns10]

Who wants to make that decision? It is a tough one, one that was going to cost East money. The real leaders, the ones that had the best interest of the students, athletes and parents in mind, made a decision to play on Saturday, the Sup of DMPS made one based on the bottom line, money. HS sports shouldn't driven by the almighty $. He said on tv that it was going to cost East a big chunk of change, yet Ames is supposed to trust him. I hope the association reverses its decision and gives both teams a win because it wont matter in the playoff standings either way. if Ames wins against TJ on Friday they will be third in the district either way due to the tie breaker system.

 

[hawkcub]

According to the Register there may be a compromise announced Tuesday.

 

[armdragger]

I've heard SC North is planning on doing something for the seniors for DM East on Friday night, since they didn't get to have a senior night at their last home game. Its SC North's senior night, so maybe that process can be extended to both teams.

I don't know what the compromise is that may be coming between Ames and DME, but hopefully the DME seniors, players, cheerleaders, and managers, will get a chance to be recognized in some way.

You can't put a price the pride you feel walking your child on the field on senior night.

 

[DodgerAlum]

Anyone that doesn't believe kids would take an offer of an unexcused absent and run with it does not know high school kids very well. Doubt all of them were worried about the threat. The East kids heard the superintendent offered them a chance to stay home and they took it.

 

[oonfoofoo]

This whole thing is a joke and this is the reason everyone thinks Iowa is full of hicks.

I spent the past few years in Houston and if they had to cancel games each time a threat to a kid, school or some threat of gang violence was made there would be no games played in the Houston metro.

Game was scheduled for Friday and Ames didn't show...they lose.

 

[PNation]

That is what I see as the whole issue, the Police and school determined there was no threat, but Ames still didn't want to come to Des Moines, they should have to forfeit the game in my opinion.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I think multiple parties are at fault here.

It sounds to me like it was a pissing match between Ames administration and the DSM East superintendent. Who lost? Everyone did.

 

[ORSKY1]

Ames certainly didn't lose in this debate. They get the W and come away with no injuries, ejections, or loss of players for any reason.

 

[oonfoofoo]

Originally posted by mtdew_fever:
I think multiple parties are at fault here.

It sounds to me like it was a pissing match between Ames administration and the DSM East superintendent. Who lost? Everyone did.

Ames lost nothing....Glass houses folks...Karma always comes back and is a bitch when it gets you...

You wait and see....Karma will come back to haunt the Ames folks.

 

[mtdew_fever]

The Ames administration didn't lose anything, but the Ames players did as it cut short their season. What player really wants to win by a forfeit? The kids from both teams practice all week to play the game regardless on if they are expected to win or lose.

 

[Hawkness Monster]

It would be very difficult to arrange the number of people required to work a home game in less than 24 hours. It would be a nightmare.

 

[oonfoofoo]

Originally posted by mtdew_fever:
The Ames administration didn't lose anything, but the Ames players did as it cut short their season. What player really wants to win by a forfeit? The kids from both teams practice all week to play the game regardless on if they are expected to win or lose.

There are a lot of kids that don't mind...guarantee that.

Why do you keep focusing on Ames kids? Are you wearing blinders? The East kids are there also and they lost...in the beginning they lost more than anyone.

As for something you said earlier about "why couldn't east play it on sat or mon"......BECAUSE THE GAME WAS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY. Ames should have been give a loss and East should get the win. To start by going the other direction and then to say "here East, here's your bone now go away" is crap. Ames lost period