All-Area Football Team question ...

So, team x's best lineman drowned over the summer. I covered the funeral. So, I'm sitting here working on the All-Area team, and I've been thinking about this for some time, but I was considering making him an honorary first teamer. I'm not taking a spot away from a kid, just adding him to the roster wtih his breakout, and I thought I would write a column called "The Sixth Lineman" to package with the deal. He was a great kid and very likely would have been on the first team. I was just wondering what you guys thought about this.

 

don't have a problem with it at all

 

Nice tribute. Might want to give the coach a head's up.

 

do it.

 

Keep in mind, if you do it, you will open yourself up to having to do it every time something like this happens, with every sport.
Not saying you are wrong to do it, but just saying that you are setting a precedent that, because of how ridiculous some parents are, they would use it against you in the future if you don't do a similar tribute to a kid in the future who dies.

 

Why don't you write an eight-inch sidebar and not put him on the team.. Notepad's right and this would solve both problems

 

i don't have a problem with setting a precedent for the future either. put him on the team.

 

I see notepad's concerns, but if you feel moved to put him on the team, I see nothing wrong with that either. Let us know what you decide.

 

I think doing something as a sidebar would work.
The spots on the team should be reserved for kids who played.
In addition to the concern I posted above, it might start the "where does it end" argument.

That is to say, this kid died, it is an awful situation and he did not play.
So, what happens when you have the best player in the country playing in your coverage area, I mean the kid is head and shoulders above anyone you have ever seen. Then, a day before the season starts, he blows out his ACL and is done?
Should he get a spot on the team? His argument could be, "Hey, man, I accomplished as much as that dead kid who made the team a couple years ago."

I just think that a sidebar tribute would be good for the kid who died, because parents will use any ammunition when they think their little Johnny got robbed from being on some all star team.

 

You've got me convinced (though I'm not the one who needs it), NP. I'm in the sidebar camp.

 

Think I'm starting to lean toward that sidebar camp as well. I think "The Sixth Lineman' deal would work well to illustrate that he likely would have been on the team.
In my area, I'm sure the parents, in the future, no matter how good the kid may have been would expect him to get a spot on the team if something tragic happen ... God forbid.
Also, the ACL point is a very valid argument.

 

So some of you think parents would kill their kids to make sure they make the all-area team?

I would put him on the team (as an extra player and not bump anyone).

You are honoring the kid. I think it's nice. Sidebar isn't quite the same unless you do it up really well.

I would not worry about the parents. You are going to get parents griping about things you don't see coming at all, so why worry about it?