Did you ever have a moment in school where your teacher asked a question and you raised your hand, but you’d already answered too many questions that day, so she didn’t call on you and asked the class if anybody else knew the answer? Remember how that contributed nothing to your education? Welcome to the Madre Hill Rule, the athletic equivalent of “let’s hear from somebody else”, a rule that prohibits young players from scoring too many touchdowns.
The violator of note is 11-year old Demias Jimerson, an Arkansas’ Wilson Intermediate League running back who was benched for doing just that — succeeding at football. The video is reassuring and disheartening at the same time … reassuring in that Demias himself seems like a cool kid and is okay with it, disheartening in that the only reason the principal (who is a scary old white lady … just throwing that out there in case this becomes an inspirational movie) has is “the other kids are forced to deal with him being good”. Constant attempts to nerf creativity and talent are the worst part about the public school system, and pretty much the only part I can remember.
Another reassuring part of the video is Demias’ soundbite about how football is important, but how God comes first. He’s going to give great post-game interviews one day.
[h/t Guyism]
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Sure, why not? First we kill off PE and Dodge ball in schools, now we stifle individual excellence. Maybe they’re trying to create a nation of Artie Langes. Just sitting around, stayin fat and dying of numerous cardiovascular diseases.
I can’t wait until he gets to Ohio State and starts trading jerseys for tats.
Put yourself in the shoes of his teammates. If I’m a wide receiver and never get to touch the ball because this quick little fucker scores every time he touches the ball, I’m gonna feel pretty useless while at the same time not using what coach is teaching me in practice.
And Belly, can’t you see that this rule actually lets his other teammates play INSTEAD of just standing around like Artie Lange at a cupcake shop. I bet you’re fat.
@esse – If the kids didn’t just stand around they’d get to touch the ball more often.
As long as there are team sports there will be whiners complaining about someone being better then them or their kids. Can’t have any standouts in public school, it wrecks the curve.
The coaches should know better. Kid scored a bunch of times, the team is up big, better bench him before someone cuts his knees.
I think this rule is fine for 5th and 6th graders, they are so young they need to focus on learning and not on winning national championships quite just yet. Now come 7th grade I can pretty much guarantee Demias is gonna get plenty of playing time.
I say they check him for PED’s. Looks like that kid is definitely juicing. And by juicing, I mean drinking too much grape drink on the sidelines.
“Constant attempts to nerf creativity and talent are the worst part about the public school system, and pretty much the only part I can remember.”
I had to look up ‘nerf’ to understand what was trying to be said here. Then realized it was an MMORPG term. Whatever that means.
If anything, the rule in place praises young Demias for his excellence, not diminishing his talent or creativity, or “nerf.” Do not confuse praise with an award system.
To do that they would have to make him forget how to run as fast as he does or to lose his eye hand coordination.
The benefit of a public education is not just so the best and brightest succeed; any quality educators will be able to pick those out after a few weeks.
Not being allowed to answer the 6th question in a row in Algreba II will not diminish a student’s ability to comprehend a quadratic equation. In fact, allowing that one student to be the only participant, even if he or she were to know more than the teacher, would hamper the rest of children’s educational experiece.
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At least here, kids can’t play tackle football until grade 4. I’m actually OK with this rule being put into place for kids in grade 5 and 6. There needs to be some sort of development for the other kids who are playing league football for the first time. Plus, it’s not like Jimerson’s team can’t run up the score. The rule only takes in effect if his team has at least a 14 point lead.
Once we get to grade 7 however, that rule can go fuck itself.
I fail to see how continuing to beat the shit out of kids obviously well bellow his level would help the kid develop.
The whole point of those leagues is so the kids can learn the basics of their respective sports (and all that hippy bullshit of team work and fair play etc etc). Having one kid take the ball and dominate doesn’t help any of those kids learn, including the one dominating.
He’s fast because he has an extra leg muscle. All the blacks do.
Kids should learn that there’s always somebody better.
I say let the kid play the whole game. If he is that good so be it. taking him out because the other team can’t catch him is lame.