The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

Sparks, MPSSAA implement
rules known only to them
Sparks says media outlets unable to present end-of-season awards because it might offend visiting crowd; no room for compromise

An editorial by The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
March 2 -- The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, the body which administers the high school playoff system, seems to have member schools across the state cowering in a corner and adhering to the whims of whatever the day might bring.

At the head of the MPSSAA is Ned Sparks, executive director. And from a phone conversation on Tuesday, Sparks believes it would be doing more harm than good if an end-of-season award were presented to a high school basketball player before tip-off of a playoff contest. This is not a written policy. This is just how Sparks feels.

Anytime before tip-off. Five minutes. Ten minutes. One hundred minutes. According to Sparks, it would be unsportsmanlike for a media outlet to present a Player of the Year award in front of a home crowd. It might take away from the playoff atmosphere, he said. It is counter to what Sparks called a “neutral” environment.

So much for recognizing a player, no matter how deserving, in front of a supportive home crowd.

On Monday in Oakland during halftime of the Southern Garrett Rams boys basketball game against Clear Spring, the crowd - visitors and home alike - were treated to a presentation of the Rams wrestling team, which this weekend will vye for its third consecutive state championship.

Sparks said that recognition is okay - the opponents weren’t there. How did he know an opposing wrestler wasn’t in the crowd? After all, Sparks wasn’t there.

Northern Garrett’s senior standout Kaitlynn Fratz reached 2,000 career points towards the end of the Huskies’ home playoff game Tuesday against rival Southern Garrett. When she made the milestone basket, there was not even an announcement made of her achievement thanks in large part to a concern that Sparks might find it to be against the rules.

Was the atmosphere during halftime at Southern Garrett neutral? Maybe. Maybe not. Presenting the wrestling team is one thing. Having bare-chested male students adorned with body paint run back and forth across the court with a giant red and white “SG” flag is another. Was that neutral? Probably not. But the home crowd ate it up. It’s unknown if any Clear Spring coaches, players or fans were offended.

Still, we thought this might provide an opportunity for compromise. Doors for a playoff basketball game typically open 45 minutes to one hour before tip-off. If the concern was offending members of the visiting team or fan base with such a presentation, why not offer to open up the gymnasium an extra 15 minutes early, with coordination of school officials, to present the award? After all, any expected presentation would last only a couple of minutes. Here’s your award, congratulations now go play ball.

Sparks said no. That’s “splitting hairs,” he said. How, we don’t know. But Sparks does. It’s just not written down anywhere.