Cheer And Face The Red Card

       Just getting ready to comment on the "invasion" by the Russians into the Crimea and the folly of the Administration's announcement of "there will be costs."  However, on the Five (great show as always!) when I heard them talk about Rathdrum, Idaho banning cheering at basketball games by parents and red carding those who violated the rules. A supposed experiment on how better to encourage children. This experiment hit home as Coeur d'Alene, home of the Vikings is very close and as an alum of the high school, my memories were that the fans were anything but silent. Same for the church league games played by those who did not have enough talent to play varsity or in my case although 6'6" according to my muscle weight chart from summers in Alaska fishing commercially, could not break the actual fathom barrier.  Thought you would enjoy these muse comments.

Sounds Of Silence On The Rathdrum Prairie Reigns?

Here is a news flash for whomever came up with the parents-may-not-cheer rule

To remain civil in language and apologies to the Blues, it must have been a herd of mules

Basketball is not the same as the sport of golf were on the tee silence reigns

Where the slightest noise breaks concentration and slices, duffs, hooks become a golfer's bane

It is also not the sport of tennis where the spectators sit mute in the stands

Lips sealed to all movement, polite folded hands

Even when one side is on the free throw line there is not truce

Streamers wave, feet stomp and all volume breaks lose.

Noise and cheers are part of the game

That human urge to cheer these mules seek to tame

The way to silence a home crowd is not with for parents  a penalty box

But rather the steal and layup or the coffin nail three downtown not blocked

Too many kids have parents who are away at work

Or a parent who has split and his role now shirked

More valuable than gold is the parent who juggles and somehow finds time to appear

Only to then be embarrassed, dumped on, into the box for a rousing, supporting cheer?

Kids need encouragement, kids need loving praise

Not silence or only signs instead of voices raised

This is a rule, by mules, sadly less than two percent baked

Insane to this Viking alum from two schools, one in the City by the Lake

The other from a village of the Great Land Norse

Time for this rec department to reverse its course

Ere cheering at football games becomes also subject to this ban

What's next? Duct taping the mouths of parents and nonparent fans?

If this school district would take the time to peruse the Bill of Rights

Might come to its senses and repeal this nonsense to the cheering parents' delight

© February 28, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet