I always have to be careful when commenting on local soccer matters. As a referee I have to walk within certain ethical boundaries; as "Mr. Wilson" I want to promote Lincoln. It's not always easy to find the right balance. In this case, I think Lincoln needs to be aware of a few things.
First I want to give a hearty congratulations to both Lincoln Pius X and Lincoln East for their victories in the Class B and Class A state high school soccer championships on Tuesday evening. Good work, boys!
Now then, about the games themselves. The Pius vs. Hastings match was pretty straight-forward. Pius won 1-0 with little (if any) controversy. Hastings was an unexpected title contender and they put up a good fight, but they just couldn't find the net.
Then there was the East vs. Omaha South match. The atmosphere was electric. Morrison Stadium was packed on all sides. I think the Journal Star estimated 5,000 spectators. I don't know the actual number but it sure felt like a lot more than that. I happened to be one of the referees on the match. It was one of the coolest game atmospheres I've been a part of.
The game itself was wild. A tie score at the end of regulation; three red cards (one was a high school-specific "soft" red); several yellow cards; 56 fouls. The spectators were active, to say the least. Some Omaha South spectators took the low road a couple times with chants of "Cu-ler-o! Cu-ler-o!", which means asshole and was roughly equivalent to the chants of "Bullshit!" you sometimes hear from college student sections. Not a huge deal, but not appropriate in a high school venue. I couldn't understand most of the chants from the East spectators so I don't know if theirs were worth talking about.
Not that it matters. The East student section saved their best low road actions for after the game. Some of the students threw mock "green cards" as confetti as they rushed the field. It hasn't been much of an issue in Lincoln until today, but it has been a huge story in Omaha. Long story short, thanks to a handful of individuals, in Omaha -- and beyond, particularly among Latinos -- Lincolnites are perceived as racist yokels. Doesn't that make you proud? Some of the students have been suspended. I'm sure the repercussions will continue for a while.
It could have been worse. We referees received word prior to the match that students were planning some kind of green card stunt. Apparently East's administrators caught on as well and they at least prevented any in-game troubles. The last thing a referee crew wants to worry about is spectators getting themselves into trouble.
Needless to say, East did not win the sportsmanship award this year, and Lincoln has a new black eye. It should be interesting the next time I go ref Omaha Latino Soccer League matches.
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At East, the green card incident has had a huge effect. it has overshadowed our state victory altogether. just two days after the game, no one talks about the game itself and how we won. All we talk about is the green cards. All of the students have received phone calls about the incident and we have talked about it in almost all classes. it is sad how the actions of a few students after the game have made such a large impact.
In order to make everyone feel better about this, just picture in your head that East was playing Pius, and the East students were throwing around something that would offend Christians/Catholics. The East students responsible would all be made honorary valedictorians, given awards celebrating their exercise in ‘freedom of speech’, and probably invited to the White House and/or given positions in the Obama administration.
Having said that, at soccer games, you’re supposed to throw flares, not green cards. It’s sad that this event detracted from what sounds like an otherwise excellent atmosphere.
What’s a Spartain?
More education, less everything else.
Sincerly,
Spartan, 1985
<i>In order to make everyone feel better about this, just picture in your head that East was playing Pius, and the East students were throwing around something that would offend Christians/Catholics. The East students responsible would all be made honorary valedictorians, given awards celebrating their exercise in
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