A Sea Of Red

For those who remember back in the day when Campbell left the Big South over being forced to play playoff games on Sundays, the challenge still faces many high schools who find themselves with religious beliefs and sports scheduling at odds.

Houston Chronicle wrote:Houston's Beren Academy sacrifices game, not the Sabbath
By Angel Verdejo
Updated 08:33 a.m., Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Following its best season ever, the Beren Academy boys basketball team is giving up a chance at a state championship this weekend to remain true to its faith.

The Stars (23-5) were slated to play in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 2A state tournament this weekend, but because the game times conflict with the observation of the Jewish Sabbath, they will have to forfeit.

Beren, an Orthodox Jewish day school in Houston with 67 students, appealed to TAPPS to reschedule the state semifinal against Dallas Covenant from 9 p.m. Friday to an earlier time, but the appeal was denied Monday morning. Dallas Covenant will now face Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills, which Beren beat 69-42 in the regional round last week.

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And in case you are wondering, TAPPS stands for Texas Association of Private & Parochial Schools and has no public ties whatsoever. So if there ever were an organization that should be understanding then this should be it. Obviously this isn't the case here. The organization is taking a beating in the media right now and deservedly so IMHO.

But count me among those applauding the team for sticking to their principles. They are learning a great deal more from forfeiting under these circumstances than they ever would have with a championship. Honor & integrity should be rewarded and not punished.

Good for the hoops team. I'm shocked and amazed by the governing bodies rigidity. I'm assuming more then one game a day is being played so switching times shouldn't be an issue. You know the Beren parents will be there so attendance wouldn't be an issue. Lots of options.
Maybe the fact that one of the board members maiden name was Quasimodo had something to do with it. Or the use of History of the World Part 1 being shown in the lobby

Watched a bit on Outside the Lines on this and it was pointed out that TAPPS doesn't play on Sundays because of the Christian schools and made an exception at the semifinal level for a 7th Day Adventist school just a couple of years ago. TAPPS has really dropped the ball on this one.

I guess if being antisemitic is pc then TAPPS fits right in with that group.

4everfsu wrote:http://espn.go.com/dallas/story/_/id/76 ... order-play

Good for them...kids deserve to play.

I smell a lawsuit. Get the ACLJ on this, STAT. They might even be on the same side as the ACLU on this one!