Canceling Seasons for Two Brawling Basketball Teams the Right Move By the IHSAA [VIDEO]

The Indiana High School Athletic Association felt the best way to show two high school basketball teams involved in an ugly brawl on Saturday their behavior won't be tolerated was to cancel the remainder of their seasons. No doubt a harsh punishment, but one that I agree was necessary.

The video above tells the whole story about what took place on Saturday night in the northern part of Indiana between Hammond and Griffith. After a hard foul by a player from Hammond to prevent an easy score, both benches clear and all hell breaks loose. It should be noted if you're unfamiliar with the story, this took place roughly two and a half minutes into the game. Once order was restored, officials decided it wasn't worth continuing and called the game with Griffith leading 4-0.

It wasn't until Tuesday of this week that the IHSAA came down with their decision to cancel the remainder of the season for both teams in addition to a few other stipulations.

There's no doubt in my mind this was the absolute right call by the Association. Sports are meant to bring people together, teach character building skills about working with others, and what it means to be a part of a team. What took place in the gym on Saturday night is the complete antithesis of that mentality. What should have been a normal night of basketball where a winner and loser would have been determined by the final score, turned into a night where both teams were the losers for their inability to keep their emotions in check.

I don't know if there's any history of bad blood between these two teams, or if this is a rivalry in that part of the state that is similar to the Mater Dei - Reitz rivalry in our area, based on their willingness to trade blows so quickly, I assume that is the case. But in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. While rivalries are a huge part of what makes sports so great, respecting your opponent and their abilities are equally has important. There will be days when they get the better of you, and there will be days when you get the better of them, but no matter the day, and no matter how much they push, you should always be the bigger man (or women) and let your play speak for you. Easier said then done, I know, but the right thing to do is sometimes the hardest.

By canceling the remainder of the season for these two teams, the IHSAA sent a strong message to every team of every sport at every high school in the state that there's no place for this type of behavior, and those who choose to engage in it will suffer severe consequences.

I couldn't agree more.