[cksportsfan]

Should we get rid of the 10-goal rule in soccer or the 10-run rule in baseball/softball?

No one cares if someone gets beat 25-9, 25-6, 25-7 in volleyball. Or do they care that they choose to play best 2-of-3 instead of 3-of-5 (because it wouldn't change the outcome, but no sense prolonging a buttkicking).

I've seen more 6-0, 6-0 wins in high school tennis than I can count.

I've seen bowling kids roll 250+ while someone they're competing against struggle just to break 100.

I've seen kids in the 1,600 and 3,200 runs in track LAP other runners.

I've seen wrestling kids get pinned in less than a minute, or worse, tech pinned in the first period (which they're basically slammed/taken down repeatedly).

I've seen VARSITY cross country runners get beaten by minutes and take more than 25 minutes to complete a course.

I've seen varsity golfers get doubled up ... in nine holes.

So why, why, why should basketball be a sacred cow?

And no, you're NOT getting better by beating up on Overmatched Podunk High. I have yet to have even one single player come up to me, when they were a junior and senior, and tell me, "You know what? Getting into a varsity game as a freshman reserve when we were up 30 on Podunk REALLY helped me develop".

Please.

You're better off working on things in practice than you would be as a reserve in those instances.

Even when I have ties to the winning team, I never enjoy watching 30-40-50 point blowouts with a slow-moving clock. It's beyond painful to watch and I have yet to hear even ONE thoughtful, compelling argument about why a butt-kicking like that should be prolonged and played out.

The mercy rule is NOT going away anytime soon. Nor does the KHSAA think it's a bad decision.

In fact, already hearing rumors that it may be fine tuned:
- Running clock at 25 (instead of 35) at ANY point in game (currently running clock is not allowed in first or second quarter)
- Game ends when lead hits 50 points (which isn't much different than a 10-run rule 5-inning baseball game or a 10-run rule 2-1/2 inning softball game in which the winning home team doesn't even bat in the third inning or a 10-0 soccer game that only last one half).