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Does Every Kid Deserve a Trophy? Ask most parents why they involve their kids in youth sports, and many will tell you it is designed to get them exercise and to establish life skills including teamwork. But are we failing in teaching them that not everyone is a winner because we hand out trophies too freely? It’s an issue that has been discussed for years, and a local columnist (J.D. Mullane of PhillyBurbs) offered his take on whether every child should receive a trophy for participation in a column published Tuesday. He starts his column by saying:
“What would you think of a father who told his children that their shining sports trophies, colorful ribbons and medals awarded at the end of the season simply for showing up were undeserved? That such false honors, typical of suburban youth sports associations, should be handed to talented teammates, and not to every enthusiastic dabbler daydreaming in the outfield.
You might say such a man is a miscreant, cruelly tromping a kid’s “self-esteem,” which the trophies are intended to inflate. Let me introduce you to such a monster: me. I believe the widespread practice of awarding trophies to every kid who participates on a team, no matter their talent, should be discontinued.”
He goes on to explain further why everyone does not deserve a reward:
“When it comes to sports, some kids are destined for greatness, but most are destined to be great fans. Giving everyone a trophy is unfair. It would be national news, probably, if an athletic association announced that it would honor only top players, because this is a lesson in fair play. Kids understand this. It should be explained that the real world neither respects nor rewards those who glom another player’s glory. The sooner this is learned, the better children are prepared to survive, thrive and pursue their own happiness in a highly competitive world.”
It would appear as though the whole trophy situation in youth sports doesn’t reflect real life. Everyone doesn’t win. Trophies and awards are meant for the ones who achieve and go above and beyond, not just for showing up.
Are we failing to teach our children a valuable life lesson by handing out trophies to everyone simply for participating? Weigh in below.
-LD
h/t @JDMullane, PhillyBurbs
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The Best Philly Sports Moment of 2011. It’s that time of year…time for the ever-popular year-end lists. And a popular one that has been making the rounds this week is the best Philly sports moment of 2011. Mike Bertha and The Philly Post tackled it Tuesday morning (though only listed, didn’t rank its top moments). Our Philthy Stuff blog also posted Tuesday, though it included the top sports stories both on and off the field.
We polled many members of The 20 for their answers, and here are their responses:
@BrianPHickey: “May 26: Phillies infielder Wilson Valdez pitches in 19th inning for win over Reds”
@drewlazor: “I’d say Shady McCoy’s whole season up to this point. He’s been a radiant bright spot in a dim Eagles season & he’s only going to get better.”
@gonzoCSN: “I’ll go with Temple finally winning a bowl game. Last time that happened, the Owls wore leather helmets & the writers sent in stories via smoke signals.”
@christopherwink: “My Temple Owls over Penn State in March Madness: http://sbn.to/uHfuEZ”
@DPBell: “Flyers bested Buffalo in OT (April 24) to force a Game 7 in the NHL Playoffs. It wasn’t over until the fat lady sung…”
@PhillyGG: “The Eagles beating Dallas was a fantastic Christmas gift, even if it was utterly pointless.”
@GeoffMosher: “Guess I’ll have to go with Phils getting their 102nd win, the most in franchise history.”
@dhm: “The Phillies’ comeback win on Opening Day was probably my favorite. A foreshadowing of the 102-win season.”
@meechone: “I’d say the day the Eagles signed Nnamdi & the Phillies traded for Pence (July 30). Unfortunately, neither really panned out, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t believe they were both winning their league’s respective championships after they went down. Not really a momentous year.”
@jadeeney: “Joe Paterno getting fired for covering up child sex abuse at Penn State.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: Also chosen by Time Magazine and the Associated Press as their Top Sports Moment of 2011)
@RichNegrin: “Wow. Tough year. Probably Phillies clinching the NL East or both Phils & Birds front offices winning in free agency to help build a foundation.”
We want you to weigh in: What was the top moment in Philly sports for 2011?
-LD
The Philly Post, Philthy Stuff, The 20, TIME Magazine
Photo: NBCPhiladelphia.com
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![Philly is America’s Most Sports-Crazed City. Travel & Leisure Magazine released their “America’s Favorite Cities” poll in the November issue. And it was a good year for Philadelphia. In addition to coming in at #1 for overall culture, we’re also tops on the historical sites/monuments list and as the most sports-crazed in the country.
Thanks for the honor, T+L. In their (all-too-cliche) and even backhanded write-up announcing us as the most sports-crazed city, they say:
Heartaches over the years may have only deepened the fans’ commitment. To mingle (or commiserate) with locals—who, alas, don’t rank well in the survey for being athletic themselves—check out a Chickie’s and Pete’s sports bar, and try the famous “crab fries.” Or, make like Rocky, and run up and down the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Again, thank you. But no mention of the actual teams we cheer for? Oh, and rounding out the top 5: Boston, Chicago, New Orleans and Denver. Our friends in New York City come in at No. 17 overall, with no sign of Washington D.C.
-LD
[Travel + Leisure]
Photo: Getty Images](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv104ymfDd1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Philly is America’s Most Sports-Crazed City. Travel & Leisure Magazine released their “America’s Favorite Cities” poll in the November issue. And it was a good year for Philadelphia. In addition to coming in at #1 for overall culture, we’re also tops on the historical sites/monuments list and as the most sports-crazed in the country.
Thanks for the honor, T+L. In their (all-too-cliche) and even backhanded write-up announcing us as the most sports-crazed city, they say:
Heartaches over the years may have only deepened the fans’ commitment. To mingle (or commiserate) with locals—who, alas, don’t rank well in the survey for being athletic themselves—check out a Chickie’s and Pete’s sports bar, and try the famous “crab fries.” Or, make like Rocky, and run up and down the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Again, thank you. But no mention of the actual teams we cheer for? Oh, and rounding out the top 5: Boston, Chicago, New Orleans and Denver. Our friends in New York City come in at No. 17 overall, with no sign of Washington D.C.
-LD
Photo: Getty Images
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From the Phanatic’s Snout: I’m OK. Two days after being hit in the head by a foul ball, the Phillie Phanatic says he’s doing just fine.
The beloved green fuzzball stopped by our studios Friday and confirmed that he’s back in tiptop shape.
The Phanatic was in the stands at Coca-Cola Park for a Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game Wednesday night when he took a hit to the neck during the third. He was taken to the hospital to get checked out and didn’t return for an eighth inning appearance.
Tom Bergoyne, the Phanatic’s best friend, thanked everyone for their concern Thursday.
“Since we’re soooo close, I felt his pain and have a nice golf ball-sized knot just above my eye,” he said in a Facebook post. “Bring on the A’s this weekend - the Phanatic will be ready!”
The Phanatic showed us just how spry he was by offering up a big kiss to our own Lori Wilson. He may again be on the DL.
-VL
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![Who Riots After a Championship Loss? Rioting over a sporting event is stupid. Revolution, okay. Sports, nope. And as soon as the first pictures hit the Twitterverse I knew it wouldn’t be long until these messages would start hitting:
So much for Canadian hospitality. Vancouver fans show a classless approach and angrily boo the Stanley Cup presentation. This isn’t Philly.
Now, obviously that’s not the real Bill Walton and at least when we were silly enough to revert to destruction in 2008, we actually won. The national media often equates fans + violence to equal Philly. Well, it’s not just us…
It’s great to see the stream of contempt for Vancouver — like 20er Dan McQuade’s riff:
Once again, Canadians give white people a bad name.
Allowing our past transgressions to be brought up over and over and over again, there is little remorse locally for Vancouverites. We’ve learned to behave. Plus, who makes love in a riot anyway, eh?
On another note…
-VL
[@dhm, @TheBillWalton, NBC Philadelphia, @bydanielvictor]
Photo: Getty Images](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmwf2yX5mR1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Who Riots After a Championship Loss? Rioting over a sporting event is stupid. Revolution, okay. Sports, nope. And as soon as the first pictures hit the Twitterverse I knew it wouldn’t be long until these messages would start hitting:
So much for Canadian hospitality. Vancouver fans show a classless approach and angrily boo the Stanley Cup presentation. This isn’t Philly.
Now, obviously that’s not the real Bill Walton and at least when we were silly enough to revert to destruction in 2008, we actually won. The national media often equates fans + violence to equal Philly. Well, it’s not just us…
It’s great to see the stream of contempt for Vancouver — like 20er Dan McQuade’s riff:
Once again, Canadians give white people a bad name.
Allowing our past transgressions to be brought up over and over and over again, there is little remorse locally for Vancouverites. We’ve learned to behave. Plus, who makes love in a riot anyway, eh?
-VL
[@dhm, @TheBillWalton, NBC Philadelphia, @bydanielvictor]
Photo: Getty Images
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![Yo Adrian, I Did It. Who knew you didn’t have to actually take part in a sport to make it into its hall of fame. Rocky himself Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Thousands of spectators showed up to cheer on Stallone as he was added to the halls alongside Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez. No one can deny what Rocky did to further the sport, but is 20er Cristin McGrath right to say the move is “embarrassing” to the city?
Rocky has been a symbol of what this city is and can be, but is Sly’s addition just sad for us in the eyes of the rest of the country?
-VL
[@CristinMcGrath, Philly Daily News]Photo: Getty Images](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmqi2mYy3c1qfnxkko1_500.jpg)
Yo Adrian, I Did It. Who knew you didn’t have to actually take part in a sport to make it into its hall of fame. Rocky himself Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Thousands of spectators showed up to cheer on Stallone as he was added to the halls alongside Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez. No one can deny what Rocky did to further the sport, but is 20er Cristin McGrath right to say the move is “embarrassing” to the city?
Rocky has been a symbol of what this city is and can be, but is Sly’s addition just sad for us in the eyes of the rest of the country?
-VL
[@CristinMcGrath, Philly Daily News]
Photo: Getty Images -
![Sweatproof Sweatshirt Has One Fatal Flaw. This is Charged Cotton Storm (Grrr! Agressive product name!), a new water-resistant sweatshirt line from Under Armour. And while I like the idea of a shirt repelling sweat, it does nothing to ELIMINATE sweat. That sweat will need to find a place to go. And I think you know right where it will head if the shirt won’t host it: your tushie. -DM [Rovell, the20s]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmj92olqI21qa59x5o1_500.png)
Sweatproof Sweatshirt Has One Fatal Flaw. This is Charged Cotton Storm (Grrr! Agressive product name!), a new water-resistant sweatshirt line from Under Armour. And while I like the idea of a shirt repelling sweat, it does nothing to ELIMINATE sweat. That sweat will need to find a place to go. And I think you know right where it will head if the shirt won’t host it: your tushie.
-DM
[Rovell, the20s] -
Would Big Red Want Plaxico? Eagles coach Andy Reid apparently doesn’t want to talk about Plaxico Burress. So Plax is doing the talking himself. The free agent receiver has joined Twitter @iamplaxico, and The20’s @PhillyGG wasted no time reaching out to him with this heartfelt Tweet:
Dear @iamplaxico, come 2 Philly. Eagles’ fans will forgive anything!!! (Except performance that’s anything less than stellar.)
Also, Philadelphia Inquirer Eagles beat writer Jeff McLane said this morning that there is “certainly interest there,” so maybe @PhillyGG gets her wish.
-LD
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![“The Only Good Folk Are Prison Folk.” CNBC’s Darren Rovell tweeted that Eagles QB would like to bring in WR Plaxico Burress, fresh from doing 21 months in a New York prison for shooting himself at a nightclub. And given their current success rate with ex-cons, shouldn’t ALL prisoners be furloughed to work for Andy Reid? -DM [Rovell, the20s]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmh4n1NBOY1qa59x5o1_500.png)
“The Only Good Folk Are Prison Folk.” CNBC’s Darren Rovell tweeted that Eagles QB would like to bring in WR Plaxico Burress, fresh from doing 21 months in a New York prison for shooting himself at a nightclub. And given their current success rate with ex-cons, shouldn’t ALL prisoners be furloughed to work for Andy Reid?
-DM
[Rovell, the20s]
