NaTaS+ 958 Posted April 6, 2012 via FoxNews Despicable! /sarcasm A group of Illinois high school football players were thrilled when NFL quarterback Colt McCoy dropped by to speak about his faith and toss the pigskin around with them, but the agency that oversees prep sports in the state is considering throwing a flag. Ken Leonard, athletic director and football coach at Sacred Heart-Griffin in Springfield, said McCoy, the starting signal caller for the Cleveland Browns, visited the school on March 13 while in town for the annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet. While at the school, McCoy "threw the ball around a little bit" to several students, including football player Malik Turner, prompting a complaint to the Illinois High School Association about whether the workout represented an illegal, off-season practice for the Cyclones. "He shared his faith and played with them and threw the ball around a little bit," Leonard said of McCoy. "It was unbelievable experience. I'm sorry if any rules were broken, but in this instance, if I was wrong, I don't want to be right." Matt Troha, assistant executive director for the Illinois High School Association, confirmed that the organization has requested information from school officials regarding McCoy's appearance. "The crux of the issue doesn’t revolve around Colt McCoy’s appearance or involvement, but rather the IHSA by-laws that dictate the types of activities a coach and team can organize and participate in when a sport is not in-season," Troha wrote FoxNews.com in an email. Leonard said Rick Sanders, coordinator of athletics for Springfield Public School's District 186, contacted Illinois High School Association officials regarding the brief football toss. Sanders, meanwhile, denied submitting the complaint in an email to FoxNews.com. "Neither I, nor any member school of Springfield Public School District 186 have made a formal complaint to the IHSA nor is it expected that I, nor any member school of SPS will make a formal complaint regarding this incident you referred to in your e-mail," Sander's message read. Sanders said he's "heard nothing but how great Colt McCoy is as a person" and how wonderful the interaction was with the students and adults he visited on March 13. "For some kids, it was a chance of a lifetime to be involved and interact with a current NFL quarterback," Sander's message continued. "We certainly hope the media can focus on how Mr. McCoy devoted his time that day to enrich the lives of some members of the Springfield community." Roughly 10 students, including some football players, attended the brief workout session at the school's football field, Leonard said. In his 28 years of coaching at the school, Leonard said McCoy's appearance is the first time a complaint has been filed in connection with such an activity. "I take the blame if there's any punishment, but we didn't do it with the intent to gain any advantage," Leonard continued. "We did it for a life experience. He talked to them about life and prayed with them. We need more male role models like Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow, that's what's important. Football had nothing to do with it." Attempts to reach McCoy were unsuccessful on Thursday. Marty Hickman, executive director of the Illinois High School Association, was unavailable for comment on Thursday, but he told the Springfield State Journal-Register that the matter is being reviewed. "But my take on it is, it seemed to be fairly inadvertent," Hickman told the newspaper. "He (McCoy) was in town, looking for somebody to throw to. I don’t think they were trying to gain any advantage. It was a unique situation.” Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted April 6, 2012 Really america? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barracuda 629 Posted April 6, 2012 Dumdumdumdumdum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BwareDWare94 723 Posted April 7, 2012 COLT MCCOY PRESENTS: How to not succeed in the NFL 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AL_Royalty 489 Posted April 7, 2012 My general distaste for McCoy's QB game aside, this seems like a REEEEAAAALLLY cool thing he did for these kids. I remember being a high school kid, and if some really down to earth NBA player would have taken time out of his day to shoot the rock with me and my friends, I might still be playing today. You never know what kind of effect a gesture like that can have on a kid. If we start punishing kids for hanging out with their heroes, what kind of message are we sending? The whole thing is terribly ridiculous. I've been told in the past that I can over-dramatize things at times, but I'm just an animated guy. This is some bullshit right here. Colt, from all accounts I've ever heard about him, is a standup guy, and nitpicking him and some kids for what might be the coolest day some of those kids ever have had is laughable. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glanvilles Grits 142 Posted April 7, 2012 This shouldn't be an issue. Not in my eyes, it's stupid. The guy goes to a high school to share words of wisdom and then the school is going to get knocked for them throwing the ball around? I doubt they were out there calling plays and running legit routes. I mean, shit! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014 Posted April 14, 2012 COLT MCCOY PRESENTS: How to not succeed in the NFL ITT: English major splits an infinitive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted April 15, 2012 Wow. Is this really how far down we've gone? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brownage 7 Posted April 15, 2012 Amazing how much the liberal media has diluted people's minds into the notion that faith is now a bad thing. Fucking tards. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 442 Posted April 16, 2012 Good. Illinois is leading the movement against this type of highly underrated terrorism. The economy can wait. The fight against drugs, burglary, rape, and murder can wait. Mass your police forces and put them in every corner of every school to keep horrible role models like Colt McCoy out. Do we really want our kids to grow up to be the starting QB of the Browns? Fuck that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted April 16, 2012 really? 'throwing a ball around a little bit' constitutes practice now? I could maybe see if McCoy showed up with cones and ran them through drills (which is really a kinda amusing mental image) but throwing a ball around sounds like a kid pulled a ball out of his backpack as a way of killing a little time, maybe the player got a few pointers, but how is that any different from throwing a ball in the back yard with dad aside from the fact that (I would hope) McCoy can probably put a little more force behind the ball Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
