If ever there were a story which emphasized the importance of keeping your cool in the heat of battle, this is it. Prep Rally provides the details:
Pole vaulter's curse word costs team state track title [Prep Rally]
UPDATE 6/10/11: Barr told the LA Times in a follow-up story that he understands what the officials did.
When Loyola High (Los Angeles, CA) pole vaulter Evan Barr...failed to clear his final height at the California state track and field meet, he was understandably disappointed. The miss cost him an individual state title and ensured he would finish in third place instead.Barr didn't handle his disappointment well.
After falling short of clearing the bar, Barr...let out a loud expletive. According to the Los Angeles Times, the curse word inspired judges to disqualify Barr from the event, with his points taken away from Loyola's team total.
That proved to be incredibly costly, as the adjusted points total cost Loyola a state track and field title. Instead, the Cubs finished second, with 32 points, behind Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High's 35 points.
"He uttered a profanity out of frustration, and the officials thought it was significant to disqualify him," Loyola track and field coach Mike Porterfield told the Times. "He apologized immediately after he said it."Too late. Barr's outburst was a violation of the rules, according to the LA Times. The damage has been done. Not sure how his teammates reacted, but he'll probably be thinking about this for a long, long time.
Pole vaulter's curse word costs team state track title [Prep Rally]
UPDATE 6/10/11: Barr told the LA Times in a follow-up story that he understands what the officials did.
"I totally understand what they did. I felt so bad. It was such a big thing for my teammates and myself. I felt responsible for it."Pole vaulter weighs in on costly cursing disqualification [Prep Rally]
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
