Leave Those Kids Alone And Bother You're Mom

Not the cover band, this time

Last week Matt Brown did a write-up, after talking to coaches, social media admin and more, that referenced the uptick in abuse after the legalization of sports gambling. Check it out.

Also, check out “Leave Those Kids Alone.” I picked the Beatles because I know my wife will appreciate that.

Players were already getting the shit end of the stick from their own fans in person like Spencer Rattler at Oklahoma:

Or on social media (Jacory Harris at Miami), and, obviously from opponents.

Now, you’ve added in gamblers.

This is the most selfish spot to be in.

They aren’t people who love the school.

They aren’t people who want the team to win so they have bragging rights over their neighbors.

They get upset because the team didn’t win by enough.

There is no pride or appreciation of a performance, unless it puts coin in their pocket.

Hell, sometimes they get upset with the team even winning.

There are times they needed a loser.

So, through the combination of legalized collegiate gambling and social media, we’ve introduced another thing that athletic departments, but ultimately the kids have to deal with.

What we have here is not just a failure to communicate; we have new entrants into the pool who don’t shower, have had diarrhea in the last 24 hours and bring their athlete’s feet into the locker room.

I don’t think gambling is bad.

I have good friends who make their living working in the gambling space. I’ve had to get into the gambling space. I just have friends who gamble. But Alex and Stephen and Cam and Michael and Tyler and Dave and Bud and everyone else I’m friends with don’t tweet at college players for a bad beat.

That is the problem.

The problem isn’t college players making mistakes.

The problem are the psychos, no, that’s not right. The problem are these low life fuckfaces who DM, tweet and comment about a game that kid was already upset about not winning, not performing well or not scoring more.

Covering can kiss my ass.

But this women’s hoops player or the back-up guard on the men’s team who missed a free throw so you didn’t hit the over; that isn’t their job.

A W is their only job.

Guess, what, when they go to film they will get told what they did wrong. So in these immortal words, if all players are Brittney…

Leave them alone.

I understand most of you reading this, and most people in general, have not sat in a meeting.

Your coaches eviscerate you.

But they also teach and edify you so that you don’t make that mistake again. They show you mistakes and then work to fix them.

You don’t need some guy who lost $100 on his daily wager to berate you while he hides from his wife in his “mancave” and didn’t know you existed until you missed a 3-pointer against Seton Hall.

We have already done this with National Signing Day, back when it was a big February deal and not the lost in the shuffle December mess it is now.

You can be upset, but you don’t need to talk to a 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 or whatever amateur to make yourself feel better.

It is gross.

I will put it as blunt as possible:

If a 41 year old guy walked up to your 20 year old kid, boy or girl, and was cussing them out and getting aggressive at them would you be cool with it?

I know I wouldn’t.

Money or not. Stakes or no stakes.

Go grumble in your basement, alone, like everyone else does. Complain to your friends. Have some water cooler talk. Make a joke of it to your buddy who bet the other side.

BUT DO NOT TRY TO TALK TO THAT KID ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

Maybe I’m fragile. I’ve never much liked being yelled at. My folks yelled at me at times but they wouldn’t let anyone else yell at my brother and I. My general response to an adult trying to use yelling to get me to do things was, “I already have a mom, her name’s Rebecca.”

Which didn’t go over great in a college or high school DB room, but the point was made.

We can talk as adults. You can critique my performance.

But I’m not your child.

Neither are these players, men and women, who don’t live up to what your sportsbook tells you. They’re not your kids. They don’t owe you anything.

Especially not the money you lost for being wrong.

So leave those kids alone.

Cheers.