James Harrison: "Participation Trophies are Worthless"





I just wonder if he returns his salary whenever the Steelers don't win the Super Bowl. Or does he reject roster bonuses? Or does he make the kids compete for toys?

That is a terrible analogy and a false equivalency. They did not EARN the awards it was for participation. He earned his check by playing those games. If he had incentives (number of tackles, number of sacks, etc) and he met the requirements he EARNED those bonuses. Had they lost a Superbowl and the NFL gave them a ring for making it to the game, then your point would be valid. As a parent, if my daughters get a participation award I will sit them down and explain about winning and losing and make them understand we are not about that losing life.
 
Same folks arguing about how kids shouldn't get participation trophies swear by all these meaningless bowl games, though.
 
That is a terrible analogy and a false equivalency. They did not EARN the awards it was for participation. He earned his check by playing those games. If he had incentives (number of tackles, number of sacks, etc) and he met the requirements he EARNED those bonuses. Had they lost a Superbowl and the NFL gave them a ring for making it to the game, then your point would be valid. As a parent, if my daughters get a participation award I will sit them down and explain about winning and losing and make them understand we are not about that losing life.
You EARN a participation trophy by participating... by showing up and completing the season. You earn a roster bonus by just being on the roster. It is NO DIFFERENT.

Kids who play football in my organization start training in March. We have 5 spring camps (minicamps or OTAs), 5 summer camps, then we start fall camp the first week of August M-F until school starts (next week here), then go 3 nights a week til the season ends. 1st game Aug 29th. Playoffs end late November. Champs and runners up get a big trophy about 2 feet tall. Mid December at the banquet you get the lil 6" tall participation trophy. Kids know the difference. As a coach I think they deserve some type of recognition for completion of a grind of a season. It ain't easy on those lil guys and their parents with school and practice and juggling homework in there.
 
You EARN a participation trophy by participating... by showing up and completing the season. You earn a roster bonus by just being on the roster. It is NO DIFFERENT.

Kids who play football in my organization start training in March. We have 5 spring camps (minicamps or OTAs), 5 summer camps, then we start fall camp the first week of August M-F until school starts (next week here), then go 3 nights a week til the season ends. 1st game Aug 29th. Playoffs end late November. Champs and runners up get a big trophy about 2 feet tall. Mid December at the banquet you get the lil 6" tall participation trophy. Kids know the difference. As a coach I think they deserve some type of recognition for completion of a grind of a season. It ain't easy on those lil guys and their parents with school and practice and juggling homework in there.

That part always seems to get lost. Children are far more perceptive than generally assumed. They are more than aware exactly what the trophies represent. Bigger picture, I think there's a big "it's not how things were when we were kids so it must be wrong" element to it, and as a consequence, things that probably have no long-term effect (like so-called participation trophies) get lumped in with any other thing that's different and potentially worse such as no-score leagues (which themselves are mostly pointless, because as it turns out, children can count).
 
You EARN a participation trophy by participating... by showing up and completing the season. You earn a roster bonus by just being on the roster. It is NO DIFFERENT.

Kids who play football in my organization start training in March. We have 5 spring camps (minicamps or OTAs), 5 summer camps, then we start fall camp the first week of August M-F until school starts (next week here), then go 3 nights a week til the season ends. 1st game Aug 29th. Playoffs end late November. Champs and runners up get a big trophy about 2 feet tall. Mid December at the banquet you get the lil 6" tall participation trophy. Kids know the difference. As a coach I think they deserve some type of recognition for completion of a grind of a season. It ain't easy on those lil guys and their parents with school and practice and juggling homework in there.

I agree with this 100%. Its a physically and mental grind for these kids. I coach 10U little league football. We started workouts in June. Our first practice was July 29. We practice 5 days a week up until school starts, then its 3 days a week. The season don't end until Dec. Those kids deserve a trophy for their hard work and dedication. They did not quit.
 
Foolywang!

Schools don't make very much dough on bowl games.
That's why I said, "more money" rather than, "lots of money". Some of these bowl games, like the Liberty Bowl and the one in Mobile, would've died out years ago if they weren't successful. And they bring dollars into those smaller markets where the NCAA wouldn't dare play BCS championship games.
 
That's why I said, "more money" rather than, "lots of money". Some of these bowl games, like the Liberty Bowl and the one in Mobile, would've died out years ago if they weren't successful. And they bring dollars into those smaller markets where the NCAA wouldn't dare play BCS championship games.

So, we're outchea justifying pimping mediocre teams for profit?

Oh.
 



So, we're outchea justifying pimping mediocre teams for profit?

Oh.
If you want to look at it that way, then so be it. But there are Uber drivers, street vendors, concessions workers and grounds crews who will be able to put a little more food on the table because these mediocre teams and their mediocre fans came to a mediocre city to watch a mediocre game. But if you want to call that pimping....
 
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