True, the year's not quite over yet, but we're confident this one will hold up through the end of 2006.So, who is the Sports Jerk of the Year (and possibly, simply Jerk of the Year)? Is it Terrell Owens, the outspoken, sleepy Dallas Cowboys wide receiver? No. Is it some other overpaid, overhyped professional sports athlete? No.
Our top Jerk is a man named Dan Hinkle. Unless you read the Washington Post, you've probably never heard of him.
Hinkle is the Commissioner of the South County Youth Association, one of 23 clubs that make up the Fairfax County Youth Football League in Northern Virginia. As reported by the Washington Post about a week ago, Hinkle fired the two coaches of the South County Raptors--the team on which Hinkle's son played--solely because they played his son on offense, instead of defense, in the team's final game of the season.
The coaches evidently violated Hinkle's strict injunction at the beginning of the season. In a preseason email to the coaches, Hinkle modestly stated: "This entire league exists so [my son] can play defense on the best team in his weight class. . . . He is my son, I own the league, and he plays every snap on defense." He also said that his son "goes in and stays in. That includes all practices, scrimmages and games."
In the one game in which Hinkle's son played offense, the Raptors were in a rematch against a team they lost to earlier in the season. The coaches thought they had a better chance of winning if they played Hinkle's son on offense. They were right--the team won and earned the chance to move on to the playoffs. That, of course, is good coaching--do what's best for the team.
Right before the playoffs, however, Hinkle returned from a business trip and learned that his son had--omigod!--played OFFENSE. Horrors. So he summarily fired the coaches, leaving the team with no one to guide them into the playoffs. The rest of the players and parents rebelled and the team forfeited its chance for further glory.
Normally, this wouldn't make the news, but some enterprising soul took the story to the Washington Post, which featured it on the front page (on a Saturday) and has followed up with a couple more stories.
While we needn't say much more to establish Hinkle's credentials as a SuperJerk, there are some questions we still have.
First, according to the Post, Hinkle invested $150,000 of his own money to establish the South County Youth Association so his son could have such favored status. Holy cow! And you thought the big money was just in college and pro football!
Unfortunately, the Post never tells us what occupation Hinkle has that makes him able to drop $150,000 on starting his own youth football league. Is he an obnoxious lawyer? A Northern Virginia tech entrepeneur? A friend of Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay? Director of Public Relations for Peter Angelos, the jerky owner of the Baltimore Orioles? We'd like to know.
Also left hanging is the this: how in the world does it cost $150,000 to set up a youth league with 10-15 teams in it? (The Post says parents also shell out approximately $160 per player for equipment and other costs.) And why would any association dedicated to youth sports even consider organizing it so one guy really "owns" the league and can be his own dictatorial Saddam Hussein? [Note to the Fairfax County Football Association, which plays on publicly funded fields: something is seriously wrong here. Fix it!]
The Curmudgeon coaches in a recreational soccer league with nearly 5000 players and we can put on a whole season for not much more than $150,000! We know it costs money to pay for coaches, but usually parents pay for at least a good chunk of that.
Now, some might say that Hinkle's large investment entitles him to do whatever he pleases, even if it is unpopular. We disagree. When Hinkle established the Youth Association, he entered into a relationship with several hundred kids and their parents that implies some duties of fair dealing and respect. Sure, he should have some leeway, and a little preferential treatment for his kid is only natural, but once he made himself Commissioner his obligations became much broader.
And, we wonder how Hinkle's son feels, poor guy. Thanks a lot dad--make me real popular with the ol' teammates here!
So here's to you Dan Hinkle, Sports Jerk of the Year.
4 comments:
This Hinkle guy is amazing for sure. But Curmudgeon slightly missed the mark on one point. You say that good coaching is to do what's best for the team. At the college and pro levels, yes. At the lower youth levels, however, good coaching is more about developing the kids. A good coach should instill a love for the game -- that keeps the kids coming back for more. Then the good coach teaches all the skills needed to enjoy and excell at the game -- offense and defence, blocking and tackling, passing and receiving, holding and kicking, and so on.
There's a great book, Why Johnny Hates Sports, that should be mandatory reading for all youth sports coaches, even the Curmudgeon.
Well put, anonymous--we agree.
If anyone wants to contact Mr. Hinkle on winning this distinguished honor his league office can be reached at: (703)222-6637 of fax to (703)266-9439 or email Mr. Hinkle at commissioner@southcountyyouth.org.
Dan Hinkle Jerk of the Year!
I was on that team if you beleive me or not and honestly i hated Hinkle. That year before that I played on the Raptors and I went to the championship but we lost although we got a nice trophy. Hinkle stole what was rightfuly our trophy. But Dan Hinkle son for one. SUcks and i have cracked him a couple times before. Since hes daddy is the comissoner he gets to play on the best team. And he took my spot on the team.
The year I went to the championship. Dan Hinkle coached his son's team which was in the top tier aka American. the team sucked and never won a game.
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