In A Weenie State Of Mind
That will be the replacement line for "In A New York State Of Mind," after the New York Dept. of Health deems games like Wiffleball activities that pose a "significant risk of injury."
Getting out of bed poses "a significant risk of injury" (compared to staying in bed) but do you spend your days hiding under the covers? And how has that worked out for you so far?
We used to play this at primary school. I wonder what the NYC Dept of Health would think of it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Bulldogs_%28game%29
I note with pride the quote "The game when played in Australia tends to be particularly rough". You had to physically stop someone to catch them, usually by slamming them into the ground - if you were running and and got caught but could break free you were still home.
It's not mentioned in the page but at least at my school we had one version where it was played with people carrying other kids on their shoulders. Now *that* was rough. I must admit the school banned that one.
I don't remember anyone ever being seriously hurt. I did see several injuries in more organised games later though - including one guy who took a field hockey stick to the eye, losing his sight on that side.
Ltw at April 19, 2011 10:47 PM
Nah, staying in bed also poses a significant risk of injury- you'll develop pressure ulcers, pneumonia, and deep vein thrombosis.
I got my nose broken playing street hockey for gym class. The obligatory chin scar from the jungle gym. Front tooth broken in half playing 6-base kickball. Wrist broken playing some weird game where you protected your bowling pin from everyone else throwing a kickball. All in elementary school.
The devastation, how can I ever recover?!?!
The body heals. These dimwits act like it doesn't.
Juliana at April 20, 2011 4:52 AM
Alas, this attitude is prevalent in NY State. We have far too many civil servants, and they have to do something.
When I was a kid, we just went over to the field and played baseball or football. We didn't have equipment or adults to ruin it for us. Nobody died, or even got seriously hurt.
Two of my friends got their knees messed up playing High School football, despite or because of the protective equipment.
I did accidentally break a lieutenant's leg playing soccer in the Marine Corps. That always brings the old joke to mind: "What's the difference between the Marines and the Boy Scouts? The Boy Scouts have adult leadership."
MarkD at April 20, 2011 6:05 AM
It always aggravates me when people target the safety of kid's games. Then, in the same breath, "Child obesity is such an epidemic."
I'm of the personal opinion that we have too many fat kids because it's "too dangerous" for them to simply play. I also feel that taking playtime/recess/p.e. classes is the reason that we have a percentage of school violence.
Cat at April 20, 2011 6:15 AM
It makes sense when you think about it. First, government bans sports & games for schoolkids. Then, when all the schoolkids get obese, government has an excuse to call out the Food Police and ban salt, fat, Happy Meals, and home-made lunches. Objective (more jobs & power for nanny-state regulators) realized.
Martin at April 20, 2011 8:06 AM
"The rules are "strict. But it's always for a good reason," said Byrne, who oversees the town's day camps. "It's about the safety of the children."
Shades of "it's for the children" from the Clinton era...
Ryan at April 20, 2011 8:07 AM
The game Ltw describes we used to call "smear the queer". Not politically correct, I know. I got a broken nose after landing face-first on an industrial sprinkler head.
Eric at April 20, 2011 8:22 AM
We used to play kick the can...with an actual can.
OMG, the HORROR! How did we ever survive?
Daghain at April 20, 2011 8:23 AM
Looks like the rules have been cancelled after widespread mockery. Don't have the link handy, but check out Dan Mitchell's commentary at internationalliberty.com
Brad at April 20, 2011 8:47 AM
I got a broken nose after landing face-first on an industrial sprinkler head.
Only a broken nose Eric? When I said "no serious injuries" I meant ones that wouldn't heal :) Although still, ouch, mate. That must have hurt.
Ok, seriously, I was lucky to never break something, being a pretty smallish child and getting boisterously involved in all this stuff - but about the same age, my best friend's sister fell out of her top bunk on my brother - she broke her arm, he was fine. It's all luck, and you can't do much to stop it. I'm glad I'm not a parent.
Ltw at April 20, 2011 9:41 AM
I remember playing smear the queer, I hadn't thought of that in years, but goddamn that was a fun fucking game!
Robert at April 20, 2011 10:18 AM
We played kick the can with an actual can too! At least some of the time. others, we used a old milk carton.
I actually broke my leg playing soccer in gym class. The kid on the other team tried to kick to ball away from me, and he was wearing steel-toed boots (this was high school).
I'm pretty sure that we got hurt worse at school during "organized" sports than we did just goofing off in the neighborhood.
Does anyone else recall Red rover? A bunch of kids link arms, and some kid tries to break through. It got banned when I was in grade school for being too dangerous.
Jazzhands at April 20, 2011 11:17 AM
I'm happy to report my 7 year old boy enjoys Red Rover on a daily basis at his school here in Idaho! And a girl on the schoolbus kissed his 7 year old friend and no police have yet been involved.
PS- I broke my older brother's nose with a serious punch to the face, and was not punished because my parent's knew he could be a dick. Fighting could be seriously fun.
PPS- One New Year's Eve my Dad allowed me to open the bottle of champagne, resulting in a black eye for me. Imagine if CPS today heard about that!
Eric at April 20, 2011 12:37 PM
ahhh yes, smear the queer was a mainstay all thru middle school. One guy with ball, free for all to tackle or take it away. To some real guts to run with the ball.
ronc at April 20, 2011 1:36 PM
An important lesson about "modern" sports, organized to the hilt:
You learn to do what you are told, and that "rules" always apply.
Of course, they don't, really.
Radwaste at April 20, 2011 4:54 PM
"because my parent's knew he could be a dick."
Eric, your parents must be pretty down-to-earth.
Juliana at April 20, 2011 5:06 PM
Smear the queer-there's a blast from my past! What about red rover? Guess kids might clothesline someone and hurt their little neck, so that's right out too, aye?
We used to make our own stilts. Oh dear goodness me! Someone might fall! Pogo sticks were fun too.
I kicked a neighborhood boy a year younger than me when I was in Jr High, and ruptured his spleen. No lawsuit. In fact, I think both moms agreed while it was a damn shame and very unlikely that he got hurt so bad, he'd been really asking for the kick :) I think now I'd be in jail.
There was also the "climb the side of the swings, walk the pole along the top, see how far you get before you fall" that was more popular with the girls. Tons of fun.
momof4 at April 20, 2011 6:02 PM
* Doing stunts on the swings, like swinging standing up and then doing a 180-degree turn at the top of the arc.
* Tackle football in a paved parking lot.
* Pratfall contests, where you had to do things like roll down a steel stairway with concrete-filled treads.
Cousin Dave at April 20, 2011 8:43 PM
I hadn't thought about smear the queer in a long time, but we sure played it, too.
Not only that, in boy's P.E. class in 8th grade, our teacher had us playing touch football. Being not very agile, I played line. I remember one classmate (who was actually on the real football team) catching me under the chin with his shoulder. I thought the blow had only staggered me, and it wasn't until I landed on my back that I realized he'd sent me flying through the air!
Glad to see Brad's comment above about the ruling being reversed. I've said this before -- I think some of these rulemakers are miserable cranks who can't rest until they've made other people as miserable as they are. That, or they're overly concerned about lawsuits. Works out the same either way.
Old RPM Daddy at April 21, 2011 5:36 AM
I hadn't thought about smear the queer in a long time, but we sure played it, too.
Not only that, in boy's P.E. class in 8th grade, our teacher had us playing touch football. Being not very agile, I played line. I remember one classmate (who was actually on the real football team) catching me under the chin with his shoulder. I thought the blow had only staggered me, and it wasn't until I landed on my back that I realized he'd sent me flying through the air!
Glad to see Brad's comment above about the ruling being reversed. I've said this before -- I think some of these rulemakers are miserable cranks who can't rest until they've made other people as miserable as they are. That, or they're overly concerned about lawsuits. Works out the same either way.
Old RPM Daddy at April 21, 2011 5:36 AM
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