One vote against the parade for Taney Dragons

So much for the clout of the Heron's Nest.

As readers of this blog - yeah, both of them, not counting my wife - know, in this space yesterday I indicated I did not think it was a great idea for the city of Philadelphia to throw a parade for the kids from the Taney Dragons Little League team.

Of course, city officials yesterday promptly announced they would do just that.

Guess what? I still don't think it's a good idea.

Again, let me stress this. I love the Taney Dragons story. Mo'ne Davis and her teammates provided the perfect tonic at a time when the region and nation were beset with bad news.

I even editorialized on the lesson that could be learned from this racially diverse group of kids in light of the unrest that seized Ferguson, Missouri, and the national spotlight.

But the fact is that after Mo'ne appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated for doing something no other girl has ever done, namely throw a shutout in the Little League World Series, they didn't win another game.

Now I know that this is not just about winning. That's why I was all in favor of the nice homecoming celebration the city threw for the team on Sunday.

That apparently was not enough.

This smacks of the kind of thinking that demands every kid get a trophy. They don't. That's not the way the world works. That's why we keep score, why there are winners and losers.

The sooner kids learn that lesson, the better off they'll be.

The tradition of a parade should be reserved for a championship. That doesn't mean we're not enormously proud of what the Taney kids accomplished. We are.

After rushing up the Jersey Turnpike for an appearance on the 'Today' show Monday morning, the kids will be back in Philly and feted with a parade from Center City to a park in South Philly on Wednesday. They also will be honored before that night's Phillies game.

In the meantime, the kids from Broomall-Newtown have been going about their business in relative anonymity on the way to capturing the national Babe Ruth 3 Prep World Series. They took the title last week in Glen Allen, Va. Here's some background on their amazing trek to a national title.

And they're not alone. The Broomall-Newtown 13-14 Babe Ruth team is also seeking a national title out in Washington state.

Comments

Anonymous said…
The vote against a parade should come from the fact that Philadelphia public schools are about to open understaffed and underfunded. Where is the money for this parade coming from? I'm betting at least a few of the Taney Dragons attend Philadelphia Public Schools.
Dan K said…
I agree with you 100%. I love the Taney Dragons and admire their accomplishment but it's time to draw the line. In essence, we are rewarding mediocrity (they finished 3rd overall in their competition)But more importantly, the city has now incurred a financial burden that was not necessary in order to honor them. The costs for city employees, police overtime, etc... could be better spent on other things. Is the city that starved for a championship that they will grasp at any opportunity?
AT said…
Teaching kids that even if you lose you still win. Never really experience the agony of defeat and why try to win...everything works out the same in the end. Police, street closures, trash removal, traffic congestion...Who is paying for all this. Same guy who closed fire stations, libraries, schools etc. As someone who pays city wage tax I am infuriated...they lost and have had enough coverage and now we have to pay for a non victory parade. Michael Nutter is the worst mayor ever!!! Anyone who goes to the parade in any capacity is a moron...go dump a bucket of water on your head.
Unknown said…
HERE-HERE!! Anything more taking them out for pizza amd ice cream is OVERKILL! Did they pull someone from a burning building, give a blanket to a hypothermic homeless person, solve world hunger problems, or even simply perform an act of random kindness? NO! They just demonstrated higher abilities of hand-eye coordination than opponents, AT TIMES,not at "Choke Time"!!!!
Has there Ever been a victory parade for a champion debate team, spelling bee victory,Scotts High-Q winner, or Van Cliburn also ran?
Stop pampering physical accomplishments over intelectual achievements, after all, who gave us more; Einstein or Elway?