Editorial: Finally, someone lays down the law

Wednesday, May 24, 2000 | 9:12 a.m.

There's no question that Jerry Hughes, the executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, understands that athletes should be responsible for their actions. On Friday, after both the Durango and Reno high school baseball teams left their benches following a collision at home plate during a playoff game, Hughes immediately ruled the game a double forfeit. The decision meant that Durango would not advance to the championship game against Silverado, which resulted in Silverado automatically winning the state 4A baseball championship.

Durango baseball coach Mike Gomez acknowledged that his players left the dugout, but he said that mitigating circumstances should have been considered. Gomez said his player was getting shoved by two opposing players and that even after leaving the bench none of the Durango players exchanged punches with Reno players. But Gomez misses the point: The rule clearly states that if a majority of the team leaves the bench, there will be a forfeit. Only by having a strict application of the rule -- with an attendant harsh punishment -- will there be a sufficient deterrent to bench-clearing brawls.

There definitely is a need for tough sanctions involving unsportsmanlike conduct. In recent years, from amateur athletics to professional sports, there has been an increase in trash-talking and bench-clearing brawls. It's encouraging, then, to see someone take a stand against this behavior. For that matter, commissioners of professional sports leagues could learn from Hughes. If a professional team was forced to forfeit a game if players left the bench, you can bet that fighting quickly would vanish.