Calling off the dogs

I stuck with the Class 4A girls third-place and title games even though they were devoid of any drama or doubt in the final few minutes. What surprised me and bugged me was how long coaches on both sides (winning and losing) stuck with their starters even though it was clear there were no miracle comebacks coming, no signs of any huge runs building to win a race against time. It's long been referred to as garbage time, but it's hardly trash for kids who have worked hard in practice and behind the scenes for years to grab just more than a few seconds of playing time on the state's biggest stage.
Then comes the news from Mike O'Brien and Steve Tucker of the Sun-Times that Waukegan star Jereme Richmond won't be able to play in Wednesday's much-anticipated 4A boys sectional semifinal with Zion-Benton because he picked up 2 technical fouls, which calls for an automatic ejection, which per IHSA rules constitutes having to sit out the next contest.
There is plenty of debate whether Richmond's second technical was warranted for hanging on the rim. I wasn't at the game so I can't say. However, what was Richmond still doing in the game with 4 1-2 minutes to play and his team ahead by 23 points when it happened? Some might say you get what you deserve for trying a dunk in that situation where a teammate flips the ball off the backboard on a breakaway. What if he goes up and comes down and gets hurt. Talk about high risk, no reward.
A few years back, one of the state's most prolific quarterbacks was injured and missed a good chunk of time when he was still in a 49-7 game midway through the fourth quarter. There's an old saying that nothing good happens after midnight. Well, there really isn't much good that happens when your starters are still in a game where the clock has clearly struck midnight on the opponent.