MA Police Investigate “Mean” Texts From Winning Basketball Team

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

The sentence that makes this story stupid is “Police are investigating.”

MANCHESTER — Police here are investigating a series of harassing text messages sent to members of the Manchester Essex Regional High School boys varsity basketball team hours before the team took the floor for a semifinal tournament game against St. Mary's of Lynn earlier this week....

Though none of the messages were sent from phones owned by members of the St. Mary's team, police were told by one of the students who sent a message that he was asked to do so by a team member.

"The text messages were not overtly threatening in nature, but they contained extreme vulgarities," said Manchester police Officer Christopher Locke, who is handling the case.

OK, so sending mean texts to your opponents is “mean.” And while the MIAA says there’s no athletic violation here, it probably breaks some school rule at St. Mary’s or, at the very least, a team rule. So let the school or the coach punish them.

Ah, but this is Massachusetts, where the ONLY reaction is OVER reaction. So of course it’s a crime and kids are going to get stuck with criminal records, all over a pre-game stunt.

The best punishment, of course, would be for Manchester Essex to beat St. Mary’s, but St. Mary's did win, 81-49, and played for the North sectional title Friday night. That score again: 81-49. A real squeaker. Boy, those text messages must have really worked!

Kids will be kids, and it’s the job of their parents, teachers and coaches to discipline them. NOT the judicial system and the courts.

And it wouldn’t hurt if the whining administrators at Manchester Essex to grow a set...