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That's all well and good in the pros, where the stakes are a bit higher and the level of sportsmanship is generally lower as a result. But at the high school level, a different measure of deportment is generally required. Gruden, who's been coaching with Carrollwood Day School in Tampa (his son is on the team), went off in the first quarter of the team's Sept. 3 season opener. He exploded at the officials, grabbed a 15-yard penalty for his trouble, and simply left the field for the rest of the game. He wound up in the stands, where he continued to berate the refs (calling them "Forrest Gump" among other things, according to a former high school official who was watching his own son playing for the other team).
From JoeBucsFan.com:

"Whether or not it was his celebrity, I don't know, but the officials made the call," Carrollwood athletic director Frank Mabry said Wednesday. "I was right there myself. In all honesty, he was upset with the officials and he did receive a sideline penalty and a warning, but it was definitely overblown.
"He was not ejected. He left the sidelines on his own volition and watched from the stands. [Gruden] has been absolutely awesome with our students and accommodating with our coaches. It's a shame that people were saying that he was ejected and making a big deal out of that. That's not what happened. He chose to remove himself from the situation."

Well, that's sort of the point. Had Gruden been ejected, his disappearance from the field would have been excusable; perhaps he could have come back on the sidelines in a disguise, Bobby Valentine-style, if he was in a particularly creative mood. But he was still welcome on the sideline after the flag, and he still had alleged responsibilities as a coach -- Gruden simply couldn't hold his water, and he stormed off in a way that would have been an embarrassment had any of his players done it at any level. For a grown man, who's coached in the NFL and has a Super Bowl ring to show for it ... well, it's pretty out there.

Gruden is known as a fiery guy, and that plays well in the booth. I think his shtick is very entertaining. And he has a great deal of playbook wisdom to impart. I would like to think that his high school charges can benefit from that knowledge as well, if their coach can stay on the field and keep his head in the game. Does the world really need one more stereotypical Little League parent?

www.sportsshooter.com/johnjcoleman

" Anyone can take a picture Only a Photographer can take a photograph "

SmashMouth

Didn't know Gruden still lived in Tampon...

Saint_LB

When it gets down to it the celebrities are just people like me and you...only some of them have a little more money.

Rugby Saint II

He is not accustomed to taking it down a notch. That is his style. I do think that leaving the game and sitting in the stands wasn't the correct thing to do. If he was that upset maybe he should have gone to the locker room regained his composure and then come back out.
I referee rugby and have been both a player, coach and a referee for over 30 years. Refereeing at any level is a thankless job when you do it right, but make one mistake and coaches get pretty uptight.

SaintPauly

I'm going to have to file this one under, "I could care less".

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Really c'mon man this is Coach Payton boy. LOL

st thomas

they being past super bowl champs, tend to hang were most popular. but gruden is high profile celeb, so he can sleep at the moon and the lights will be turned on him, smash i really did'nt like what he did because to me he's ahhhh well a showoff. no fun intended.

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Crazy Parent