Interesting larry Bird trash talk article.

[steve B]

I haven't seen it firsthand, but I'd buy that it's changed. The whole thing about not keeping score in teeball, to the not making someone feel bad. I'm mixed on it too.

In lower end little league one of the better moments was our catcher homering off the pitcher that called him fat. Only actual homer our team had in two years. A few inside the park ones, but only that one actually over the fence.

My one big chance was in gym. About half the FB team was in the same class including the QB. Since I was slow and not good at coverage I was basically left to do what I wanted. Which was usually trying to get the QB. One class he was always a step or two out of reach and doing "some" taunting. Like holding out the ball to me before throwing it. After a bit of that a kid on my team asked if I could hit. Yeah, I can. But will you? Yeah, I will. He was one of the teams LBs, and rushed the opposite side. QB runs away from me, sees him and turns back just in time to get clobbered. Full speed, which with me was never much, but wrapped up and driven into the ground. Damn that felt good. It'd be a big penalty in any league today. Only 5 for tackling instead of touch then. He whined and got told not to taunt anymore and I was warned that he was needed for an actual game in a couple days.

I still couldn't play worth a damn, but the trash talk pretty much ended entirely.

Steve B