Dirtiest (and the Fattest) Basketball “Player” in HS Sports

By McCullough Saturday January 7, 2012

Connell (Wash.) High’s Cole Vanderbilt was a relative unknown in the basketball world, but all that changed two days ago, when a viral YouTube video turned him into one of the most hated players in Washington.

74 Comments

Its Like Canadian hockey now says:

1/8/2012 at 6:59 am

Its like Canadian ice hockey that used to be a good clean sport
Now hockey – whether it is the Winnipeg Jets or whatever is just wrestling or rollerblades on ice

Reply
UncDon says:

1/8/2012 at 9:08 am

That kid will make a fine cop someday – no training needed!

Reply
two to the head says:

1/8/2012 at 11:29 am

Here is the latest in Minnesota.

One kid paralyzed for life and another in unknown condition.

http://startribune.com/sports/preps/136885053.html

Reply
- pedro says:
  
  1/8/2012 at 3:24 pm
  
  But I bet the officials kept the game going. That’s what’s important.
  
  Reply
Dave says:

1/8/2012 at 3:52 pm

As someone who does ref basketball, (IAABO referee) foul #3 was clearly flagrant and cause for immediate removal from the game. If he had been ejected, some of the other nonsense would never have happened. And foul #1, BTW, was clearly an intentional foul. It could have been a technical, but, clearly it was an intentional foul.

The refs screwed up here for sure. There’s no need for excuses for them.

Reply
- Rutger says:
  
  1/8/2012 at 4:00 pm
  
  The reason why I didn’t see it as a flagrant was because the defensive player had an open hand and didn’t follow through with the swing.
  
  Reply
Rutger says:

1/8/2012 at 3:56 pm

Foul #5 was the only flagrant. And the player should have been tossed for that. But you can see the ref chatting with him after. The rest were just hard fouls.

Reply
B. Lambeer says:

1/8/2012 at 7:50 pm

I don’t think the tubby scuffy dude is so mean as he is slow and uncoordinated. Foul #4 was too obvious.

Reply
Mac Guy says:

1/8/2012 at 9:25 pm

I’ll say one last thing about this video.

How do we know these clips were in chronological order?

You’re seeing what the uploader WANTED you all to see, and most of you fell for it.

Reply
- pedro says:
  
  1/8/2012 at 9:52 pm
  
  It doesn’t matter if they are in chronological order. It’s the quality of the players & the referee’s we’re watching.
  
  You’re still the only one that doesn’t see flagrance.
  
  You’re doing an excellent job!
  
  Reply
  - Mac Guy says:
    
    1/9/2012 at 4:50 am
    
    I said #5 was deemed flagrant. The rest were either intentional (and not flagrant) or just hard fouls.
    
    The video doesn’t show when these fouls occurred, nor the order in which they occurred, nor what the refs said to the coaches at other points in the game.
    
    You’re seeing only what your lying eyes want to see: authority not doing its job when you think it should.
    
    You’re not a referee.
    
    Reply
    - pedro says:
      
      1/9/2012 at 11:41 am
      
      No, you changed your tune. Read your first comment.
      
      You changed what you said based on other’s views on the matter.
      
      You didn’t even acknowledged you were wrong.
      
      Knock off the whining.
      
      Reply
      - Mac Guy says:
        
        1/9/2012 at 5:03 pm
        
        It’s fun to argue officiating with someone who doesn’t have the first clue about the subject.
        
        That mandate was a reference to whether or not we eject a player or restrict them to the bench. However, there are other ways to handle these situations without either A) behaving more like a coach than an official and B) taking direct punitive action. It’s a fine line that typically involves working through the coaches themselves. Don’t see the difference? I wouldn’t expect you to.
        
        The refs could have done more if they so chose. I probably would have. However, we’re not there to coach, nor are we required to protect players from rough play BEYOND what the rules and procedures allow them to do.
        
        That’s the job of the coaches. You want to blame someone? Blame the coaches. The refs called what they saw, nothing more.
        
        You’ve obviously never been a sports official for longer than one season, if ever.
        
        This is basketball, not chess. Players get hurt. It’s inevitable. If you don’t like it, fine. Don’t play, and don’t let your children play.
tigerjuju says:

1/9/2012 at 12:58 am

#34 seems to think he is Andrew Bynum…

Reply
TheOne says:

1/9/2012 at 2:51 am

hahah since when did DU posters “care” about sports. Cmon, where’s the “this isn’t a sport, golf is”, “this is a braindead tossing a ball in the basket game..”. Cmon, I need to laugh a lot harder when it comes to sports talk here. Make my year…do it!

As for the clip, this is white trash rich kids type of basketball. We eat these turds like nothing out on the court. Two can play the same game, only be able to win as well These idiots can’t even play for sht and hence have to resort to this. Someone out there there are black and asians laughing their ass off on these fat white kids who can’t play basketball to save their life. HAHAHAHHAH

Reply
- ugly, constipated, and mean says:
  
  1/9/2012 at 11:22 am
  
  At least they can drive.
  
  Reply
Otter says:

1/9/2012 at 3:48 pm

Shame on the person who put together and distributed the one-sided and biased video. It’s one thing being an over-aggressive basketball player, it’s another to vilify a minor with the sole intention of public humiliation. This kid could, in fact, be the biggest a-hole in the world, I don’t know. But, I do know if someone put together 20 seconds of my worst moments, I would look just as bad as him.

Reply
- Mac Guy says:
  
  1/9/2012 at 5:09 pm
  
  I agree. My understanding around the campfire is that he is a high school senior who normally plays football (on defense, if I remember correctly).
  
  It’s also my understanding that the basketball coaches double as the school’s football coaches.
  
  I’ll just let that one sink in for a while.
  
  Reply
- #68--bobbo, everything is political says:
  
  1/9/2012 at 10:53 pm
  
  “But, I do know if someone put together 20 seconds of my worst moments, I would look just as bad as him.” /// Not if the game was for the purpose of the sport/skill involved and not if the coaches/referee’s were doin’t their jobs.
  
  People who don’t know how to play the game as you suggest should be penalized OUT asap.
  
  Do you put safety/fun/sport FIRST or just how far down the list? “Give the bully a break, he may not know what he is doing?” ////Liberdrools.
  
  Reply
  - Mac Guy says:
    
    1/10/2012 at 12:49 pm
    
    I call what I see, not what I want to see. If it’s part of the game (and that’s the key in all of this), then it’s part of the game. Let the coaches handle safety issues, I’m there as an impartial arbiter. Nothing more.
    
    Why does everyone assume the referees/umpires have some obligation to be the babysitters in all of this?
    
    Reply
  - Mac Guy says:
    
    1/10/2012 at 12:58 pm
    
    And to clarify the “not what I want to see” portion…
    
    I’m not there to be an external influence upon the game. I call what I see, and I enforce the calls as appropriate. My own personal feelings about this player or that coach are to have absolutely no involvement on the field/court.
    
    I’ve seen noses get shattered, patellas bend 90° to the outside, lost teeth, foreheads split open (including my own in 2009), broken bones (even had some broken bones myself), dislocated limbs, players get knocked completely unconscious, and the list goes on and on.
    
    It. Happens.
    
    Do I want things to be safe out there? You bet. At the end of the game, I want everyone to go home to their families without requiring a doctor’s trip.
    
    But let’s be real here, people. It happens.
    
    Reply
    - pedro says:
      
      1/10/2012 at 1:32 pm
      
      Really? You don’t see what you want to see? all you want is to “keep the game rolling”
      
      The only one being fooled here is yourself.
      
      Reply
    - #73--bobbo, everything is political says:
      
      1/10/2012 at 10:56 pm
      
      Well—what Pedro said.
      
      Mac Guy===really? I mean REALLY!!!!!!
      
      The germane issue you are exposing yourself on is not “what happens” and not responding to what the parents, coaches, or teams want it simply is whether or not you put SAFETY FIRST or not.
      
      So–what do you see? What do you understand? What are you encouraging and discouraging with every call you make and you don’t make? You do realize that effect is there REGARDLESS of whatever you think you are doing in a vacuum? You know there is no vacuum on a sports field?
      
      What would you think about “erring” on the side of safety? If its close==call it a foul. What would be “wrong” with that?
      
      We’ll wait.
      
      Reply
Brisbane says:

1/10/2012 at 9:38 am

He should become an hero.

Reply
Versacourt says:

6/4/2012 at 9:55 am

so sick! way to take one for the team!

Reply