Photo of ax-wielding linemen sacked

Sun Times ^ | Rummana Hussain

[endthematrix]

It was a harmless gesture intended to showcase the Batavia High School varsity football team's brawn, and playfully instill fear in their competitors.

But given the rising violence in America's schools, some felt that a poster depicting senior athletes gripping knives, sledgehammers, crowbars and axes crossed the line.

The Batavia High School board recently stopped further publication of the glossy Batavia Bulldogs picture and urged businesses to take the "Fighting for the Conference Title" posters down, after fielding several complaints from the community. The posters began circulating in May.

"We need to be sensitive in today's society with all things that go on," school board President Ron Link said Thursday.

Batavia High School athletic director and football coach Mike Gaspari claimed full responsibility for the "poor judgment" since he approved the student-selected theme for the poster.

'Meant to be fun'

None of the eight boys posing with weapons had bad intentions when they took the picture last spring with four other teammates pictured without weapons, Gaspari said.

"It's just a high school football poster meant to be fun," he said.

Still, Gaspari said he understood the concerns.

"I'm sure they're [athletes] not happy, but they do understand how someone may have thought it was inappropriate," he said.

There are no plans for a retake.

For the last 21 years, the far west suburban school has produced a poster with top senior offensive and defensive linemen -- players who are often overlooked, Gaspari said.

Last year, football players received endless compliments for their "Braveheart" themed posters, which featured costumed athletes holding swords, school officials said. "Braveheart" is an R-rated Mel Gibson movie filled with gruesome images of brutal medieval warfare.

"I guess when people looked at this year's poster, they related to it more negatively," Link said.

[endthematrix]

I had to post...PC police are in my backyard.

[endthematrix]

Some Offended By Controversial High School

[clee1]

"We need to be sensitive..."

The wussification of America continues apace.

[The Red Zone]

"Who axed you?"

[Lexinom]

Hmmmm... For the "Bulldogs", I hardly think an axe is the right prop. For, say, the Beaverton Lumberjacks, I could see it... Oops, that would be promoting violence against trees. Sorry...

[ncountylee]

PC crowd wants what...rump riding sissies?

[Stayingawayfromthedarkside]

Of course the promotion of gangsta rap is acceptable.

[SerpentDove]

I don't know..the name "Bulldogs"...it just...it just seems so... violent.

/pc weenie

[DuckFan4ever]

Oh well. Too bad people took it that way. I agree it did seem like harmless fun. It would be nice if they put together another promo for these boys though. Pride in their school and team is a great thing. Go Bulldogs!

[NImerc]

Looks like a sledgehammer to me, and a small one at that.

[endthematrix]

There is a larger photo in the print edition, and there is an ax, pick, crowbar, sledges and a knife.

[lightislife]

Scary thing is that those are the same tools that I hear are brought to literally staged fights between Senior Classes. I'm in Austin, a big city and this activity is not too popular among the youth. But out in places like Elgin and Kyle where the division is by counties, its common for a person to have a "them against me" attitude.

[JRios1968]

For the "Bulldogs", I hardly think an axe is the right prop. For, say, the Beaverton Lumberjacks...

Bulldogs??!! Beaverton??!! How dare they offend the animals?!?! (/PETA)

Lumberjacks??!! How dare you offend the sensitive trees?!?! (/Ecowhacko)

[irishtenor]

They should change it to "Miniature Poodles"

[peyton randolph]

The Dogs were neutered.

[Salamander]

Yeah but you could still choke somebody with an apron....:)

[DumpsterDiver]

"We need to be sensitive in today's society with all things that go on," school board President and professional hand-wringer Ron Link said Thursday.

[SeeRushToldU_So]

"Who axed you?"

It is correctly said, who ax you.Do not use -ed.

[The Red Zone]

Put spiked collars on them for another picture. (Made out of paper and wood so nobody actually, you know, gets hurt?)

[MinuteGal]

The linemen should be photographed holding frying pans, hat pins and rolling pins to project a tough, but more feminine-friendly image.

Leni

[iconoclast]

Let me put it this way, did anyone here ever have a coach this stupid?

[festus]

Yup. Grown men and women regularly wearing helmets for a leisurly ride on their bicycles in the park near my house show it for me.

Can you imagine a cowboy wearing a helmet to ride a horse ?

[endthematrix]

I told my wife about this and she (ever slightly) convinced me that this was idiotic to shoot this poster. She did mention that recently this school and a rival did have a big brawl over sports. That slapped me back into reality about school violence and the messages we want to send to our kids. She focused on the knife wielder, while I focused on the sledgehammer. Obviously those invoke two very different thoughts.

I guess I'm old skool (but only 32) where I believe the perception of this doesn't meet reality. Tough guys showing off strength holding implements of strength is understandable. The knife thing is curious, my wife and I agreed. My wife said, "Are they trying to say we're going to stab you?" In a (harmless and fictitious) way, YES!. This is sport, and unfortunately, the forces of overbearing parents and schools have taken it taken to a higher more dangerous level.

If the team was wearing Grim Reaper outfits or holding hangman nooses, the implication would be the same but perceicved in a more harmless light. WHY?