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Here is what I see is the problem here and I am totally impartial, and figure the truth probaly lies somewhere in the middle of both sides.
First it is a 29-0 football game. One team is getting their butts kicked, and a coach starts screaming with two minutes left to go. They are not doing a very good job teaching kids how to accept losses very well.
Second the coaches came on to the field arguing. Read this toss flags and coach is ejected. According to the official he was screaming obscenities, and the unbiased reporter says video tape show coach being held back by others.
I dont care if this 19 old kid was the absolute worst official in the world, this type of behavior was claerly condoned by the league. The article in the paper states there was no written policy dealing with officials... Give me a break! They have never had a coach tossed? Yeah right! they never had problems with fans? Yeah right! It appears to me that if they truly had no written polcies they condone such rantings and ravings and potential bully tactics. Once a coach has been ejected it sold be at least a one game suspension. If the coach made verbal threats it should have been tacked on. (Remember this is the same coach who admitted in press it was ok to give kids dirutectics to los weight) This isnt a guy with a great track record for me!
Where I'm at we have a rope around the field, anyone crosses it they are ejected and the police escort them from the game site. Coach is ejected, they turn in their ID badges, they are suspended for a min of 1 game.
The league just doesnt have enough guts to deal with this coach and unsportsmanlike behavior. Everybody is talking about it being for the kids. It's not about the kids when coaches are allowed to act this way and get some sort of reprimand.
The "assault" as far a criminal statute should be dealt with by the local police officials and prosecutors. Sound like it is.
I for one would be consulting an attorney for a civil suit for assault and battery. Assault in civil law only requires an intentional act creating apprehension of fear and the means to carry it out immediately. Screaming and yelling and having to be held back would fall in my definition of assault. Battery just has to be an offensive touching. He bellies up to me even with the slightest bump, I'd say he has committed battery.
My guess is that the league officers could be named as well under some sort of negligent supervision/hiring theory. It would defintely get the leagues attention. Maybe that's the way these officials get the attention of the league to correct a problem that has not been addressed in 42 years.
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