"Lightly brushes" WOW. Even if it was just a light bump, and I don't think it was, he has no business going anywhere but his bench. Both T's looked earned to me and he clearly was seeking confrontation with the official after the second T.

Should there have been a T to the head coach here for faliure to control bench personnel?

The courts in West Virginia have granted an injunction to the players ejected for leaving the bench to play tonight in North Carolina and Thursday in Kentucky. Mayo has a hearing at 11am. Ridiculous.

I just watched the second video and I'm not sure why a second technical was called (when it was). It would have been nice if one of the other officials could have whistled the second T.

I WAS NOT THERE SO I DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION! It just looks kind of bad that Lazo watches Mayo the whole time and is the same one that gives him both technicals. I will say that we don't know what happened all game long and Mayo could have been causing trouble throughout. I would love to watch this whole game! With 32 first half fouls it was probably a game that needed to be controled and this was the type of thing that they were trying to avoid.

After the first technical a player from the other team seems to say something which draws Mayo to the oppopnents. It seems that there could have been a technical called on the other team as well.

I hope Lazo can move past this because it sounds like he has a bright future.

I don't mind him watching Mayo the whole time. Obviously, there was good reason to keep an eye on him. The problem is that, even though he is watching Mayo the whole time, he allows Mayo to get back to the pack of players at midcourt. If you keep him out of that, there's no second T to worry about.

Good point. If he steps inbetween then it is possibly avoided.

what i DO find hard to believe is that if there WAS all this trash talking was it all coming from one side?

Looks like Mayo's second T could have/should have been a double on his opponents as well. I am just throwing this out there but what if Lazzo was heated and was looking to get back? a possibility yes? I dont know the answer -- the first T looked fine but from my experience trash talk is usually a two way street.

Honestly the second T does look suspect with how it went down and it would have been GREAT had one of the other 2 officials rung him up.

I disagree, I think Mayo coming back into a pack of the other team's players with a look purpose is troubling.

I do agree that one of the other officials should have been babysitting Mayo until things got organized. That most likely would have prevented the second T.

Mayo is playing tonight
 

This whole incident, and reading and viewing the varioius reactions, does not particularly surprise me but it sure makes me sad. Here are a view thoughts, for what they are worth:

- As others have said, it is really difficult to put yourself in someone else's position. We didn't officiate the whole game and we see snippets of what occurred. We can't know the whole story.
- Early in this thread, the two non-calling officials came under some criticism for standing near mid-court and not going to their partner's aid. I don't think that's fair. In our association, we've agreed that in incidents where mayhem is starting to break out (or might), we need some eyes and ears to watch and listen. If they had jumped right in to "help," who was going to take numbers of the bench personnel who came off the bench? I don't think I'd fault an official for trying to step in to aid a partner, but nor do I think I should fault them for staying back and doing the other part of their job. It almost seems like a "d---ed if you do, d---ed if you don't" scenario.
- Since it appears that they did eject some Huntington bench players, there would be two more foul shots (one more T) *unless* Capital bench ejections off set Huntington's, no? If haven't seen any mention of Capital ejections.
- It would have been much better for everyone if another partner had gotten the second T instead of the same official. Sometimes, you have to call both, but it looked like the partners were also in the mix when Mayo walked back through the group the second time. As a lesson that we all can learn, I think if you've already gotten the first, you try to avoid the second unless it's something that you CANNOT let go and you HAVE to go get. I have no problem, in principle, with the second T. Mayo was going in for another stare down opportunity which is certainly not sporting, but the fact that it appears that he did not say anything and that others in that group from both teams may have been similarly "offending," the fact that the same official came and go the second one does open that judment up for additional questioning.
- Poor judgment on the assistant coach/lawyer's part. Look, if you are Mayo's assistant coach, find another attorney to handle his legal issues. You are not exactly a disinterested person who can dispassionately advise Mayo of his options and rights.
- It appeared to me that after the first T, he "brushed" into Opponent #12 who clearly did not move at all. We can't tell if #12 said anything or not, but if #12 didn't say anything, and he clearly didn't move, Mayo appears to be looking for trouble and feels no responsibility for avoiding contact. The attitute "appears" to be I'm-OJ-Mayo-and-you're-not-so-you-get-out-of-my-way-when-I'm-passing. The guys at the parody site would have said that better.
- As I watch the tape, I am stunned that no teammate goes to Mayo and tries to keep him away. Yeah, someone tugged his jersey and tried to get him out initially, but where is the teammate who stays with him and talks sense to him? I don't know if the teammates are incapable of doing this or if Mayo himself has made it clear that he does not welcome that.
- It does appear that Lazo takes a peek and notices Mayo coming. Lazo admits, if the friend reported accurately, that he saw something out of the corner of his eye. I absolutely agree that Mayo has no business anywhere near him, but it also does seem that Lazo might have embellished the fall a little.

Even with good, even great, high school teams, it would seem to me that the educational value of athletics would remain paramount. Sadly, I don't see much evidence of that....

if only OS and his STARE was there ---

http://www.deliriousfilm.com/exorcis...s/xscarfac.JPG

this would have prevented everything

He's doing the TV game.

Then OS would've given him the 'stop sign'!!!

http://e-instantwealth.com/assets/im...p_sign_cop.jpg

:D

Is any of this surprising?

Nope. I would've been surprised if the West Virginia judge didn't allow the West Virginia players to play in a game showcasing a West Virginia high school.

I'll probably watch tonight, knowing that eventually the game will be forfeited. I hope ESPN plays up the altercation/technicals/thuggery, though.

ya they will play that up -- when heck freezes over.

Its sad to see a sport that I have enjoyed for so long get ruined by empty suits, lack of pride/dignity/honor, and idiots all for a buck. And we wonder why so many "superstars" have so many issues in life. Its because they were never taught to deal with those issues -- someone else always managed them.

As I said, I'm not surprised.

They're dancing in the streets in West Virginia. Sad......