Ref chokes coach

[LSams]

Don't know if this has already been posted or not -- and I'm way to lazy to look. But. . .

http://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=5829


05.20.2008 IS REF GONNA HAVE TO CHOKE A COACH?We'd like to thank newly-anointed WL reader DoctorOctagon for this tip on some black-on-white crime that took place in his backyard. Well, it was in a gym. "Backyard" was a figure of speech. Anyway:

Mickey Shaffer of Poyen said he was coaching the Lady Wings from Central Arkansas as they competed in the seventh- and eighth-grade girls' division of the Challenge of Champions tournament in Little Rock when he questioned a referee's call, and the referee, whose name Shaffer did not know, called a technical foul on him. Shaffer said he sat down but continued objecting to the call, and the referee called a second technical foul on him and ejected him from the game. Shaffer said he was "getting my two cents in" on his way out when the referee grabbed him by the throat and choked him for a few seconds.
Shaffer said that the photo of the choke makes it look worse than it actually was. Like that's gonna keep anyone from getting pissed. Did we mention this happened in Arkansas?

The referee who choked Shaffer was removed from the game he had been officiating and swapped with a referee from a different game on another court, according to witnesses. "He way overreacted, and he did a malicious thing in front of a lot of kids," said [a] parent, who asked that her name not be used. "When you're in that kind of position, you're supposed to be about sportsmanship and all this, and if you don't have any more self-control than that, you just don't need to be in that position."
The coach, by the way, is not pressing charges. Could it be that the coach doesn't want to admit to what he might have said to the ref? Do they mic up coaches at the 7th-grade level?

[Arkansas News]

[CLH]

Eh, I'd say he probably deserved, it's for all the coaches who should have been choked and weren't. I'd buy the ref a beer!!!!

[Mark Padgett]

Is that anything like "choking the chicken"?

[SonikBoom]

Im not sure I like this post being hre. I mean, looking at hte blog, I dont tknw if we should even credit wat's said. but even so, i don't think its funny to joke about choking a coach, even if he "deservs" it. Also, I don't see what race has to do with it.

[JRutledge]

I am not trying to be funny, but you cannot say anything and everything to people. I do not advocate what the official did, but we also do not know what the coach said. And considering the acceptability of coaches being abusive to officials, he crossed the wrong person. After all this is a 7th Grade game that has likely an inexperienced or not a very good official.

Peace

[rockyroad]

To me, it doesn't matter one little bit what the coach said to the official. That official was way, way, way out of line to touch the coach in anger, let alone choke the guy. No excuse - I don't care what was said...by the same token, I don't care how bad the official is, the coach doesn't get to choke the official either...if it's true, the official needs to be charged with assault just like a coach would be.

[Jurassic Referee]

There isn't enough posted in that article to really allow anyone to form a definitive opinion imo. You don't know the exact circumstances leading up to that pic, and you also don't know the context of the pic.

Personally, I try to not form an opinion until I hear both sides. And until I hear what the official in the pic has to say, I sureashell ain't gonna dump on him. That's just not right to do so imo.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by SonikBoom

Im not sure I like this post being hre. I mean, looking at hte blog, I dont tknw if we should even credit wat's said.

Why, are there a bunch of typos or something?

Originally Posted by SonikBoom

but even so, i don't think its funny to joke about choking a coach, even if he "deservs" it. Also, I don't see what race has to do with it.

My guess is race had everything to do with it. People don't just up and choke someone for no reason. My guess is the coach said something extraordinarily provocative. But it's only a guess.

I'll add that I think the ref should have composed himself instead of losing control; even though I can't say there wouldn't be a circumstance under which I might lose my composure.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Why, are there a bunch of typos or something? My guess is race had everything to do with it. People don't just up and choke someone for no reason. My guess is the coach said something extraordinarily provocative. But it's only a guess.

Race has something to do with just about everything. Just because someone did not use a specific word or come out and say certain things does not dismiss the fact that it plays a big role. Just look at the Presidential Race and how race has been a factor, but people try to act like it has not by stating the obvious. People think because we celebrate a holiday or certain laws have been changed the backdrop of this issue has gone away. It has not.

Peace

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Why, are there a bunch of typos or something? My guess is race had everything to do with it. People don't just up and choke someone for no reason. My guess is the coach said something extraordinarily provocative. But it's only a guess.

And a completely unfounded guess. There was absolutely nothing in the article or photo that gives any indication that race was involved aside from the obvious point that one person was white and one was black. While racial insults certainly could have been the trigger, I could think of at least a few equally inflamitory actions that could be just as likely....e.g. insults/comments about his daughter/wife/mother without reference to race. It would be just as ignorant and stupid to suggest that the official couldn't restrain himself because of his race. Let's not make something about race merely because it is possible.

Put simply, we don't have enough info to make any conclusions about what led to the incident. But, unless the coach grabbed the officials hands and put them there, the official should lose his officiating credientials.

[Raymond]

I think the ref was just offering the coach a Red Stripe beer.