It's only a game - on TV

[Mark Padgett]

A while ago, I mentioned that our local NBC affiliate was doing a story on violence (no - not violins) in youth sports. They came to a game I was doing and taped some of the game, and then interviewed me. The story ran on the five o'clock news today.

They had a tape of a 911 call a Little League supervisor made about a drunk parent at a game, then showed some tape supplied by NASO. It included the tape of that HS wrestler head-butting an official up in Washington state last year, plus some other chilling scenes of officials being attacked by fans.

They then showed tape of another youth game that took place the same day as mine at another venue. Guess who was officiating? THE ORIGINAL DAVE!!! Yep, there he was in all his splendor and long pants doing a spring league game. Unfortunately, there was no audio.

They then got around to me. It showed me making some foul calls (with perfect mechanics, of course), and then about 20 seconds of interview edited from the 10 minutes they actually interviewed me.

The story, entitled "It's Only A Game" ran about a total of three minutes, which is a pretty long feature on a 30 minute newscast. I thought the reporter did a pretty good job. I hope it might make a few parents and youth coaches take a long, hard look at themselves.

BTW - I swear it was the camera that added that 10 pounds.