Playoff brawl (Video)

[deecee]

Originally Posted by eyezen

If you really want to start throwing people under the bus, how about those who scheduled a state 1/4 in that gym and on top of it allowed people to sit in the front row knowing the tight confines.

Really? What do you propose. A game in a stadium with barbed wire around the court

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by deecee

Really? What do you propose. A game in a stadium with barbed wire around the court

A bigger gym?

But that appears to be the higher seed's homecourt.

[Dexter555]

From the news article: "All of the fans were forced to leave by local authorities, but the game’s officials did not assess any technical fouls or eject any players, despite the fact that punches were thrown and several Epps players left the bench to participate in the brawl."

So many questions pop into my head if I think about what I would have done:
- I want to say I'd have been noting jersey numbers for all players fighting and leaving bench. Given that it was instigated by the crowd, I think in conferencing I'd be open to not issuing Ts or ejections, but would be hard to convince me.
- After the gym is cleared, what is the discussion like on whether or not to continue the game/T's/ejections?
- It took 10 minutes to get it under control. Wearing stripes makes you a target from some knucklehead. Do you stay in the gym when the stands are emptying for a brawl?

Given the accounts, it seems this crew did about as well as they could. I commend them.

I pray none of us ever has to deal with this in any of our games!

[johnny d]

Originally Posted by Dexter555

From the news article: "All of the fans were forced to leave by local authorities, but the game’s officials did not assess any technical fouls or eject any players, despite the fact that punches were thrown and several Epps players left the bench to participate in the brawl."

So many questions pop into my head if I think about what I would have done:
- I want to say I'd have been noting jersey numbers for all players fighting and leaving bench. Given that it was instigated by the crowd, I think in conferencing I'd be open to not issuing Ts or ejections, but would be hard to convince me.
- After the gym is cleared, what is the discussion like on whether or not to continue the game/T's/ejections?
- It took 10 minutes to get it under control. Wearing stripes makes you a target from some knucklehead. Do you stay in the gym when the stands are emptying for a brawl?

Given the accounts, it seems this crew did about as well as they could. I commend them.

I pray none of us ever has to deal with this in any of our games!

As soon as the stands start emptying, I am on my way to the safest spot I can think of. If that means leaving the gym, I am gone. Diffusing/ending this type of brawl is the responsibility of game management, security, and local law enforcement. I will be nowhere near it. This makes your first part about getting numbers irrelevant. I most likely wont be there to get them. Once the gym is cleared, I would have no problem finishing the game.

The first year I officiated, I worked some games for a catholic grade school league. During a sixth grade game, we had a home player commit an intentional foul for excessive contact. We called the intentional foul, and the home coach removed the player and gave them a lecture on how their behavior was inappropriate. This apparently was not satisfactory to some fans from the visiting team who started saying some derogatory stuff about the home teams players and fans. Needless to say, an all out brawl started in the stands and spilled onto the court. My partner and I looked at each other, ran off the court to the cafeteria/concession stand, which was where we kept our stuff and waited for the police to come and take care of the problem. While we were in there, the home school AD came and asked us what we were going to do the breakup the fight in the gym. We both told him absolutely nothing and suggested he call the local police. They came and arrested a number of people, and we finished the game in an empty gym.

Last catholic grade school game I ever officiated.

[Sharpshooternes]

What was with the awesome switch after the foul call at 2:22 on the game clock?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Sharpshooternes

What was with the awesome switch after the foul call at 2:22 on the game clock?

In Louisiana, the calling official goes opposite the table. It's in their manual that I was able to find with one Google search.

[j51969]

I am not familiar with either community, but this looks to me like the typical "white vs black community thing". Even if nothing happens on the court there always seems to be some drama that unfolds in the aftermath. You can't fix stupid, but for my money this is the most ridiculous thing in sports youth or otherwise.

Here is a recent incident from my home town in Indiana. These things will just never go away....

IHSAA investigating claims of racism at girls' semi-state game - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Originally Posted by j51969

I am not familiar with either community, but this looks to me like the typical "white vs black community thing". Even if nothing happens on the court there always seems to be some drama that unfolds in the aftermath. You can't fix stupid, but for my money this is the most ridiculous thing in sports youth or otherwise.

Here is a recent incident from my home town in Indiana. These things will just never go away....

IHSAA investigating claims of racism at girls' semi-state game - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Heh, that's not racism that's clever taunting. The gorilla suit was probably unintentional. Playoff sites are chosen before the season starts.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by deecee

Really? What do you propose. A game in a stadium with barbed wire around the court

The players could be called "cagers". Oh, wait.

[eyezen]

Originally Posted by deecee

Really? What do you propose. A game in a stadium with barbed wire around the court

Why not?

I mean if we're going to start blaming people other than parties involved like the officials. I was being halfway facetious in my OP, but then again I've seen a lot worse arguments for a lawsuit than this.

I don't know how Louisiana does things but in Missouri and I' sure most states the venues go to progressively larger neutral sites as their state tourney goes deeper. This wasn't some district/regional play-in game. This was a state 1/4 final, winner goes to state final four. In MO even in lowly district play, if a host schools rotation comes up and doesn't have enough accommodations, they could be force to go to a different site. The state hosts games at big high schools and small colleges for state tourney play beyond districts and before the final four.

A (weak) argument could be made that the state was negligent in hosting a game in an inadequate venue. A (weak) argument could be made that game management did not do due diligence and did not created a proper buffer zone with the font row.

[#olderthanilook]

Originally Posted by eyezen

Why not?

I mean if we're going to start blaming people other than parties involved like the officials. I was being halfway facetious in my OP, but then again I've seen a lot worse arguments for a lawsuit than this.

I don't know how Louisiana does things but in Missouri and I' sure most states the venues go to progressively larger neutral sites as their state tourney goes deeper. This wasn't some district/regional play-in game. This was a state 1/4 final, winner goes to state final four. In MO even in lowly district play, if a host schools rotation comes up and doesn't have enough accommodations, they could be force to go to a different site. The state hosts games at big high schools and small colleges for state tourney play beyond districts and before the final four.

A (weak) argument could be made that the state was negligent in hosting a game in an inadequate venue. A (weak) argument could be made that game management did not do due diligence and did not created a proper buffer zone with the font row.

At first, I thought this was a college game based on the officials reporting mechanics. But, I'm with you, this venue is a cracker box - a powder keg waiting to blow. There isn't any room for anyone to even breathe in that place.

Conditions were ripe for what happened, imo.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by deecee

Really? What do you propose. A game in a stadium with barbed wire around the court

Why do you think that basketball players used to called "cagers"?