Attacking ref: "Part of the game"

Jim Henry

Many of you have seen the video of the DeSoto HS player attcking the ref.

Follow up from local news. Player is sorry but says his actions were "part of the game." OMG! He needs a reality check.

Desoto County High basketball player apologizes

Welpe

Wow! I really hope they pursue felony charges on him, maybe then he will realize this wasn't "Part of the game."

rwest

Jim Henry wrote
Many of you have seen the video of the DeSoto HS player attcking the ref.

Follow up from local news. Player is sorry but says his actions were "part of the game." OMG! He needs a reality check.

Desoto County High basketball player apologizes

But he also says "he had it taken away from him", meaning the game he loves. It was taken from him. He threw it away!

APG

I didn't hear him say that? 😕 What time in the video did he say that?

Edit: Heard it now...not sure what he meant by that statement.

fullor30

Welpe wrote
Wow! I really hope they pursue felony charges on him, maybe then he will realize this wasn't "Part of the game."

I love the part about 'the game being taken away from me'. I don't think this kid has any idea about his responsibilty for his actions.

JRutledge

AllPurposeGamer wrote
I didn't hear him say that? 😕 What time in the video did he say that?

Edit: Heard it now...not sure what he meant by that statement.

He is a high school kid, do you expect him to know everything he means at this point of his life? I certainly don't. Which is why he should not have been giving an interview to the media. on this incident. His comments can be used against him in a criminal proceeding.

Peace

APG

JRutledge wrote
He is a high school kid, do you expect him to know everything he means at this point of his life? I certainly don't. Which is why he should not have been giving an interview to the media. on this incident. His comments can be used against him in a criminal proceeding.

Peace

Yes, I understand that...which is why I'm not all up in arms about the fact that he said it. I, too, am surprised that he was allowed to give anything more than a generic apology to the press.

Welpe

I don't disagree to an extent, Rut. But I'd like to think well before 18 years old I knew that throwing an official to the floor was definitely not part of the game.

JRutledge

Welpe wrote
I don't disagree to an extent, Rut. But I'd like to think well before 18 years old I knew that throwing an official to the floor was definitely not part of the game.

Then you have missed my point. The point I am saying is a kid that age usually is not prepared to talk in front of people and put their thoughts together. There are adults that cannot do that when they are put on the spot, case in point my class where everyone had to give a presentation in front of classmates. Which is why he should not been giving and interview to the media about this situation. And we are trying to dissect his comments as if there was some real deep meaning based on what he said. What he knows or does not know is not my concern. He should not be giving an interview and his parents/guardian should have stepped in. Someone that is an adult that knows the kid should have stepped in. He said several things that show his age.

Peace

Bad Zebra

The kid still doesn't get it. "...part of the game", "...taken away from me...".

You have to question who is around this kid guiding him. Why would anyone...parent, coach, whoever...allow him in front of a camera and put himself deeper in a hole? I think this is going to end badly for him. Maybe rightfully so, but someone should step in and explain to him how bad he screwed up. I don't think he has a clue.

Mark Padgett

Bad Zebra wrote
I don't think he has a clue.

He'll get a clue when the guilty verdict comes in at court and he is sentenced to some time in jail. After all, being punished for actions such as this is just "part of the game."

JugglingReferee

Bad Zebra wrote
The kid still doesn't get it. "...part of the game", "...taken away from me...".

You have to question who is around this kid guiding him. Why would anyone...parent, coach, whoever...allow him in front of a camera and put himself deeper in a hole? I think this is going to end badly for him. Maybe rightfully so, but someone should step in and explain to him how bad he screwed up. I don't think he has a clue.

Exactly. He had no coaching about the situation prior to talking to the reporter.

But for the most part, the US of A is very forgiving, and the kid will play basketball again somewhere. Though if I was a coach in that area, I wouldn't take him.

fullor30

JRutledge wrote
He is a high school kid, do you expect him to know everything he means at this point of his life? I certainly don't. Which is why he should not have been giving an interview to the media. on this incident. His comments can be used against him in a criminal proceeding.

Peace

My first thought was why is this kid granting an interview, and they have him posing.... dribbling a ball. Parents? School? Coach? Mentor? No wonder he's in trouble, seems like a rudderless ship.

BBrules

JRutledge wrote
He is a high school kid, do you expect him to know everything he means at this point of his life? I certainly don't. Which is why he should not have been giving an interview to the media. on this incident. His comments can be used against him in a criminal proceeding.

Peace

It is my guess that he hasn't 'lawyered up' yet. I can't see any competent defense attorney letting him talk to the media. We must remember that this "kid" is an ADULT, at least according to the law. Everything changed when he turned 18. His maturity level is another matter.

Da Official

Since this is an open forum I will give my opinion too...

After listening to the interview, for ME, I have a less negative opinion of the young man. Listening to Holland he doesn't in my opinion (as stated before) appear to be this thoughtless, mean spirited, thug, and bully that society should fear and consequently lock away forever.

I am not an attorney so I can't say if this interview seriously hurt him in the upcoming legal issues he will probably face but for some this interview shed a different light than the one the world has seen constantly on You Tube and most news stations.

I've heard my colleagues focus on 2 comments he made about his actions "being part of the game" and that the game “was taken away”. But also realize the young man said He felt like he let everybody down by his actions, that he wants to apologize to the official, and what happened on the court “wasn’t acceptable” and wants to apologize to everyone.

As officials it’s ok to be angry at someone who brings harm to us or a fellow official. The Question is how many of us can eventually forgive?

(Stealing Rut’s quote) 😎
Peace

Indianaref

JugglingReferee wrote
Exactly. He had no coaching about the situation prior to talking to the reporter.

But for the most part, the US of A is very forgiving, and the kid will play basketball again somewhere. Though if I was a coach in that area, I wouldn't take him.

I'm all about 2nd chances, however, the statement "...taken away from me...". tells me that he is in the anger stage of remorse.

Welpe

Da Official wrote
As officials it’s ok to be angry at someone who brings harm to us or a fellow official. The Question is how many of us can eventually forgive?

(Stealing Rut’s quote) 😎
Peace

I am not angry with him nor do I feel that I am in a position to forgive him for anything. I do believe that actions have consequences and that he should face the appropriate punishment as it seems he will.

Quite frankly, I see his statements as a "yabut"...perhaps that's just me.

jmwking

Mark Padgett wrote
He'll get a clue when the guilty verdict comes in at court and he is sentenced to some time in jail. After all, being punished for actions such as this is just "part of the game."

He may get a guilty verdict but I doubt on the charges - something will be worked out - but I'd be surprised if he gets prison time (unless he already has a history).

Some sort of community service, and if he stays clean for a year or two his record probably gets expunged.

mbyron

Da Official wrote
I've heard my colleagues focus on 2 comments he made about his actions "being part of the game" and that the game “was taken away”. But also realize the young man said He felt like he let everybody down by his actions, that he wants to apologize to the official, and what happened on the court “wasn’t acceptable” and wants to apologize to everyone.

Right: he acts out and then thinks that by apologizing he should suffer no consequences. That's the breeding ground of irresponsibility and bad behavior.

And I find it troubling that an official doesn't see the connection between actions and consequences.

BBrules

jmwking wrote
He may get a guilty verdict but I doubt on the charges - something will be worked out - but I'd be surprised if he gets prison time (unless he already has a history).

Some sort of community service, and if he stays clean for a year or two his record probably gets expunged.

I think you are very accurate here. It's early on in this process, but I, too, think it will be dealt down, perhaps to a misdemeanor (unless the official changes his mind about not wanting to ruin him) with community service. I don't know about the expunging - I don't think the SAO would want to agree to that considering everything. That said, anything could happen in our court system.