Completed pass?

[TXMike]

Looks like some of the fans at this game were not happy either:

Police referee sporting event incidents


BY SHERI McWHIRTER
[email protected]


GAYLORD -- Police managed to keep the peace at two youth sporting events in Gaylord amid unruly fans and parents.

Michigan State Police Trooper Ken Polhemus was called to a high school football playoff game Saturday and a youth hockey game on Sunday. Both calls involved infuriated parents screaming at game officials, coaches, players or other parents, he said. No arrests were made at either sporting event.

"They need to remember it's a game and these are kids," Polhemus said. "They should let the kids play. It's not the Super Bowl. They're not playing for the Stanley Cup."

Marine City High School is headed to the state championship on Friday after beating Kingsford High School on Saturday at Gaylord High School. Kingsford fans weren't pleased with the result.

Tempers flared among spectators when referees called a Marine City touchdown that Kingsford fans disputed. That score put the game out of reach for Kingsford.

Police were called for fear the referees might be assaulted in the parking lot. "We were just there to make sure the refs got off the field without incident," Polhemus said.

Gaylord City Police and an Otsego County sheriff's deputy also responded to the high school.

Al Unger, Kingsford athletic director, said the game was held at a neutral site and he "can't imagine any of our fans would physically threaten the referees."

Kingsford head football coach Chris Hofer said Marine City scored on a pass the "kid never caught."

"My team handled it good," Hofer said. "They just went on and kept playing the game. I have no idea what our fans did."

[Matt-MI]

I don't think I would have called this a catch. MHSAA assigns individuals to semi-finals and finals so I believe that none of these 5 will be working this weekeng at Ford Field.

[dst8ada]

Originally Posted by Matt-MI

I don't think I would have called this a catch. MHSAA assigns individuals to semi-finals and finals so I believe that none of these 5 will be working this weekeng at Ford Field.

The final crew also works a semi final. It gives them a chance to know each other before the final game. It has been that way in Michigan since the early 90's.

[Matt-MI]

dst8ada

I'm not sure that is the case but I wouldn't know since I can't even get a first round game.

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by TXMike

"They need to remember it's a game and these are kids," Polhemus said. "They should let the kids play. It's not the Super Bowl. They're not playing for the Stanley Cup."

I have found that "let the kids play" is one of the biggest cop-outs ever from coaches and parents.

They mean "let the kids play unless you call something that may tend to hurt my kid's team's chances of winning."

They want us to let them play, but if we don't call something, they'll yell at us that we're blind or ruining the game or how unfair it all is.

Parents and coaches, by and large, suck.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

I have found that "let the kids play" is one of the biggest cop-outs ever from coaches and parents.

They mean "let the kids play unless you call something that may tend to hurt my kid's team's chances of winning."

They want us to let them play, but if we don't call something, they'll yell at us that we're blind or ruining the game or how unfair it all is.

Parents and coaches, by and large, suck.

I agree with what you're saying but I think that quote is from the MSP Trooper and he is talking about the parents.

[OverAndBack]

Oh, well, then. That's very different. Never mind.

[TXMike]

That is correct. He is clearly talking about the "fans"

One thing that jumped out at me in this story is that it sounds like they did not normally have police presence at a game. Is that common in other states? I don't think I ever saw a game in Texas that did not have visible law enforcement presence.

[dst8ada]

Police protection in Michigan depends on the site. Having worked many play off games I can't remember police as such taking us off the field. In most places including Northern Michigan and Saginaw Valley the same staff that worked college games took care of us. I do remember seeing police at certain games depending on the schools involved. In some smaller towns all that is going on is the game so law enforcement is there along with most of the town. Things are different in the metro area. My uncle who retired from the Big 10 tells stories of being told to drive to a police post and being taken to do basketball games in empty gyms. Remember Michigan is a big state(not as big as Texas) geographically.

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by TXMike

I don't think I ever saw a game in Texas that did not have visible law enforcement presence.

I don't think you see much in Texas that doesn't have a visible law enforcement presence, do you?

[Scooby]

WOW I would not have called it that way. But I'm a white hat so I would have been looking at the quarterback.

[Forksref]

Incredible.

Never have had police at a HS game here. At least not for the benefit of officials. I had some when I did HS basketball in Ohio, but that is a different set of demographics.