Incident in Texas HS Playoff Game

[BktBallRef]

I can't imagine that being the case, walt. Everybody on the field is going to the left when you're suddenly hit by a Mack truck moving in the opposite direction. Nope, I bet he had some realization of what happened.

[waltjp]

He may have suspected something was amiss but there's no way he'd know for sure without sensing something beforehand.

Just brings us back to my earlier question, did anyone throw a flag?

[BktBallRef]

I too would like to know the outcome. TXMike?

[TXMike]

It is not over yet Waiting for the U to decide what he will do although I hope his advisors let him know the longer he waits to file the case the less enthusiasm it will get from local law enforcement authorities.

[bigwhistle]

The play happened on the next to last play of the game. The player involved is on the team that was ranked number 1 in the country until they lost this game. The team roster says the player involved is a senior. This player had been complaining about being held the entire game.

None of this is important, but I am just providing some information after talking with the official involved. There was no flag on the play. The other officials were looking at their keys, and the incident happened almost immediately after the snap, with the flow going the opposite direction. Yesterday was the first time that the official involved had even seen the replay of the incident, as the crew had not yet received a copy of the game film. I believe that they are still in the information gathering mode right now, and the state body that governs high school athletics still is waiting for more documentation.

[Forksref]

As of Tuesday AM, the videos have been removed from YouTube. I wonder why.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Forksref

As of Tuesday AM, the videos have been removed from YouTube. I wonder why.

Your "I wonder why" was probably facetious, since the answer is plain: lawyers.

[TXMike]

And the punishment begins

HS Game Time Blog - DFW

[Texas Aggie]

Big: I'm a Texas attorney. Tell your buddy (the guy hit) to contact me if he would like to discuss the matter (without charge) and I can tell him his options here. skh_91 at hotmail.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

I can't imagine that being the case, walt. Everybody on the field is going to the left when you're suddenly hit by a Mack truck moving in the opposite direction. Nope, I bet he had some realization of what happened.

Euless Trinity football player disciplined for hit on official | Dallas/Fort Worth High School Sports | HS GameTime.com | Top Stories


The video, taken from two angles, is from the late stages of Allen's 34-21 win over Trinity in the Class 5A Division I Region I final Dec. 6 at Texas Stadium.


At the snap of the ball, the Trinity linebacker immediately runs to his right and knocks umpire Robert Rosales to the ground, even though Allen is running a play to the linebacker's left.




The game was officiated by members of the Houston chapter of the Texas Association of Sports Officials. Tommy Moore, the chapter's executive secretary, and other officials said they do not believe Rosales intends to pursue legal action. Rosales could not be reached for comment.

Moore said he doubts Rosales realized it was anything but incidental contact until he saw the game video.



"It's common for an official to get run into sometimes because there's a lot of action out there," Moore said. "But I've never seen anything like this video."

[ajmc]

Thank God it's never happened, but I made a promise a long time ago; If a player, coach or fan assaulted me on the field, sideline or after the game, I would do whatever necessary to see that they spent that night in jail, and would pursue it as far as possible.

I have always thought I owe that to everyone else wearing stripes. In my book, striking an official is right below smacking your mother. You just can't go there, ever.

[TXMike]

I hope I have the intestinal fortitude to press the issue also should it ever happen to me. Some things are larger than us as individuals and thinking of it that way may help someone make the decision to go forward even though it could be difficult, and be "costly" to us or our association in terms of future game potential.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Thank God it's never happened, but I made a promise a long time ago; If a player, coach or fan assaulted me on the field, sideline or after the game, I would do whatever necessary to see that they spent that night in jail, and would pursue it as far as possible.

I have always thought I owe that to everyone else wearing stripes. In my book, striking an official is right below smacking your mother. You just can't go there, ever.

Likewise, I made the same promise. I witnessed an incident following a HS county tournament baseball game last spring where one of the umpires was physically assaulted by a fan while leaving the field and heading for the parking lot.

I wasn't working the game but stopped by to watch and knew a couple of the umps. I walked with them to the parking lot when they were approached by a fan. A few words were exchanged. I tried to position myself between the fan and the umps but before I could get there the fan grabbed one of the umps around the neck.

Fortunately we were being followed out by another fan who was an off-duty police officer. He witnessed the entire exchange and subdued the fan before any real harm could be done.

Of course, by subdue I mean the officer wrestled him to the ground and held him until the local police showed up.

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Moore said he doubts Rosales realized it was anything but incidental contact until he saw the game video.



"It's common for an official to get run into sometimes because there's a lot of action out there," Moore said. "But I've never seen anything like this video."

I'm sure Mr. Rosales is a fine official and took the contact in stride but there needs to be a STRONG message sent that officials are not fair game and this type of action is not going to be taken politely.

[umpirebob71]

Why in the world would he not file charges? He was assaulted. As was alluded to above, allowing this sort of thing to go unpunished, simply emboldens others to try the same thing.