The Basketbrawl & Softball

[WestMichBlue]

I do not disagee with anything said above, but I have to ask: Is Softball somehow different than Basketball or Football or Hockey - where it is the responsibility of the officials to break up fights between game participants?

One comment about the BB Brawl that I have seen and heard in several places is that the referees did not do enough to separate the players in the initial fracas. By allowing it to go on too long they unwittingly allowed the fans to get riled up and involved.

I don't want to open an argument here about that point nor the idiot fans or RA's stupid actions. But why are umpires supposed to step aside and let players brawl - and our counterparts in other sports are require to break it up?

WMB