Players attacking opposing high school coach? What is happening with youth sports?
UPDATE: The AJC has reported more details on this story today, including that the Warren coach was injured when he intervened in a post-game fight between players at the Hancock stadium. Please read the updated story, in which the Warren superintendent contends that more than 30 Hancock players attacked Warren players, and the Warren coach tried to intervene and was “smashed in the face with a helmet.” Warren school chief Jean Carey wants the GBI to investigate but the Hancock sheriff has declined to bring in the GBI. The GBI says it can’t open a probe at the request of a school superintendent.
This is the second story in a week that makes me wonder what is happening to youth sports. The AJC is reporting that Warren County head coach David Daniels was attacked after Friday night’s game against Hancock Central High School. Warren County won the game 21-2. Daniels was allegedly attacked by players from the Hancock team.
The Warren County superintendent has asked the GBI to file criminal charges in the attack, which was so severe that Daniels is in the hospital with head injuries and has undergone major reconstructive surgery to his face to deal with crushed bones above and below his eye.
I would hope that Hancock Central High is taking a strong stand and doing its own review of what happened and whether its players assaulted Daniels. If so, their football careers at the school should be over.
Last week, police in Carroll County said parents tried to fight 11- and 12-year-old football players. Parents reportedly rushed the field after a call that they didn’t like. The parents yelled obscenities at the children, and one held a child down and tried to remove his helmet so another kid could slug him, according to police. Police issued citations to three coaches for disorderly conduct and obscene language.
These stories are so depressing that I am not sure what to say. If we wonder where kids learn violence, we don’t have to look to TV or movies. In many cases, they are learning it from their parents.
–from Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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154 comments Add your comment
Ernest
October 17th, 2011
10:57 am
This is getting depressing. It did not help that we also saw coaches misbehaving in college (UGA & Vanderbilt) and professional (SF & Detroit) football games over the weekend.
Have to be anonymous...I'm being monitored at my school
October 17th, 2011
11:06 am
Good thing we don’t teach them empathy in school. That would be a total waste of money. Oh wait…
Beverly Fraud
October 17th, 2011
11:07 am
Maureen posts this, but then steadfastly refuses to back off her assertion that the teacher is THE most important factor in a child’s educational existence.
I guess we should blame the coaches for being “weak, and ineffective” as opposed to assigning any accountability to the parents; after all the coaches, as teachers, are THE most important factor in the child’s educational existence.
Blue dog
October 17th, 2011
11:13 am
This is not new…….
I remember numerous HS basketball games where gangs would gather outside the exits and attack anyone leaving the gym after the game. These “gangs” were male students from the visiting high school who were poor losers.
Our coaches, along with other men would “clear the exits” and announce that it is now “safe” to leave.
This was in the 60’s at Harlem High school…not the one in NY…the one in Ga.
irisheyes
October 17th, 2011
11:14 am
Where WERE the Hancock County coaches? If this was an away game, why were the players just allowed to wander the area? When I was in HS, I did the stats for the baseball team, and for away games the players were never allowed to just head off to wherever they wanted to go. They had to go back to the school on the team bus, even if their parents had come to the game. If this whole story is true, the players should get arrested, the coaches should get fired, and the season should be immediately suspended until futher notice. I don’t think a school system can overreact to this.
irisheyes
October 17th, 2011
11:14 am
Lost in the filter!
Lori
October 17th, 2011
11:20 am
This is ridiculous. These kids should not only be not allowed to play football anymore, but they should be expelled from the school and brought up on criminal charges! I hope they are able to identify all the students involved and take appropriate action.
The other story about the parents attacking children is gross too! “Citations were issued”!! Really, just citations? These adults should also be arrested for attacking children.
Coach
October 17th, 2011
11:20 am
None of the students who participated in this attack should ever be allowed on another school campus, alternative or not, graduation rates be @#*^^ed.
Don't Tread
October 17th, 2011
11:24 am
I guess it’s too much to ask kids to have moral standards when their parents don’t have any.
Leyland
October 17th, 2011
11:36 am
Football is what mediocre people cling to when they’ve given up on life.
Players attack opposing high school coach? What is happening with youth sports? | Get Schooled | Leading Schools | Scoop.it
October 17th, 2011
11:37 am
[...] Players attack opposing high school coach? What is happening with youth sports? | Get Schooled This is the second story in a week that makes me wonder what is happening to youth sports. [...]
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
October 17th, 2011
11:42 am
I agree. These kids who lost are having their futures ripped from them right before their eyes. This coach shouldve known better than to attempt at ruining the chances for these children to get a free ride thru college and onto the NFL. HOW DARE HIM!
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
October 17th, 2011
11:51 am
Sorry, I just wanted to be the first to present the illogical.
SPARKY
October 17th, 2011
11:51 am
“I would hope that Hancock Central High is taking a strong stand and doing its own review of what happened and whether its players assaulted Daniels. If so, their football careers at the school should be over.”
You think these people care more about a human life than football???
Clueless
October 17th, 2011
11:57 am
THEIR FOOTBALL CAREERS SHOULD BE OVER?
Damn skippy! Their school careers should be over, too. They need to be in jail!
LeeH1
October 17th, 2011
11:59 am
It used to be that parents were also financially responsible for the actions of their children. The kids who beat up the coach should be arrested and tried as criminals. They are criminals.
But even more importantly, the parents of the convicted children should also be assessed for all the costs of hospitalization, treatment and recovery of the coach. The school system or the insurance company shouldn’t have to pay for this- the parents should.
Also, parents should insist that violent and abusive people, like Michael Vick (football), Todd Bertuzzi (Hockey) or Dennis Rodman (basketball), should not be allowed to play professional “Sports”. I know they make the teams lots of money. But thugs should not be employed in sports, unless you want to see kids emulate the thugs. In this case, they have.
Once Again
October 17th, 2011
11:59 am
What is happening with youth sports? Nothing new. Tragically the overly organized variety has always been an outlet for parents to live out the glory they never had in their youth or to relive the glory that has now escaped them in adulthood. Football is the worst of all because its design is evocative of war and all the violence it entails. Ground is gained, tactics are employed, etc. and the violence is implicit.
Then look around at our society and most especially our way of resolving conflict. Voluntary choice is all but gone in virtually every business and social interaction. We have laws (state violence) that regulate virtually every move we make from waking to sleeping and even after that. We no longer can decide what we eat, what we drink, what we smoke, who we do business with or what business we do without finding ourselves confronted by the violence of the state and its laws.
Our foreign policy has been hijacked by people who want war at the drop of a hat and only know extreme violence as a way of addressing any conflict. We impose trade embargos that kill millions all because we don’t like a country’s government, and we invade, kill, destroy, and occupy all to bring peace and democracy.
Don’t look anywhere but in the mirror on this one. You all gave up on voluntary interactions free of state intervention a long time ago and you continue to support even more of it every time to go to the ballot booth.
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
October 17th, 2011
12:01 pm
Those children who attacked this coach, is it really their fault? Personally, I blame society.
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
October 17th, 2011
12:03 pm
The coach should be the one going to jail for not allowing these children to win.
SPARKY
October 17th, 2011
12:04 pm
“I would hope that Hancock Central High is taking a strong stand and doing its own review of what happened and whether its players assaulted Daniels. If so, their football careers at the school should be over.”
I’m pretty sure they value football above the life of an opposing coach.
Jasmine Terse
October 17th, 2011
12:12 pm
Charges should be filed against these hoodlums.
Dr NO / Mr Sunshine
October 17th, 2011
12:16 pm
Its not the childrens fault. They came from single parent families and only have experienced life from the welfare/WIC side of the tracks.
Beverly Fraud
October 17th, 2011
12:42 pm
Well I’m sure Maureen will do the research, and of course the research will show that these children are blameless; indeed they are the victims of “weak, ineffective teachers” in Kindergarten and first grade.
Criminal charges should be filed, not against the students of course, but against the “weak, ineffective teachers” who above ALL other factors, are DIRECTLY responsible for putting the kids on the “school to prison pipeline”
What a sad commentary that these teachers committed such heinous acts.
William Casey
October 17th, 2011
1:16 pm
This story saddens me greatly. I coached football, basketball and baseball at a number of public and private high schools here in Georgia during the ’70’s thru ’90’s. My son played basketball and baseball at Northview more recently. I’ve been involved in hundreds of high school athletic events and have NEVER experienced anything like this. Though I don’t doubt the story, I find it impossible to believe how it could have happened.
In football, if we were the visting team, we always returned as a group to our buses as quickly as possible after the game. The players were always supervised by at least five coaches. Our bus left as soon as possible as well. This was fundamental. If we were the home team, we returned as a group to our locker room and remained there under supervision until the visiting team left. Also, fundamental. We clearly recognized that football is an emotional game and that players might “get into it” with other players. I never conceived that there would be attacks on opposing coaches. This report is bizarre.
If Hancock Central players were involved, they should be expelled. Their coaches should be sanctioned by the Professional Standards Commission. The school should consider cancelling (forfeiting) all remaining games of this season. A strong message must be sent. Regardless of who committed tis crime, they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Maureen, I hope that you will follow up with precise details of this incident as they become available.
Inman Park Boy
October 17th, 2011
1:19 pm
This is clearly a parent problem, but modern parents rarely see it that way. This is a generation of parents who want to argue over every “C” a kid makes, sue the school over any and every kind of discipline (and let the school take a hard stand on something and the AJC is often the first to shout “Unfair!”), and otherwise make themselves pests at school. Parents clearly have a right (and a responsibility) to be involved in their child’e education, but many of them think this means acting like utter fools. And you think working in this atmosphere is going to draw our “best and brightest” to the teaching profession?? HA!
chillywilly
October 17th, 2011
1:24 pm
A lot of these kids don’t have any hometraining, respect for authority and are just plain monsters/predators. Our current laws have restricted law enforcement & school discipline and some of these kids have parents that behave worst than the kids. We need to let schools expel their bad asses and let law enforcement rough their no good asses up and then lock em up. If it was up to me, I’d cruise the streets, handcuff every one of them with sagging pants, that speak extremely bad grammar, take them to a boot camp and beat their asses everyday until they learn some manners, change their bad habits and change their bad looking appearance.
HS Public Teacher
October 17th, 2011
1:51 pm
It is not just “youth sports” Maureen….
It is “youth.” This is only a symptom. Our youth were never taught manners or proper behavior. Our youth learned their behavior from video games – most war/fight games. The parents of our “youth” never taught them the social graces that we were taught. The parents of our “youth” instead chose to defend the inappropriate actions of these youth and blamed the teachers.
These “youth” are becoming young adults. God help us all….
skipper
October 17th, 2011
1:55 pm
Ever been to Hancock Central? No way to say anything negative, as one will be branded “racist” but the school is a cluster……..one of the poorest counties in the NATION, and the most obvious lack of leadership in the history of the world. Kids havin’ kids, all the things that society tries to address, but things are CONSISTENTLY gettin’ worse. Don’t take anybodies word for it….go see for yourself.
Beverly Fraud
October 17th, 2011
2:23 pm
Yes skipper what you say may be true, but it pales in comparison to the weak, ineffective teachers who, above ALL other factors, caused this.
Pales in comparison? Is that politically incorrect terminology?
Let’s hope no teachers are seen on Facebook drinking Pale Ale. Not only will alcohol rehab be suggested, culturally sensitivity training for using such pejoratives as “pale” will be mandated.
Woody
October 17th, 2011
2:31 pm
Yeah, well, folks, I’m just thinking there are always two sides to any story. I’m wondering what happened on the field that night beyond one team lost pretty bad. Sounds like an outbreak of rage to me, and why was that exactly? Let’s be a little open to the ‘rest of the story’ and hope the good ‘ol AJC will ferret that out in the next few days.
William Casey
October 17th, 2011
2:37 pm
This topic seems to have unleashed a torrent of sarcasm toward all youth, parents, teachers and society in general. Doesn’t seem helpful to me. Let’s get the precise facts of the case and go from there.
Maureen Downey
October 17th, 2011
2:42 pm
@Woody, The AJC just updated the story. See blog for link to additional info. No matter what was said to any player on the field, there is no justification for hitting the coach in the face with helmet.
Maureen
Coach in Cobb
October 17th, 2011
2:43 pm
I’ve coached 3 sports for ten years and I am done coaching after this year. The parents are getting worse and worse. They all think their kid is the next Peyton Manning or Chris Paul and their kid can do no wrong. I’m burned out and will be turning in my whistle at the end of the year.
Pencil Pusher
October 17th, 2011
2:47 pm
Who is Chris Paul? Wasn’t he on American Idol last year?
Martha
October 17th, 2011
2:49 pm
Of course it is the parents’ fault! And the kids, too. Some of them KNOW how to behave, they just choose NOT to behave. Hard to raise a child to be a responsible person when you are out partying (with the child?), trying to act like you are the same age! “My daughter/son is my BEST friend.” Please….excuse me while I vomit. YOU are a parent, ACT like one. Be a good role model, enforce standards of conduct on your child that are acceptable to society.
Then….society (whether it be middle school, high school or college, pros or rec league) needs to enforce rules and regulations for acceptable behavior. Bust their butts, restrict their playing time, throw’em off the team, bar them from ever playing/coaching again. And, if necessary, press charges and do not drop them!!
Car Salesman
October 17th, 2011
2:52 pm
Spunky guys like that make good car washers for the inventory.
Good Mother
October 17th, 2011
3:13 pm
We need to ban football in high school. The nature of the game is violent. It produces and encourages obesity and chauvinism.
The whole sport of football needs to get out of the school system altogether. It costs school systems too much, it deprives schools of good teachers — because teachers get hired to coach football instead of teaching math and science, it promotes violence and glorifies machismo.
You don’t see crap like this happening at a gymnastics meet.
Titus Andronicus
October 17th, 2011
3:20 pm
Violence involving youth sports (pee-wee level) is fairly new. Violence at high school games is not.
Incidents from Georgia high school games of the 1910s-40s:
- 1919: Benedictine and Savannah High starts with a fight between players and devolves into one with the fans
- 1922: Waynesboro High timekeeper attacks Millen High players
- 1927: An Eastman doctor stabs a Dublin High player at a game
- 1948: Game between long-time rivals Nashville High and Cook High starts with accusations of Cook paying off referees and ends with Nashville fans attacking referees. Every few years, a game between the two has some level of brawling. It even spread to basketball one season.
That’s not even beginning to count the major brawls between teams that ended games earlier.
College games were worse. Ever hear the story of how Tennessee once stopped Georgia with a .38 (or a similar caliber) … literally? Jack Trice (which actually didn’t involve fans)?
Post-1947? A whole lot more. While no violence happened, I’ve watched coaches bully referees, the fans nodding along because they’ve been conned into thinking they’re really being cheated.
It’s a combination of deep-seated rivalries, coaches taking themselves too seriously, players taking themselves too seriously, fans taking themselves too seriously, bad winners, bad losers, inadequate security, the GHSA not understanding what caused any of it, and a whole lot of other mess.
It’s not a new phenomenon. The internet and new media is just making it a whole lot easier to find out.
gamom
October 17th, 2011
3:41 pm
Maureen, I can tell so many stories about youth and high school sports. My kids have been involved over many years….. I think there are a lot of high school coaches AND parents who simply lack common sense. Take over the summer for instance – it took the GHSA to issue a directive to curtail practice in the heat. It should have never come to that. If the GHSA didn’t issue the directive, the coaches would have continued to hold practices at all hours in that grueling heat. There were football players in my neck of the woods getting sick and going to ER before the directive was handed down. I have been to baseball games where coaches and parents had to be escorted off the field and out of the park for becoming hostile and worse. Many stories don’t make it to the news, but at least 2 times out of a season, my husband or I have encountered incidences. It really is absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes it is the parents who are the worst of all! They will drive their kids over the top in the hopes of reaping a college scholarship or they are living through their kids. And I don’t understand why coaches get away with all the cussing they do. If a kid did that they’d get thrown out of school, but the coaches get away with a LOT.
Terry Krugman
October 17th, 2011
3:48 pm
The over emphasis on winning is taking its toll. I know for a fact that a number of public schools actively recruit athletes -even those with failing grades who live outside the district- to augment their chances for success on the field or hardwood. Since the AJC was crucial in uncovering scandals with the APS and Dekalb School systems, I urged the writer who covers prep sports to do some investigative reporting on this. I again hope that the paper will look into schools bending the rules and sending the wrong message to its students, its players and the community.
gamom
October 17th, 2011
3:48 pm
There are also incidents that happen where the coaches want to keep things Hush Hush, especially if there is a dangerous prank or hazing between players. There often is a code of silence among players and coaches. And kids are so influenced by their coaches and the coaches behavior.. so I hope this is a lesson to every coach out there, that what they say and do has a tremendous impact on the team, players and parents. Coaches are supposed to be role models.
gamom
October 17th, 2011
3:49 pm
The AJC needs to look at public schools that bump grades of their athletes. This is a common practice!!!
Ole Guy
October 17th, 2011
3:52 pm
The very day the paddle…the “board” of education…was removed from the classroom was the same day upon which respect, from kids toward adults, embarked upon the slippery slope toward generational decline. Today’s kids, for the most part, fail to measure up to any competitive standard, moraly, ethically, much less educationally. Titus’ final remark on rivalries…winners and losers, etc is certainly true, however, the over-riding void, as I have indicated previously, is a complete breakdown in discipline and self-respect, both among kids AND adults not too far removed from the rudderless educational environment we find at the early years of a 21st Century global arena.
BE AFRAID…VERY AFRAID!
To Terry Krugman from Good Mother
October 17th, 2011
3:56 pm
Very well said. Thank you. We need to investigate. Please write the AJC with your thoughts.
gamom
October 17th, 2011
3:58 pm
And there is no excuse…none, nada, zip for a coach to be attacked in any manner whatsoever. There should be a full investigation.
To Titus Andronicus from Good Mother
October 17th, 2011
3:59 pm
…and dont’ forget the Romans. (How could you with a name like yours?) Roman sports were more violent and blood-thirsty. Lions and tigers and Christians in a ring till death.
Curtis Rivers
October 17th, 2011
4:06 pm
It’s about respect, and no paddling nor abusive behavior will bring that respect. It begins with kindergarten on, discipline in the class and on the field (discipline can be achieved in non-violent manners). If disrespectful behavior is stopped immediately with swift actions from the early years and reinforced on through school, we will see this behavior diminish. Also, the levels of violence on TV, video, movies, etc., is a huge influence on this kind of behavior.
TallaDawg
October 17th, 2011
4:06 pm
If Sheriff Primus had any sense he would WANT the GBI involved instead of even the chance of an apearance of inpropriety. But, if the GBI gets involved he would not be able to cover it up.
Lundy
October 17th, 2011
4:13 pm
Sounds like Beverly has some anger issues.
Former SPARK parent
October 17th, 2011
4:14 pm
46 so-so comments and counting, and only two that are center-ring on-target: chillywilly (as usual), and TallaDawg, who is apparently alone in grasping that this good ol’ boy sheriff ain’t about to let his authority be usurped by the GBI–it’s his job to cover for his county’s young thugs, and by God, he’s going to do it. But you watch–this is too big now. Somebody who DOES have the authority to get real investigators involved will do so. Just watch.
Woody
October 17th, 2011
4:15 pm
Maureen, of course I sympathize with the Warren coach and his family. I did read the update, and the Hancock sheriff sounds like he has his feet firmly planted on the ground, and is intimating there is a ’something else’. All I’m saying is, for 30 people who have not been drinking alcohol to collude to commit a riot, something more deeply provoking than losing a football game has occurred. I encourage the AJC to get off the long-distance phone, go spend a few weeks out there, and find out what that was. I’ll bet there is a real story there.
Randy Marsh
October 17th, 2011
4:23 pm
I go to my son’s little league games, get in fights with parents from the opposing teams, and get arrested every time. Arresting me for what? I’m not allowed to stand up for myself. I thought this was America. Huh, isn’t this America? I’m sorry, I thought this was America.
Marshall
October 17th, 2011
4:24 pm
I would imagine that the GHSA would be interested in obtaining the facts surrounding this assault. I don’t beleive they have the power to investigae, but I am sure they can push this forward.
icedawg
October 17th, 2011
4:25 pm
Why should this be so surprising. It is happening in professional sports, it is happening at the collegiate level and it is happening at the street level. Civility is no longer a value of society. It now appears that both macho and emasculated male behavior have become the new norms courtesy of the prevailing postmodernism. And now the female role models on TV and the Big Screen are trying to emulate men. Can of ironic that feminism has morphed into that.
Enough is enough
October 17th, 2011
4:27 pm
The players involved in the fight (from both sides) should be kicked off their teams and suspended….Any player that used a weapon (helmet) during the fight should be expelled and criminal charges should be forthcoming. Players should be held to the same standards as “regular” students….
Brian30101
October 17th, 2011
4:31 pm
We should stop keeping score..no winners and no losers. Then group hugs and singin after the games.
Brian
October 17th, 2011
4:32 pm
to leyland…
that is idiotic to make that kind of generalization…. for some it may be true but others enjoye it.. you sir are an idiot
Thugga IV
October 17th, 2011
4:33 pm
Send them to UGA. They will fit right in.
Old Dawg
October 17th, 2011
4:33 pm
I was a sports writer in Madison, GA from the early 90s through 2000 and Hancock Central was always a problem. It’s a terribly poor community with little to no male role models for the students and many other issues create a sense of resentment and anger.
Another bad school was Loganville. It didn’t matter what sport it was, the Loganville fans had the worst case of sportsmanship of any school Morgan County played. Social Circle was another bad place.
From my observations, the win at all cost attitude creates a gang mentality where anyone who doesn’t perform to accepted standard during games are treated like an adversary and opposing coaches and teams are actually the enemy.
Some county recreation departments remove parents from games, or from attending games for the remainder of their lives. Some high school have had to do the same thing with parents and grandparents.
I don’t have a solution to the problems, I’m just reporting them. At the same time, something needs to be done to preserve some sense of balance to the games we all enjoy…though enjoyment has, sadly, turned into a murderous obsession.
Ole Guy
October 17th, 2011
4:34 pm
Marsh, we live in a society which demands that we live by the rules. Unfortunately, we sometimes have to subrogate (what we feel are) our “rights” for the betterment of the whole of society. If you cannot understand this, sir, I pity your kids…not you; it’s probably too late for you. Go ahead, sir, and drink to your “rights”.
lovelyliz
October 17th, 2011
4:34 pm
“What is happening with youth sports?”
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Do you know what a sports scholarship is worth? I mean we start idolizing these kids once they show any talent.
Bob LaBlah
October 17th, 2011
4:37 pm
Hancock County is a third world country. Check it out sometime, if your brave enough.
Texas Pete
October 17th, 2011
4:39 pm
You have two broken trains of thought colliding.
1) Everyone is entitled to a trophy. People expect to win or bust. If you don’t win then the opponent is a cheat, anti-American and deserves to be beat up.
2) It’s easier to blame the victim than deal with the aggressor. Bullying is out of control. Really, it is…The reason why bullying is out of control is because of the zero tolerance violence policies in schools and the selective discipline used by teachers and administration. When a punk kid bullies someone or otherwise misbehaves, they will typically be ignored because no one wants to deal with the headache. When a “victim” (who is typically a good kid which is why he/she is a “victim”) decides to retaliate, it is easier to punish that kid or both kids as a group. Thus, the bully knows he/she can generally get away with a relative slap on the wrist and continue the behavior because he/she is protected from the @sswhoopin’ that the bully would have gotten in 1985. The “victim” doesn’t want to continue to get in trouble so the slap on the wrist is enough to silence him/her even when the bullying continues. If “victims” didn’t fear punishment there’d be a lot less bullying overall.
I don’t believe violence solves everything but it does keep things in relative check when used for self-defense. Mobs and bullies know they can do whatever they want without equal or worst repercussions and so they are currently winning the battle.
I remember my old high school’s JV team ended up in a large brawl with an opponent back in the 80s. No one was arrested or suspended but no bad blood persisted at the mall or in future meetings between the two schools in football or any other sport.
We’re just in a sad state of affairs.
Inman Park Boy
October 17th, 2011
4:40 pm
I promise you, if the school suspends ANY of these students there will be a parent hired lawyer knocking on the school door before the sun rises the next day. And the school board will fall all over itself in dropping the punishment. After all (the legal argument will go) you may be depriving one of these fine young men of a full “scholarship” (and I use the word loosely) to the college of his choice! God, it is sick.
Ron Mexico
October 17th, 2011
4:40 pm
This is despicable behavior! I hope this coach recovers well enough to identify the animals that attacked him. And before anybody respond with political correctness, I did say “ANIMALS.” because human beings should engage in this type of behavior. This man was safer in the zoo with the cages unlocked!
D'montre Shaquilious
October 17th, 2011
4:43 pm
The answer as to what is wrong is obvious…just look at the makeup of the teams. And as far as UGA is concerned, Grantham showed his a$$ last year by giving a FL player the “choke” sign…a lot of class, but what do you expect from UGA?
Mike#1
October 17th, 2011
4:47 pm
LOSERS.
Mike
October 17th, 2011
4:51 pm
Society today in some areas is completely out of control. Parents are way too ‘emotionally” involved with their kids.
Grow up parents and teach your kids what is really important…if you yourself know.
Yankee Prof
October 17th, 2011
4:53 pm
I volunteered to be an assistant coach for rec baseball one season, but decided not to go back because the just plain ugliness of people became too stressful to me. I value the benefits of competition and sportsmanship, but I didn’t see a whole lot of it during my time there. I’ll never forget the older gentleman who, one half hour after inviting me to his church, spent a full minute screaming in my face, damning me and my family to Hell for eternity, after the runner I’d sent from third got picked off.
Garry Owen
October 17th, 2011
4:54 pm
This teams coach should be held accountable as should the parents of these young thugs! Maybe throw in the school superintendent and the board of education for good measure.
Georgia
October 17th, 2011
4:55 pm
I grew up in Ohio and I can remember the terrible, violent rivalries at some schools, one in particular. Whether that team won or lost, rocks and bricks would be thrown at school buses and cars, fights would be started in the parking lots, etc… It was insane. I do believe that many young boys are raised to be strike first, be tough, ‘take down the man’, etc… I doubt the opposing coach was targeted specifically. The helment swinger meant to hit someone. If he had hit a kid, that hit probably woudl have killed him. The sports programs at that high school should be suspended immediately and that school should have to pay for the coach’s medical care. That violence grew at home and was fostered at that school. Best wishes for a speedy recovery for the coach.
Archie@Arkham Asylum
October 17th, 2011
4:59 pm
If I remember aright, this football game took place under the jurisdiction of the Georgia High School Association and I quite imagine they will look into the matter and appropriate sanctions will be taken against Hancock Central. I taught in that area for nine years and football is not a game down there, it’s religion. I do hope in the case of the coach being assaulted that the perpetrator is identified, arrested and appropriately charged. I do not believe that the act of putting on an athletic uniform and going out on a field should give anyone a license to behave in a way that if I were to do it, I would wind up in a boarding house with iron bars in it. I was hoping maybe things had improved down there in Sparta. I remember when the school board and superintendent were compared to the reconstruction government of South Carolina, where all they did was vote each other raises and got up a referendem to pay off the speaker’s debts at the horse race track.
A. E. North
October 17th, 2011
5:00 pm
The answer is …time outs. No not in the game…these stupid time outs you folks give your kids when they act up. Then when there is a teenager..that PRIVACY you like to give them. Kids have LIMITED to no rights while under 18, and if non self sustaining. Hope you are happy.
corey
October 17th, 2011
5:02 pm
nothing wrong with youth sports; there’s a HUGE problem with the parenting in this world.
Mike
October 17th, 2011
5:02 pm
Gov. Deal should order the G.B.I. to investigate this .
gamom
October 17th, 2011
5:04 pm
Ole Guy – you are so wayyyyy wayy off base it isn’t funny. ON a side note one of the counties in this report does use corporal punishment, so apparently that’s not working either
gamom
October 17th, 2011
5:07 pm
it’s the drive of the scholarship!! That’s what’s causing this. Kids are not taught how to lose! And they are not taught anything about sportsmanship …it’s not if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game! Parents and coaches have lost site of what organized sports can do for kids, all for the win. There is so much more to learn from team sports — perserverence, cooperation, comraderie.. all of that is going by the wayside and fast. I see it firsthand as a softball mom.
kindergarten math
October 17th, 2011
5:09 pm
Ole Guy: Randy Marsh is Stan Marsh’s dad on the comedy South Park. He was simply quoting Randy from an episode in which Randy gets drunk, goes to his kid’s athletic contest, rips off his shirt and starts fighting another parent. When he is arrested by Officer Barberry, he goes into the rant quoted above. South Park is way too vulgar to pass as child entertainment , but is great adult comedy. They often highlight real issues through the use of very wicked satire. Unfortunately, in that episode, they were simply showing the reality of too many parents’ attitudes towards their children’s sports activities. Sadly, anyone who attends many youth sporting events has actually seen the Randy Marsh act played out .
Southside Shawty
October 17th, 2011
5:11 pm
As a football official in high school and rec leagues, I blame the parents like Coach in Cobb said. Most kids see their child as a future meal ticket and the intensity of U6 football game is beyond comprehension. Get a grip, it’s just a game. But for those who choose to act out, that new law allowing me to carry my piece anywhere but church has come in handy. Think about it.
Archie@Arkham Asylum
October 17th, 2011
5:12 pm
I quite imagine the Georgia High School Association will look into this and appropriate sanctions will be taken against Hancock Central. The sanctions will have an effect because take it from somebody who lived down there, football is not a game it’s religion. The attack on Warren County’s coach constitutes criminal behavior, whether it took place in a stadium or not and should be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agency promptly.
Southside Shawty
October 17th, 2011
5:14 pm
Most parents.
C from Marietta
October 17th, 2011
5:19 pm
@Good Mother
How about the thousands of other games that took place Saturday without indicent?
Band football. Your the problem with this country. Over reaction. Yes, this was a bad situation, but games happen every weekend without indicent. Wussifaction of American continues, based on what I am reading. There is nothing wrong with football. My uncle, my dad and I played high school and we are hardly violent people. My uncle owns his own company that is highly sucessful. My dad makes over 100k a year and I am a computer programmer, who will be making over 100k a year.
Austin
October 17th, 2011
5:20 pm
Hancock’s season needs to be over, at the very least. That doesn’t take the GBI or sheriff. The coach’s face was bashed with a helmet, so it could be he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time (he dove into the fight to try and break it up), not targeted battery. But there’s no excuse for the fight in the first place. Locking Warren out of the locker room seems weird too, is that normal?
sb
October 17th, 2011
5:20 pm
Amen to this!!!! It’s definitely one of the main reasons.
Don’t Tread
October 17th, 2011
11:24 am
I guess it’s too much to ask kids to have moral standards when their parents don’t have any.
STARTS WITH THE PARENTS
October 17th, 2011
5:22 pm
This all starts with the parents. Every weekend that I go to my son’s little league game I asked the same question. Why are these parents so DAMN serious about this. You have 5-10 year olds playing what is suppose to be a fun game enjoying themselves. But you have these parents who think their sons will be the next All-Star, NFL bound, moneymaker and there goes the fun (for the kids that is). Because if my baby don’t run the next touchdown or my baby don’t make the next tackle I’m going to confront the entire coaching staff. This is where it starts. So when the kids see this throughout their short careers what do you expect them to do.
Chester
October 17th, 2011
5:22 pm
Well, you might start by getting all of the details on the coach being attacked. It is my understanding that it might not have taken place exactly as it was portrayed in the AJC…Just a thought..
curious
October 17th, 2011
5:26 pm
It should be easy to investigate. Seize all Hancock uniforms; test them for the coach’s blood; make arrests; charge as adults. In Georgia, aggravated assault is 20 years. Don’t cancel the season. Let teams that go criminal play without the dignity of uniform.
f
October 17th, 2011
5:27 pm
fight on a football field=nobody goes to jail, fight in your own home=you’re going to jail. theres the problem
Youth Football Coack
October 17th, 2011
5:31 pm
These things have been happening since sports have been played…Sure, there are bad refs, bad parents, coaches and kids. But, the reason we are talking about it here is simple. The media.
I still think there is a huge problem starting in hs thru college sports. It seems now, it is acceptable to steal laptops and still win the heisman.LOL How half of these players on ANY HS or College roster are making grades is beyond me! They AREN’T! But they still play. Why? $$$$$$$
Coach Steve
October 17th, 2011
5:33 pm
For the past 10 years….society has “wussed up” our kids by not letting them deal with failure. Kids can’t handle it and neither can the parents. The worse thing about little league baseball or youth football is the parents. Ask any umpire or official or coach. Most of the coaches are also out there for the wrong reasons. (Who cares that you’re 52 and 6 the last 5 seasons as a manager in Youth League baseball!). Parents can’t stand it if their little johnny doesn’t get to make the big play or make the game saving catch or hit. Guess what? Second place sucks…so does losing..now teach them to deal with it…Parents baby their kids and thus parents are the main source of the problem.
Youth Football Coack
October 17th, 2011
5:35 pm
Coach Steve, I don’t know why it’s like this…Everyone gets a trophy at the end! LMAO!!!
Linda80398
October 17th, 2011
5:36 pm
Parents and coaches, when you put the emphasis entirely on winning, your children will behave inappropriately. Our youngest son played baseball on a pre-college level for twelve years and we never, never had anything like this happen. Coaches must quit teaching our young people that winning is everything. Parents, stop putting pressure on your children to win, win, win. You had your youth, quit trying to live it again through your children. Our son was taught sportsmanship as well as how to play the game. We told him, and so did his coaches, “It’s a game. Have fun with it.” The players who exhibited this behavior need to be punished. Severely. But the coaches and the parents should accept equal responsiblity, and equal punishment, for the failure to lead this team with ethical and moral lessons.
Jeff
October 17th, 2011
5:37 pm
Why is anyone surprised at this? Quite frankly, I’m surprised this kind of thing doesn’t happen more often.
This is a direct result from our nation’s departure from traditional, faith-based, character-driven, high moral standards that we once valued as a society. 50 years ago, people would have been APPALLED at something like this… now, it’s just another “incident” that people shrug their shoulders at and move on.
We as a society, especially in our media and TV and music and movies, have departed from having any rock-solid, absolute principles… instead, we live on situational ethics and “what’s good in the moment.” We put WAY too much emphasis on the petty, the unimportant, the shallow, the glitter, the window dressing, and we don’t put ENOUGH value on the REALLY important things in life — integrity, character, impeccable morals, setting examples, and having high standards. We are SO AFRAID to have high expectations of behavior because, God forbid, somebody feel left out or offended or whatever. Political correctness has dampened the moral compass that God gave us, to the point where some people apparently don’t even know the difference between right and wrong. Our kids are more interested in what shoes Kobe or LeBron wears, or what pop song that a half-naked Lady Gaga is singing, or what filthy movie that is starring Ben Stiller or George Clooney or Angelina Jolie, or what antics those idiots from Jersey Shore are getting into, than they are about what their teacher is teaching at school, or what lesson the sermon is about in church on Sunday.
In short, we are a society that triumphs style over substance… in a manner of speaking, you could say it’s “substance abuse.” The important things that my dad learned in the 1950s, such has showing respect to others, being a good loser if you get beat, being obidient to your elders, developing good character, and living your life by a high moral code… well, all that has been replaced by a me-first, microwave-attention-span, overly-sexualized, highly-violent, win-at-all-costs, there-are-no-absolutes, I’m-gonna-get-mine, I’m-the-center-of-the-world, screw-character-I-want-the-glory mentality. We idolize and worship pop singers, movie actors, reprehensible pro athletes like Ben Roethlisberger and Ron Artest and Michael Vick and Lawrence Taylor and Barry Bonds, and we laugh at, diminish, or just generally ignore the value and work and roles of parents, ministers, youth leaders, and GOOD teachers and coaches in our society.
Again, why are we shocked? We have raised a generation that is greedy, materialistic, immoral, selfish, narcissistic, narrow-minded and petty… and we have scorned people who grew up with or live their lives by the old Andy Griffith-Leave It To Beaver values that we USED to have.
When our nation returns to its fundamental, Judeo-Christian values that respect hard work, honesty, and integrity, we might can turn things around… but if we don’t, if we continue down the path of “anything goes” morals and values, then we can only expect more incidents like this — if not something worse.
REMEMBER — when there are expectations for a certain standard of behavior, most people will at least try to live up to them. But when there are no expectations, and when there are not any consequences for bad behavior, people will do whatever they want with no regard to rules or expectations or standards.
Coach Steve
October 17th, 2011
5:38 pm
YFC…exactly…EVERYONE gets a trophy. God forbid little Johnny or Suzie doesn’t get a trophy. Their self esteem will be destroyed….Makes me SICK!
Youth Football Coack
October 17th, 2011
5:42 pm
If your not first, your last! – Ricky Bobby’s Dad…hahahaha
The youth of today are taught entitlement! Listen, someone has to win and someone has to lose. You play to win. BUT NEVER at the expense of Ethics and Integrity. It is not a right to play scholastic sports. It is a privilege!
what of it?
October 17th, 2011
5:42 pm
don’t think it has to do with youth sports. I think it has to do with the lack of respect and integrity that is endemic to our national society. The widening gyre….
Devil's Advocate
October 17th, 2011
5:42 pm
Yankee Prof just made my night…LOL.
Ole Guy
October 17th, 2011
5:42 pm
Kindergarten, I humbly stand corrected. My association with TV is limited to JAG, Monk, Coach, and Becker…even the news pisses me off!
Unfortunately, we, as a “society”, have become far too enamoured with (what we consider) our “rights” while we all but completely ignore the responsibilities which MUST coexist with those rights. That imbalance…too many rights; not enough responsibilities…leads to the event described at the ball game. Just about every day, we probably witness, if not experience, varying levels of road rage, another “expression” of perceived rights gone awry. To be perfectly honest, under the current system of educational malaise, I see no improvement. Kids who are never challenged to go beyond perceived comfort levels; kids who are not held to strick and unyielding standards of deportment WILL become adults of the EXACT same ilk.
oldtimer
October 17th, 2011
5:47 pm
Good Mother…I have taught school with many coaches. Among them were many of the best teachers in nearly every field. In order to be a good coach you also can teach kids the fundamentals of a game. In maost areas football pays for itself andmakes money for other sports. Plus I think school spirit and sportsmanship are things that are part of any education. I have no sons, but my daughts played in the marching band and we had a ball at the games.
Archie@Arkham Asylum
October 17th, 2011
5:54 pm
A quick history lesson! It seems that in the early years of the 20th century, A season of college football had actually resulted in the deaths of several players. The president of the United States, who at that time was Theodore Roosevelt, actually called the representatives of all the U.S. colleges that fielded football teams to meet with him in Washington. (Note: There were not nearly as many college teams back then!) Teddy gave them an ultimatum: “Clean the game up or I will ban it. ” Mind you, Teddy had nothing against athletics. He had been a boxer at Harvard, among other things. The ultimatum had an effect, as several rule changes took place culminating in the advent of the forward pass, which opened up the game and effectively neutralized a lot of the violence. Will another U.S. president have to give such an ultimatum in the future?
Rocky
October 17th, 2011
5:57 pm
Maureen…It’s not just the parents, nor is it just the public schools and youth parks. For some reason we have turned a blind eye to poor behavior and attributed it to being part of a sports team. Quite honestly an example of some of the worst sportsmanship I have ever witnessed has been from the football coaches for a private school located on Ashford Dunwoody Rd. Their behavior and the language they use towards those students is atrocious, but it continues season after season. Why? They win. Heads of schools and athletic directors all over the place will pretend nothing is happening just so
Rocky
October 17th, 2011
6:01 pm
just to bring home the coveted trophy and pretend to be shocked when the very same behavior spills over into the actions of the students and becomes subject to public scrutiny. Nothing new here, but we shouldn’t just focus on parks and public schools.
Vance
October 17th, 2011
6:02 pm
Kids sports are going the way of the family….the more dads that are missing the more broken these kids are and will remain. When kids feel abandoned,,,,endorphins in the brain mask feelings of remorse…..what do judges look for in the courtroom….feelings of remorse by the person who was wrong……keep an eye on this….gangs don’t have remorse,,,,etc…
doh
October 17th, 2011
6:05 pm
Like everything else, Its all Obama’s fault.
Dr. Educ
October 17th, 2011
6:07 pm
Check Youtube for a fight that ocurred during the Gilmer/Pickens game in the final seconds. Believe its found by inserting Pickens vs Gilmer Fight. There will be GHSA suspensions forthcoming from this event.
I quit coaching
October 17th, 2011
6:08 pm
I quit coaching high school football, recently, due this out of touch attitude among, parents and other coaches. I was sickened by the lack of understanding which parents and coaches had about why it is a good thing for kids to be on teams.
The high school which attacked the opposing coach should cancel the rest of the season and start with a freshman schedule next year.
sue-belly
October 17th, 2011
6:08 pm
Make them all listen to “the coward of the county” by Kenny Rodgers-you don’t have to fight to be a man.
Hmmmmmmm
October 17th, 2011
6:13 pm
It’s really very sad…. We have our flagship university that is condoning violence on the football field…. After making a fool of himself and losing his cool with another coach, what does the administration do about this coach……. Nothing! He should be fired, but someone will certainly rationalize this as being a competitive sport and not hold any of the coaches accountable… It’s NO surprise that this happens with the leaders we have in place…..
Jim Tavegia
October 17th, 2011
6:14 pm
Since when does the GBI need permission to go on Public Property and conduct an investigation? An attack is an attack. If local law enforcement is not doing the job, then the GBI needs to investigate the crime and local law enforcement. Parents and students are all getting out of control. We have lost our civility. It is why we spend 10% of our state budget locking people up. That is a crime unto itself.
Hmmmmmmm
October 17th, 2011
6:19 pm
Embarrassing for the state of Georgia….. What else can you say….
Youth Football Coack
October 17th, 2011
6:21 pm
These types of things happen ALL the time and as far back as I can remember! Now, we just here it more due to the media.
There are always bad apples. You have to rise above it and do what is right.
IMHO, you find the kid that smacked the coaches face with his helmet. That’s the incident everyone is so pissed at! That kid should be thrown off the team. He should also face criminal charges. And if I were that coach, I would sue that family for all medical expenses as well as pain and suffering! Stupid kid, stupid parents.
catlady
October 17th, 2011
6:25 pm
It’s the teachers’ fault.
Lynn
October 17th, 2011
6:26 pm
It would be nice if someone investigated the South Cobb Baseball coach’s attack of a Campbell player last year. He had to be restrained as he chased the player across the field and then led his team in a provoking chant directed toward the Campbell team. While the county knows what happened and the Campbell player was kicked off the team for using a curse word at the South Cobb coach, there have been no ramifications against the South Cobb coach by Cobb County or GHSA.
tim
October 17th, 2011
6:30 pm
It’s not youth sports…..
It’s the demographics of the youths….
And the absentee parents…..
Sam
October 17th, 2011
6:37 pm
I have no issue with holding the students, the coaches or even the parents accountable for the attack but suggesting that we teach empathy as a solution to these kinds of attacks is so silly that it both invites and deserves ricidule.
Jordan Kohanim
October 17th, 2011
6:39 pm
Sam,
Why do you say that?
philosopher
October 17th, 2011
6:39 pm
To suggest that a paddle is the solution to what happened here is to close one’s eyes to the truth and avoid facing the reality of what Americans in general, parents in specific, and yes, schools, have created with the big business of sports. These kids begin as tots, smashing into their fellow tots over a football. The crap starts at age 3 in some places and by the time the kids are in elementary school they are brutes with some pretty screwed up priorites. The frenzy is fed by adults at all stages of the kids’ lives. from home where the parent makes the decision to let a little kid play such a violent game, to the schools who teach it, feed it and treat the players like they are something special-so special, in fact, that education and grades take a far back seat to games- these kids bring in revenue for the schools! And it continues into adulthood where we all know about the money hooked to it and the adults who drink over it, brawl over it , and worship it like there’s no tomorrow. We have taught these kids to be brutes and that they are special- so special they can be criminals and continue to make millions no matter what they do. Paddling kids is no less barbaric than football- We taught them that crap-now we and they need to take responsibility…and STOP the insanity!!
hatetotellyou
October 17th, 2011
6:59 pm
Former Spark, I hate to break it to you, but the sheriff most certainly isn’t a good ol’ boy. I’ll let that go there. As for the rest of the comments, for anyone trying to bring logic into the debate: it’s Sparta. If you were from there, you’d get it. This is not surprising in the least. The only thing you may be right about (and it should be the case) is that it’s too big and some kind of attention at the state level will be paid to this. That’s the ONLY way anything will be done.
Devil's Advocate
October 17th, 2011
7:34 pm
Hmmmmmmm is a perfect example of the mentality that selectively decides to place blame and punish the easiest target. Notice that he didn’t mention the Vanderbilt head coach’s role in instigating the whole thing by going after a player. Much easier to point the finger at the guy who gave a choke sign last season.
nurse ballbreaker
October 17th, 2011
7:36 pm
give me 2 minutes with these punks and they will never reproduce.
nurse ballbreaker
October 17th, 2011
7:38 pm
devil’s advocate,
how old are you? your excuse is pathetic.
hatetotellyou
October 17th, 2011
7:42 pm
I bet this kind of $h!+ happens at prep schools all the time XD
long time educator
October 17th, 2011
7:57 pm
Maureen, this story reminded me of one in the paper recently that I could hardly believe. Both coaches of a PeeWee football game were arrested for fighting. Here is the linkhttp://www.calhountimes.com/view/full_story/15914433/article-Pee-wee-football-coaches-arrested-for-fighting-during-game-in-Fort-Oglethorpe-?instance=home_news_1st_left
Devil's Advocate
October 17th, 2011
8:08 pm
nurse ballbreaker,
I’m old enough to know that selectively choosing who to blame has led to a nation of finger pointers and no responsibility. It’s basic human nature that says bad people will do more wrong the more they think they can get away with it.
Explain why a head coach at the presigious Vanderbilt University should be given a pass for going after a player but the Defensive Coordinator at the University of Georgia should be made out as a thug for taking his defense too far. Sure, Gratham was over the top but he sure wasn’t the sole person acting the fool nor was he the instigator. Blame them all if you’re going to blame anyone.
Devil's Advocate
October 17th, 2011
8:14 pm
Prestigious even…darn missed keystrokes!
The truth
October 17th, 2011
8:15 pm
Its a symptom of the gutter culture and the ever looser moral standards of the country. You can thank the liberals for that. And for all the lewdness, lasciviousness, sexual promiscuity, porn everywhere you look, near naked men in leather at gay pride parades, and all the other smut that liberals love to endorse for our declining morals.
Devil's Advocate
October 17th, 2011
8:19 pm
LOL, The truth is a selective blamer too I see. I know some pretty diehard conservatives who are down for a fight over any team sport. Ever been to a major college football game or NASCAR race? Ever been a country bar any night of the week? Doesn’t even require sports to come to blows. This isn’t a political thing, race thing, sex thing, specific team thing…it’s human nature.
Figures...
October 17th, 2011
8:22 pm
What I have been told: The locker room was locked when the Warren County Team arrived after the game. They were subsequently attacked by the Hancock Team and Fans. The Head Coach stepped in to cool it off and got smashed in the face with a helmet.
Furthermore… (Coach Grantham vs these clowns) There is a huge difference between having a heated argument over a situation vs. physically attacking someone. That is the difference between being civilized and an animal.
I will just be glad when the Fall Line Freeway is finished so that I won’t even have to drive thru that village anymore.
Rabunite
October 17th, 2011
8:23 pm
we have none that garbage up here in Rabun County. Wonder why? … never mind, I can’t say it.
Former SPARK parent
October 17th, 2011
8:23 pm
I want this coach to hire a lawyer and sue the
ess
aitch
eye
tee
out of the school district that locked the locker room and failed to exercise due care to prevent this incident.
Coach, I hope the liable district has to double its property tax millage rate to pay for your eventual jury award. Maybe that’ll drum some sense into those straight-outta-Deliverance rubes.
dj
October 17th, 2011
8:51 pm
The problem is that most jocks are idiots and their parents know that sports are their only way to a modicum of success. When they lose the parents see the hopes and dreams go down the drain when that hot shot recruiter looks elsewhere because little Johnny has nothing else once those Friday night lights turn off. Truly educate your kids and this problem goes away.
philosopher
October 17th, 2011
8:52 pm
@The truth: So….hmmmm….it’s the fault of the liberals, right? Well, for sure it couldn’t POSSIBLY be the responsibility of the righteous right, now could it?? We’re absolutely positive that not a one of THEIR kids is capable of fighting or doing anything at all wrong…they were, after all, all brought up “right”, right?? Well, I guess that means we have millions and millions more liberals in this country since the majority of kids are spoiled brats…so by that token, we can plan on Obama for another 4 years…wow- look where your logic leads-IMPRESSIVE.
gamom
October 17th, 2011
9:37 pm
It’s oK to win and it’s ok to lose. If kids cannot learn how to lose with dignity, ethics and morals, what is the point of playing a school sport? It’s both the parents and the coaches that teach these kids to win at any cost, ethics and morals, integrity be damned. This happens way more than is reported I tell ya. I have heard with my own ears and my own eyes how some of these coaches can get away with saying the ABSOLUTELY stupidest things to impressionable youth.
John
October 17th, 2011
9:41 pm
Unless and until Hancock County calls in the GBI to investigate, the GHSA should ban Hancock Central from participating in all sports and activities. The players involved should be expelled from all Georgia schools for life and should spend every day of the maximum sentence in prison.
gamom
October 17th, 2011
9:42 pm
And I also blame school administrations and athletic directors who only care about bringing the ALMIGHTY dollar into their schools through these sports. Do you know how much they expect parents to pay to play…as in dues for these sports??? You have paretns spending nearly $1,000 in some cases and that is why they get serious about the game too. If the parents are required to spend this kind of money to offset costs of fees, uniforms, officials and dues as well, the parents are going to expect their kid to play. This however never excuses assault and battery. My kids have been expected to participate in all fund raising activities before they even make the team, which…the monies all go to the school. If you don’t make the team even your fundraising activity and any monies you raise, goes to the school.
Woody
October 17th, 2011
9:54 pm
Folks, you’re getting a little hysterical. All sorts of things could have happened in that game, or long before that game that we know not of; words could have been said, unsportsmanlike acts could have occurred, provocations taken place, that at the moment we do not have knowledge of. 5 or 6 people could go crazy without a reason; but 30 people, a whole team, I don’t think so. 8 or 10 of them may come from bad families; the other 20 probably not; a few get their blood up and want to cause trouble – but all of them? There is a quelling effect of greater numbers; the more people involved, the more inertia (i.e. need a really great motivating force to get 30 people to agree to do something together); so, put two and two together and begin to wonder, yourselves, what the heck happened and why? I bet our good man the sheriff of Hancock County is going to find out all on his own, and tell us. Hope the AJC reports it.
Sandy Springs Parent
October 17th, 2011
10:20 pm
Just like the Thug Athletic Director at Riverwood, The Abuse allegations were only dropped by Fulton County, because they got him to resign on the Financial improprieties. The abuse allegations are still going forward regarding the verbal, and mental abuse of the two Cheerleading coaches at Riverwood. They have been replaced, since they are suspended from coaching, but Fulton County is proceeding with the abuse investigation full speed. It is not acceptable, to yell, scream, pull spots, cause over use injuries, ignore and contridict the advise of medical professionals, because you are the coach. Only in George is a SPED teacher the ticket to coaching.
Speaking of Campbell, they had a Competition Cheerleading coach this year that was great, the girls loved her. Not abusive, then someone googled her. She happened to be in the Adult Entertainment Business. Aka Porn Star. Rather have that than the 4′x4′ Abuser yelling and screaming at the kids, because she’s mad at her life for gaining all the weight and getting out of shape in 2 years since graduating from High School.
Their is definitely a lack of vetting for coaches in Sports in Georgia.
The Truth
October 17th, 2011
11:07 pm
Sue Hancock County?? You have to be kidding…..it’s a dirt poor county and no way they could pay off a verdict. Dept of Audits issued one scathing report on those bunch of imbeciles a few years back.
Mark Klimek
October 17th, 2011
11:32 pm
Hancock Central High School FB teams should be banned from post season play for five years. Assault charges should be filed against these players. Suspend all involved players, expell those that engaged in violent behavior.This behavior is unacceptable.
sloboffthestreet
October 18th, 2011
4:11 am
The two most basic human traits we all possess are SEX and VIOLENCE. Everything “Nice” about our society we have been taught. When adults assemble groups of young men to engage in violence we only have to look at the source to understand the outcome.
Francis
October 18th, 2011
6:30 am
Reap what you sow.
davecisar
October 18th, 2011
7:51 am
My guess is this is not a one time incident. Unfortunately we have become far too tolerant of others bad behaivor. Once we allow the litle things, the goofs get more bold. It starts with the coaches, they have to control their actions, the players AND the crowd. Ive coached in the inner city and in the sticks, it’s all about the expectations you set, how you lead and the standards you hold everyone accountable to. This is TERRIBLE for our sport. As coaches, parents and fans, if you love the game, be INTOLERANT of bad behaivor. Say something, get involved. http://winningyouthfootball.com
November 6, 2012
October 18th, 2011
10:15 am
It just mirrors what is happening in the classroom……probably caused by the same thugs that causes problems in class. I’ve been following high school football for sixty years and I’ve never seen anything like this. One of the problems we have in Georgia is a very weak and timid GHSA. They are afraid to do anything that would upset their little kingdom……they need to step into this mess and suspend all the players involved…..don’t wait on the schools…….the coaches involved should be fired immediately and the football programs at both schools should be terminated for at least two years. But, we know this ain’t gonna happen……why?, why it would injure those precious little babies and ruin their chances at stardom.
William Casey
October 18th, 2011
11:44 am
Sad as this incident is, the updated details at least allows me to understand how it happened. Disgusting.
Retrofit
October 18th, 2011
12:12 pm
I cannot believe some of what I’m reading here. When is it okay to justify not knowing the difference between right and wrong? Parents, even single parent family parents, need to teach that difference to their children as soon as that child is old enough to understand. Others in every community such as clergy, teachers, coaches, public employees, news media, store owners, and just everyone needs to be teaching the difference between right and wrong. The community that Hancock Central represents needs to take a very deep collective breath and then they need to start to find a way to teach the difference between right and wrong to ALL of their offspring. Don’t leave it up to the Sheriff. Don’t leave it up to the School Board. Don’t leave it up to the parents. Every adult in the Hancock community needs to step up to the plate NOW and lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way but do something to resolve this attitude that violence is the correct outlet for frustration and anger.
Hey Coach Tony on ESPN Radio
October 18th, 2011
12:45 pm
All I can say is thank God for horrific stories like this. If we all behaved like rational human beings, idiots like me wouldn’t have a job. We might discuss this on Saturday’s show. Check it out if you like and let me know what you think. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hey-Coach-Tony-on-ESPN-Radio/137140103045901
Best
Coach Tony
Tom
October 18th, 2011
3:14 pm
OK , I know this is not PC but this has everything to do with demographics. You have only to look at several years of DOJ crime stats nationwide, school test scores by race, out of wedlock child birth rates and graduation rates to see the trend here but of course everyone is too afraid to talk about the elephant in the room.
Tom
October 18th, 2011
3:51 pm
The Shameless pitch by coach Tony to use this to promote his show is also appauling. He is quite right in calling himself an idiot. My question is who tunes in to listen to a self admitted idiot?
Archie@Arkham Asylum
October 18th, 2011
5:08 pm
@The Truth: I am afraid I would be inclined to agree with you! A lawsuit against Hancock County would kind of be like trying to get blood out of a turnip!
Pardon My Blog
October 18th, 2011
7:10 pm
I would make all players responsible ineligible to play the rest of this season and next season. If they transfer they would still be ineligible.
Jackson Truitt
October 20th, 2011
8:38 am
Please, none of the players involved will lose a scholarship. Look at all the thugs playing pro sports now. They still get the big bucks even when guilty of assault, rape and cruelty to animals. Do you really think they weren’t thugs while going to college on scholarships?
Competitive, physical sports aren’t the problem, parents reliving glory days aren’t the problem. The problem is that we, our society, have lowered our standards to the level of the gutter. Anyone who practices honor, integrity and responsibility are ridiculed as unsophisticated yahoos or punished for being uppity. And we let it happen just like the people decades ago in NY who sat in their apartment and watched while a women was raped in the ally.
Football teams shaking hands under police watch. Are school sports programs broken? | Get Schooled
October 20th, 2011
11:44 am
[...] to the post-game handshake to prevent mayhem. That is what Richmond County decided in the wake of the Warren-Hancock game that ended with the Warren coach in the hospital for facial surgery after being struck in the face with a [...]
RTS
October 21st, 2011
9:05 am
There are a lot of interesting comments on here; however, the one thing I cant understand is HOW in the world no one has ben arrested for this. For someone to be injured to that extent and no one has been arrested is a pathetic example of law enforcement in that county. There were plenty of eye witnesses that should be able to identify who used the helmet to hit the coach. GBI or not…the local law needs to do there JOB!!!!! That is regardless of who the person involved is. I know how small towns work (I live in one) and it should not be this way, it gives small towns a bad reputation.
Rena Ball
October 21st, 2011
9:48 pm
My mom told be about an incident not as bad, but still serious that happened between her high school and a rival school when she was in high school in the late 1960’s. This kind of stuff isn’t new.
The other school is around 30 minutes away in the neighboring county. Her junior year the basketball game between the schools was at her school and the rival shot an arrow through her school’s paper mache owl (her school’s mascot). Two students from her school then sprayed tear gas on the rivals booster bus, sending a few students to the hospital. Those two students were suspended from school, but returned to school as heroes. The following year my mom went to the basketball game between the two school’s at the other school’s gym. She said there were police officers everywhere. After that, both schools decided it wasn’t worth it and paid to break the contract to play each other in basketball. I don’t know if they’ve started playing each other again, but it was at least many years before they did. My mom still doesn’t like that town to this day though.