YOUTH FOOTBALL IS DANGEROUS - BUT NOT FOR THE KIDS

by Kyle Smith, Doberman On The Diamond

Watching kids play youth football can be a fun experience for the whole family - if you bring an arsenal of weaponry to protect yourself from the lunatics who surround it.

- A youth football coach got pretty pissed when the referee ended the game prematurely because of "violent behavior from the players and abusive language and threats by the coaching staff." So what did he do? Just threatened the referee with the always intimidating "I got something for your ass," and went and got a bag containing a .45 in it. He got arrested. (Washington Post)

- A woman named Madlyn Mapu was arrested at a youth football game, along with her nephew, for brawling over cheers she didn't like:

"Most witnesses said the brawl started after Mapu grabbed a woman by the hair and began punching her in the face ... Mapu swung an umbrella, striking a man and a woman ... Mapu then ran toward another mother and father of players for the Thunder, grabbing the mother by the throat and punching her, police reports show."

Of course the woman, who is Samoan, played the race card, claiming no white person would have been arrested for this. (Seattle Times)

- We'll just let the newspaper report handle this one:

"A 42-year-old father, who police say was upset over the amount of playing time his son had in a football game, punched a Pop Warner coach, knocking Peter Van Ruitenbeek unconscious for about a half-hour, authorities said." (Asbury Park Press)

- Warrants were put out for a man near Atlanta after he "allegedly flew into a rage during his son's youth league football game because he claimed his son wasn't getting enough playing time at running back. The man was banned from the league, but he showed up again - and police tried to write him a warning for disorderly conduct, until he fled the scene.

Nonetheless, he was soon found - after his wife called the cops on him for beating and choking her. He went to jail with charges from both incidents. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

- Again, we'll just let the newspaper account fill you in:

"Six people have been arrested and charged with rioting in connection with a brawl that broke out at a Pop Warner Football game ... Police said a fight erupted in the bleachers around 9:30 p.m., about midway through the second quarter, and the Mayor's Cup Football Game was canceled."

Who knew the Mayor's Cup was so important? (New Brunswick Home News Tribune)