Referee attacked in youth football brawl

[Hugor Hill]

Video

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/topvideos/2011/09/02/pn-youth-football-brawl.cnn?hpt=hp_c2

Four arrested in Sarasota youth football fight

SARASOTA COUNTY - The parent who captured video footage of the now-infamous youth football brawl last Saturday missed the first punch.

As it turns out, authorities now say, it was the referee who threw it.

Jayme Ream's punch — not captured on the video that went viral on the Web — knocked down Sarasota Gators coach Dexter Austin and sparked the bench-emptying brawl that followed. But Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight said Ream was legally defending himself.

Ream merely "stood his ground," as he was being threatened, Knight said.

"Mr. Austin assaulted him and threw a water bottle at him and was charging him when he defended himself," Knight said.

On Friday, Knight announced that three Gators coaches — including Austin — and a Gators player had been charged with felony counts of battery on a sports official.

Meanwhile Ream, 41, delivered a prepared statement to a throng of media from the offices of his Pinellas Park lawyer who specializes in personal injury claims.

Authorities said Ream, a referee for 14 years, suffered a fractured shoulder in the melee that ensued. A coach from the opposing team who tried to break up the fight was also sore and possibly injured.

"Unfortunately, I believe this situation involves people that let their emotions overcome them," Ream said in the statement. "It is my hope that the many players and their families who were not involved in this behavior continue to enjoy the sport of football ... I would also like to encourage all children and parents in youth sports to continue to show good sportsmanship."

The video of the fight was featured on the national morning TV talk shows and CNN News on Friday, and was a hot topic for radio sports networks.

Detectives used the footage to identify coaches Dexter Austin, 43, Timothy Howard, 38 and Antonio Bradley, 28, along with the player, a 14-year-old boy who wore jersey No. 6, who tackled Ream and then stood over him.

Knight said the only defendant who did not seem sorry about his role in the fight was the man who started it.

Austin, an assistant coach with the Gators, "doesn't seem to be too remorseful," Knight said.

The Gators coaching staff — irritated with game officials for what they viewed as unfair calls — began to curse and yell at the referees in the final minutes of the game's first half.

Gators coaches Howard and Bradley, and the 14-year-old wearing shoulder pads and no helmet, charged the field after Ream's punch knocked Austin down.

Bradley punched Ream as the player closed in and tackled him.

Once he was on the ground, Ream defended himself by kicking.

Howard jumped on top of Ream and pummeled him. Austin got back in the mix with a kick to Ream's shoulder.

Two Gators coaches, including Austin's brother, Eddie Austin, joined North Port coaches in trying to stop the fight.

Two of the coaches involved in the brawl had prior arrests for crack possession. How the fug do you allow a coach with a recent history of drug possession around kids?

[Floppin]

There's a thread with the videos in the tinderbox.

[Hugor Hill]

There's a thread with the videos in the tinderbox.

ah, i got nothing in search about it. oh well. lock it up.

[Floppin]

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/forum/the-tinderbox/67094-to-hate-crime-or-not-to-hate-crime.html

[Brokenbad]

ah, i got nothing in search about it. oh well. lock it up.

You bastard, I thought there was a bug on my screen!

[Hugor Hill]

ahaha! I got somebody! You done got GOT! :D

[Chimera]

You bastard, I thought there was a bug on my screen!

I'm assuming I'm missing out on something by not displaying having avatars and signatures