# Football Dad Hits Kid **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605 "2006-09-06T06:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brandon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f08c70/32.png) [@Brandon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brandon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/1 "2006-09-06T06:26:49Z")
Yet another incident of parental violence in the world of youth sports. The father/assistant coach rushed the field after an opposing player had a late hit on his son and popped the offending kid from behind. A small fracas ensued afterwards while the adult hopped a fence and took off. [Link to story and video.](http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=133839) I appologize if this has already been posted, I didn’t see it anywhere, feel free to lock if there’s already a thread in progress. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/2 "2006-09-06T07:22:17Z")
I love the part where he makes a getaway … hoping, no doubt, that the crime is pinned on some OTHER insane assistant coach who ran across the field and clobbered a kid. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/3 "2006-09-06T07:32:50Z")
A real good argument for requiring kids’ coaches have a psychological evaluation. Some of them are nuts. It stays over 90 F well into September here. One time I saw the coach of a PeeWee football team having 8 and 9 year olds in full uniform (They looked like they were **all** helmet) and at that temperature, dropping to the ground and jumping up into exhaustion. Now that I recollect the PT honchos in Aviation Cadet training I will change “nuts” to “psycho.” ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/4 "2006-09-06T12:21:05Z")
Wow. 😛 …that kid FLEW… ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/5 "2006-09-06T12:33:45Z")
[QUOTE=Snooooopy] I love the part where he makes a getaway … hoping, no doubt, that the crime is pinned on some OTHER insane assistant coach who ran across the field and clobbered a kid. [/QUOTE] No kidding. I mean - WTF? As if 98% of the parents aren’t going to be videotaping every second of the action. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/6 "2006-09-06T13:42:39Z")
That was a totally late hit, did the kid get flagged? I suppose the dad’s was a late hit too… ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/7 "2006-09-06T14:49:18Z")
Not to defend the nimrod Dad’s actions, which are quite indefensible, but CNN was interviewing the kid this morning. The kid didn’t believe it was a late hit; makes me wonder if _perhaps_ (with nothing to base this theory on except the wild hair up my ass) this kid who got tackled by the dad had been cheap-shotting all afternoon. That was the vibe I got off the kid from the interview, right, wrong, or otherwise. I can’t listen to the link at work, so I don’t have a way to form a second opinion at this time. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/8 "2006-09-06T17:01:16Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Not to defend the nimrod Dad’s actions, which are quite indefensible, but CNN was interviewing the kid this morning. The kid didn’t believe it was a late hit; makes me wonder if _perhaps_ (with nothing to base this theory on except the wild hair up my ass) this kid who got tackled by the dad had been cheap-shotting all afternoon. [/QUOTE] I just rewatched the video, and did a count from the whistle to the hit – “one one thousand, two one-” _WHAM!_, he _plowed_ that Redskin player from behind, very late. If these were the bigs, he’d be eating 15 yards in a heartbeat. That said, these _are not_ the bigs – these are a bunch of kids learning the game. This coach is in for a major shitstorm in his life, and deservedly so. Of course, if this kid had been taking cheap shots like that all day, then he had no business being on that field – coach should’ve benched him after the second or third late hit. I can just imagine what was going through this guy’s mind, though – _WHAM!_ “Hey punk! You like that? You fucking like late hits? Make you feel big? 'Cause you’re looking pretty damn small down there, chewing dirt like that! You want some more of…ohhhh, fuck”. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/9 "2006-09-06T17:12:30Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Not to defend the nimrod Dad’s actions, which are quite indefensible, but CNN was interviewing the kid this morning. The kid didn’t believe it was a late hit; makes me wonder if _perhaps_ (with nothing to base this theory on except the wild hair up my ass) this kid who got tackled by the dad had been cheap-shotting all afternoon. That was the vibe I got off the kid from the interview, right, wrong, or otherwise. I can’t listen to the link at work, so I don’t have a way to form a second opinion at this time. [/QUOTE] I share the same thought. It’s not right what the dad did, but I’m curious to hear the full story and find out if it really was just that one late hit which set him off or if there’s some long, more bullyish build up we’re not seeing. Wouldn’t excuse it, but it might bring the dad back from the realm of utterly off his nut to just immature and foolish. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/10 "2006-09-06T17:18:13Z")
Not to excuse the father who acted foolishly, but I would find it hard to watch someone take a cheap shot at my son and restrain myself. If the son was the recipient of rough play outside of what the rules allow for the entire game and then received a flagrant late hit, then I think the dad was right to go bananas (but not to hit the offender). I think you’d have to watch a tape of the whole game to see just how badly the dad was provoked. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/11 "2006-09-06T17:24:10Z")
To make this perfectly clear. There is no justifiication for the actions of the coach.none. he is an adult and supposed to be in control of himself. These are kids. He is an adult. Whats the message. I am pissed off so I take revenge. Therefore you kids can too. Even if the player had other late hits ,it is the referees and associations position to deal with them.He took it into his own hands and it is inexcusable. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/12 "2006-09-06T17:31:40Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] Not to excuse the father who acted foolishly, but I would find it hard to watch someone take a cheap shot at my son and restrain myself. If the son was the recipient of rough play outside of what the rules allow for the entire game and then received a flagrant late hit, then I think the dad was right to go bananas (but not to hit the offender). I think you’d have to watch a tape of the whole game to see just how badly the dad was provoked. [/QUOTE] While I agree, I think there is also a point where if you are going to let your kids particiapate in sports you will need to accept that it can get a bit rough out there and possibly cheap. Not that it is an acceptable way to play, but you also have to ‘let them play’ if you know what I mean. It’s a fine line between protecting your kid at the right time and the wrong time. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/13 "2006-09-06T17:56:47Z")
I wonder…does anybody have access to newspaper morgue files, on or offline? Did this kind of thing happen in the 20s? 30s? 50s? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/14 "2006-09-06T18:07:34Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] While I agree, I think there is also a point where if you are going to let your kids particiapate in sports you will need to accept that it can get a bit rough out there and possibly cheap. [/QUOTE] Tell me about it! Send your kid out to play football and he might get flattened by an opposing coach…oh, wait… Kidding aside, if the theory that the victim was a dirty player is true, it still remains that the guy’s ridiculous response should have been against a ref or the other coach. What seemed strange to me was that the guy seemed to be on the field far too quickly this to be an unplanned crime of passion. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/15 "2006-09-06T18:11:01Z")
[QUOTE=js\_africanus] Tell me about it! Send your kid out to play football and he might get flattened by an opposing coach…oh, wait… [/QUOTE] Well this isn’t story probably isn’t the best example to say the least, but there are of course the over-protective parents who scream and run onto the field anytime a pitch comes within a foot of their little darling or they get tackled a bit harshly. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/16 "2006-09-06T18:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] Well this isn’t story probably isn’t the best example to say the least, but there are of course the over-protective parents who scream and run onto the field anytime a pitch comes within a foot of their little darling or they get tackled a bit harshly. [/QUOTE] Heh. No, I was joking as in “if you didn’t want your kid to get clipped by a grown man, don’t let him play football.” It’s a rough sport, and you’re right that a parent/coach needs to be ready to accept that or don’t let the kid play. I was just testing my mad comedy skills, just in case I should one day wake up funny. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/17 "2006-09-06T18:23:16Z")
[QUOTE=js\_africanus] What seemed strange to me was that the guy seemed to be on the field far too quickly this to be an unplanned crime of passion. [/QUOTE] I count six seconds from hit to hit. I can’t say if it was planned or not, but there was certainly no time for any internal debate. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/18 "2006-09-06T18:26:06Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] I count six seconds from hit to hit. I can’t say if it was planned or not, but there was certainly no time for any internal debate. [/QUOTE] It seems pre-meditated because of the speed with which it happened. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/19 "2006-09-06T18:32:44Z")
😕 Please pardon (or fight) my ignorance - what’s a “late hit”, or “cheap shot”, in football? And why are they bad? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605/20 "2006-09-06T18:33:06Z")
My “conspiracy” theories were formed by the kid’s morning interview on CNN. He didn’t acknowledge the late hit, and _to my ears_, his claims of innocence were hollow. I fully acknowledge that a young kid might get so focused on his assignment that he loses track of the game around him, which would make the hit truly an innocent mistake. However, if that were the case, he should tell the truth. I’ve been there and done that, and I knew immediately afterwards I made a mistake. If the kid was playing dirty, the proper response, however, is not to tackle the kid. The proper response is not to retaliate in kind on the field. The proper response _is_ to call the referee’s attention, and ask that they pay some extra attention to his play. That is what adult’s do. Nimrod Dad wasn’t an adult; he was just a goon and a bully. Regardless of the reason for the late hit, ND should be imprisoned for a period of time commensurate with local statutes and his previous offender status (if any), should forever carry an assault record, and should be barred from attending child sporting competitions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-dad-hits-kid/371605.md?page=2)