# Rational man fires a .45 into football coach's chest. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 8, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400 "2005-04-08T15:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/21 "2005-04-08T16:42:28Z")
C’mon, **lieu**. Some of them weren’t Texas-bashing. I am a gun-nut of the First Order, and when I first read the news headlines of this story, I immediately thought “Texas” for the same reason **Harborwolf** did. Football in Texas goes beyond religion into the realm of madness. To me, Texas means nuts about football, not nuts with guns. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/22 "2005-04-08T16:43:02Z")
Awww poor **lieu**. Go grow some skin you moany fuck. Wahhh somebody is saying something nasty about my home state Wahhhh it’s just not fair. Help me I’m being oppressed… Dipshit! What’s a bomb building BTW. A bombed out building? A building where bombs are made? A few bombs would be handy mind as I have to fight my way past famine victims chewing on their young having the shit kicked out of them by drunks and leprechauns terrorists every night. Gets kinda old after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/23 "2005-04-08T16:45:27Z")
Looks like I hit a nerve. Look at it this way. If you saw an article about “gay vegetarians stage peaceful sit-in with mayor’s blessing” you would guess California, wouldn’t you? Its a stereotype, and in this case it just happens to be right, so get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/24 "2005-04-08T16:45:59Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > I knew before I even clicked on the link that this would be in Texas. I thought the same thing, and I live in Texas. It’s a great state - but we’ve got our share of idiots. At least we’re not Florida. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/25 "2005-04-08T16:48:37Z")
May I also say that I intended the comment to be a joke, not to be taken as some sort of serious statement about Texas…its a little patheitc that I must explain this. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/26 "2005-04-08T16:51:26Z")
Count me as one of those who immediately thought “Texas” because it was a **football coach shot by a parent**. Nothing against Texas, or guns- ya’ll just seem to take your football way too seriously. And as to the “escalation” comment from the relative- escalate how? Is the coach not dead yet? Damn woman, get on in there and show him what you think of his coaching ability! 😉 And I love the quote from the father’s former boss- “The last time Downs saw Robertson was about six months ago, when Robertson had a broken leg, bruises and abrasions from a road-rage-related fight on the side of a highway, he said.” Nice dad. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/27 "2005-04-08T16:53:06Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Maybe you’re right, yojimbo. I appreciate you taking time away from your bomb building to share your enlightened, non-bigoted view of how we should perceive others. :rolleyes: Honestly, if there was a news lead that simply said “Protestant church bombed; 6 dead”, wouldn’t you think, “Hmmm, more likely Ireland over Sweden”. You might be wrong, but there are enough incidental cues (as well as past history) to provide a reasonable assumption that in no way reflects poorly on lieu or millions of residents who have no relation to the terrible events reported. Just because bad or tragic news is sometimes more likely to happen some places more than others doesn’t mean it’s directed at your personally, and it certainly doesn’t mean that somehow that place is inferior or not worth liking or visiting. If I hear “Federal agents lead assault on lonely hermit’s shack”, am I unreasonable in thinking, say, Montana over Delaware? Heck, I live in Oakland, so when I hear “Gang shooting in Bay Area city”, I’m not going to think Mill Valley and I’m not going to be upset if people expect Oakland. Saddened, maybe, but over something I have no control over. Lighten up. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/28 "2005-04-08T16:55:07Z")
Jeez, **lieu** , you jerk that knee any harder and you’re going to hurt yourself. Let me offer a few potential thread titles and/or headlines and see if you find yourself predicting the state: Mudslides destroy 30 homes Ski-lift collapses, kills 45 Problems with election, recount ordered It’s not bigoted to note that certain events happen in certain areas of the country. Texas has a reputation (which, quite frankly, Texans normally take pride in) for taking high school football a little more seriously than the rest of us. Acknowledging that does not equate to insulting Texans. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/29 "2005-04-08T17:01:07Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Luckily the Vang incident happened in nasty, nasty Wisconson. 😉 Man, you’re just saying that because Wisconsin had Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer… they can’t help it the disgruntled hunter hopped the border to hunt there! (Ex-cheesehead here, and yes, people do tend to bring up Gein or Dahmer after they get through the cheese/Packers/beer references.) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/30 "2005-04-08T17:11:16Z")
I knew this incident took place in Texas before I opened the thread, as well. Of course I live in Texas and had already heard about the incident (although not about the comments from Rhonda). Of course when there was the first pit thread about a pharmacists who wouldn’t fill a prescription for birth control- I kept saying to myself “Don’t be Texas. Don’t be Texas”. Of course that turned into a great big “D’oh”!. And like **Slacker** said Texas is a great place, it just seems that everone fixates on the idiots. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/31 "2005-04-08T17:35:39Z")
**Ghanima** , it was wrong of me to be insulting and for that I apologize. Be aware though that for some comments like that will always touch a nerve and I’ve certainly read nothing here that would motivate me to feel otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/32 "2005-04-08T17:42:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Man, you’re just saying that because Wisconsin had Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer… I have always been thankful, (as a reluctant Ohioan) that ol’ Jeff was lured away to Wisconsin (home of the truly weird) before his Ohio crimes were discovered. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/33 "2005-04-08T17:47:59Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I have always been thankful, (as a reluctant Ohioan) that ol’ Jeff was lured away to Wisconsin (home of the truly weird) before his Ohio crimes were discovered. 😉 Yeah, let’s remember that Jeff Dahmer killed his first victim well before he moved to the land of cheese and beer. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/34 "2005-04-08T18:30:52Z")
I can see tomorrow’s headline: RHONDA NAMED NEW FOOTBALL COACH ‘My relatives were going to shoot some more people otherwise,’ she says ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/35 "2005-04-09T03:40:10Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Not really. hasn’t it always been like this? I don’t think so. I don’t recall reading about incidents of this sort in the 80’s. It seems to have started in the 90’s. In fact everything seems to have become so serious since the 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/36 "2005-04-09T03:48:55Z")
Hey, she was just following the example set by her [United States Senator](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26236-2005Apr4.html). ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/37 "2005-04-09T04:08:19Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Yup. You read _Friday Night Lights_ and you realize it’s an obsession. You even learn to understand the obsession a little. > > I can even understand that some dude might be so fuckin’ crazy that he plugs the football. ." [Yakov Smirnov] “On outside, you plug football coach. In Prison, Ex-football player plugs you!” [/Yakov Smirnov] ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/38 "2005-04-09T04:24:42Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I get so fucking sick of the Texas bashing I could spit. Well that’sOK as long as you don’t get so fucking sick of Texas bashing that you could shoot comeone in the chest. ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/39 "2005-04-09T04:26:30Z")
As I read the headline I didn’t immediately think “Texas”. No I thought “NRA” when seeing reference to a AK-47 assault rifle in the hands of a man with a history of violent temper and the aforementioned road rage. But God Bless his constitutional right to have an assault rifle!! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400/40 "2005-04-09T05:10:53Z")
I, for one, would not have been a bit surprised if this had happened in New York or Florida or right here in Southern California. A former coworker used to horrify me with tales of parent’s actions while he was coaching his son’s PeeWee football team. He was threatened with violence and on more than one occasion the cops were called to stop fights amongst the parents. _PeeWee footbal_, fer chrissakes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rational-man-fires-a-45-into-football-coachs-chest/298400.md?page=3)