In the annals of over-aggressive parental behavior at youth sporting events, a recent incident in Nebraska may take the crown. Not only did a youth basketball referee suffer an attack from an unruly father of an athlete in a 7th grade church league basketball game, he had his glasses snapped by that same attacker.
As reported by Omaha NBC affiliate WOWT, veteran basketball referee Carlos Bradford suffered the attack following a game between players who were in the 7th grade division of a local church middle school league. Following a game between Omaha (Neb.) St. Columbkille School and Bellevue (Neb.) St. Mary’s School, an incendiary St. Mary’s parent walked right up to Bradford and assaulted the referee both vocally and physically.
"The guy walked up to me and said, 'You suck!'" Bradford told WOWT. "He reaches up and grabs my glasses. And I see his hand close around them and the pieces flying off. Next thing you know -- I started defending myself."
There has been no official discipline against the parent, who was not identified by either group. Meanwhile, Bradford has continued wearing his glasses, which are now held together by tape, and an official from the Omaha Archdiocese has spoken out against any acts of violence under their league’s purview.
"If one of our parents does something like this, it's inexcusable,” Omaha Archdiocese Deacon Timothy McNeil told WOWT. “It should never happen."
It should never happen, but it did. The question now is what the Omaha league and others like it will do to ensure it doesn’t happen again anytime soon.
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