Parents Behaving Badly

More bad-behaving parents at youth sports. This time, they’ve brought the violence down to the Pee Wee level. Date: this week. Location: Corpus Christi, Texas. The parents didn’t start the fire this time – it appears a coach did – but a few of them certainly didn’t mind getting in a few kicks for good measure. Pay particular attention at the 47-second mark to the bitch who kicks another woman in the ass, sending her tumbling onto the human pile below. Amazing. (Thanks to Current Events for the tip. I think someone else also tipped me on this story, but I can’t find the email – let me know if I forgot to credit you. Thanks!)

Here’s another light story for y’all. It’s a refreshing break from our usual murder and mayhem, and yet still a sad portrait of parents shitting all over their kids. That’s right – it’s another sports story! This one, from Brevard County, Florida, concerns the rookie team of the Port St. John Rockets, who are forced to warm the benches for the rest of the season thanks to a handful of asshole parents. After a questionable call by a referee in last week’s game, several moms and dads stormed the field and shouted obscenities at the official. Which, as we all know, is the perfect way to get a bad call changed. Nothing softens a referee up like calling him a shitsucking motherfucker! The officials forced the team to forfeit the game, which prevented them from qualifying for the playoffs.

On the one hand, I think that’s a crappy decision. It sucks ass that the kids have to suffer just because their parents are dorks. On the other hand, I know that coaches and youth league officials all across America are sick and tired of parents interfering with their kids’ games. They’re fed up with parental attempts to micromanage the teams, even to the point of forcing out coaches. And they’re disgusted at the displays of unsportsmanlike conduct coming from 30- and 40-somethings who should damn well know better.

Still, I’d love to see a solution that punished the parents without hurting the kids. Slap mom and dad with a $500 “parents behaving badly” fine that they have to play if they want their kid to play again. Don’t shut the entire team’s season down just because some people can’t control themselves.

From the Sports Desk comes this heartwarming story, in the tradition of “Hoosiers”, “Remember The Titans”, “The Mighty Ducks”, and all those wonderful movies about inspiring coaches who teach their athletes that life is about more than winning…ah, who am I kidding. Three Pennsylvania football coaches were arrested for their conduct during a game. All three swore at the refs and incited the crowd, in protest of a perceived bad call made by the officials. One of them apparently threw a football at the refs. Oh, and they also swore at police officers who were there to maintain order.

This story has it all – belligerent parents, maniacal coaches, poor sportsmanship, accusations of racism, dads being led off in handcuffs. All over a football game played between 11-year-old kids. And once again, the parents end up screwing things up for the kids. Call me old-fashioned, but aren’t football games supposed to be fun? I know, I know – that’s crazy talk.

The weekend is upon us, and for many parents out there, it’s time to be athletic supporters. Some parents in Raleigh, North Carolina do merit comparison to smelly jock straps, thanks to their behavior at local youth football games. Unsportsmanlike behavior by rabid Raleigh football moms and dads reached English Soccer Match levels last year. So to keep these morons at bay, city officials decided to surround the playing fields with 6 foot fences. Just what Pop Warner had in mind, I’m sure.

It wasn’t enough that the city had to employ off-duty cops to maintain order during games, even go so far as to escort refs to their cars to avoid being beaten up by roving gangs of minivan-driving hooligans. How sad for these kids, not to mention the refs and coaches that volunteer their time to work with them, that a nice day at the football field turns into a WWF Cagematch. The article goes on to highlight the disturbing trend of unhinged parents, embittered by the knowledge that their glory days of playing third-string defensive lineman on the JV squad those many years ago are long behind them, taking out their warped frustrations on others. It’s a sad day when Barry Bonds and Terrell Owens really ARE better role models than some parents.

I don’t blame these parents to going for bat for their kid. Okay, it’s a little questionable insisting that a 151-lb. 11-year-old be allowed to play flag football in clear violation of the weight limit. Still, given that the limit is 150 lbs., it’s not unreasonable for Kyle St. Peter’s father, Kevin St. Peter, to ask the Sterling Heights, Michigan league to re-weigh him. What is questionable is clogging up our court system with frivolous lawsuits over FLAG FOOTBALL. Come on, people – it’s not even like it’s a real sport! And the parents are suing in Macomb County Court alleging that they’ve violated the kid’s civil rights! Seriously, can’t the judge dismiss this case with prejudice on the grounds of “you’ve got to be fucking kidding me”?

(Hat tip: Bad Jocks)