Tag Archives: Good Morning America

Coach told ’em to hit the ref

moreno and rojas

Michael Moreno and Victor Rojas are two young men who’ve decided to tell the nation what has been suspected all along.

One of their football coaches told them to blindside a football official near the end of their game.

The official, Robert Watts, was hit from behind by the two San Antonio John Jay High School athletes in the waning moments of their game with Marble Falls HS.

Why did they do it?

An assistant coach has some explaining to do … more than likely.

Coach on the hot seat

If what the boys said is true, and we still need to hear from the coach — Mack Breed — has to face a serious reckoning.

The young players shouldn’t be excused for what they did to Watts. Breed, on the other hand, needs to come clean and either confirm or deny categorically any suggestion that he incited the act of violence.

The two boys — who’ve been suspended from the team for the rest of the year — said Watts reportedly tossed a racial slur at an African-American teammate and allegedly said something of a racist nature at some Hispanic players. That drew the coach’s ire, according to the boys.

Let’s get a reality check here. We’re talking about two young, and impressionable, boys. Who in their right mind — if that’s what happened — would plant any kind of mayhem-related idea in their minds while they’re in the middle of an athletic event involving full contact?

Moreno said this morning on “Good Morning America”: “You put your trust into a grown-up, your coach who’s been there since my freshman year. I trusted him that he wants the best for me and did what was I as told.”

Rojas added: “I wasn’t thinking. I was doing what I was told.”

OK, coach. It’s your turn.

You’d better be able to explain yourself.

 

Domestic violence has scarred NASCAR

The National Football League has cracked down on athletes involved in domestic violence incidents.

Now it’s NASCAR’s turn to do the same.

The auto racing association today suspended one of its top stars, Kurt Busch, indefinitely because of allegations involving his former girlfriend.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/nascar-suspends-kurt-busch-after-domestic-violence-details/ar-BBhO9OK

NASCAR’s action comes on the eve of the inaugural event of the new racing season, the Daytona 500, known to racing fans as the Super Bowl of the sport.

Busch is the first NASCAR driver to be suspended. Chevrolet has ended its relationship with the driver known as The Outlaw. His case is being investigated. Busch’s lawyer vows to appeal and NASCAR says it will expedite the process.

This is a big deal in one of the country’s most lucrative sports. It speaks to the level of interest that domestic violence has gotten in the wake of the many cases involving NFL stars.

This suspension must send a message around the nation that this kind of activity cannot be tolerated at any level.

Busch has been accused of choking and beating former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll, who this morning told “Good Morning America” about the incident in which she felt her life was threatened.

Yes, Busch deserves a presumption of innocence. However, NASCAR cannot let this matter fester and boil over. Accordingly, NASCAR has acted with amazing speed on this case, perhaps taking a lesson from the NFL’s initially tepid response to the Ray Rice case in which the league suspended the star running back for two games, then rethought its light punishment and then suspended him indefinitely.

Rice was reinstated on appeal, but the case demonstrated a need to crack down on these savage acts of violence.

NASCAR has taken the hint.