Another football (soccer) related killing...

Tempers do run hot...

I play in an amateur league here in Austin. You may recall that the legislature passed an open carry law starting this past January. The league is unable to prevent people bringing guns to the fields, but they've said that if someone is seen with a firearm, their game will be immediately called off.

One of the guys at work refs in amateur leagues. Fortunately, in Canada there's less chance of anyone pulling out a gun, but still, when I hear this stuff, I worry about him. It only takes one idiot, trying to prove he's the Big Man, to go home and get a gun.
Guys are excited, things get heated, bad stuff happens. The ref from work has broken up fights among players, had insults hurled at him, and once had so many people sent off that he told them that if they didn't declare a truce and mean it, he was cancelling the game due to lack of players. (The game still ended up cancelled, because the truce did not hold.)
He hasn't had anyone get physical with him, 'cause he's a big guy, over 6 feet, and in good shape, but a bullet doesn't care.

Be careful out there, Mark, sometimes people forget it's only a game.

I think it's not only about guns, it's about sports. A couple of years ago, during a local game of soccer, a ref was kicked to death, on the field, by four young, amateur players. They did not agree with one of his decisions and decided to pay him back. That's just one example, there are many more.

MarkEsq said:

Tempers do run hot...

I play in an amateur league here in Austin. You may recall that the legislature passed an open carry law starting this past January. The league is unable to prevent people bringing guns to the fields, but they've said that if someone is seen with a firearm, their game will be immediately called off.

Click to expand...

And now UT is allowing on-campus carry in classes. I would imagine that extends to the stadiums and games, too.

MarkEsq said:

Tempers do run hot...

I play in an amateur league here in Austin. You may recall that the legislature passed an open carry law starting this past January. The league is unable to prevent people bringing guns to the fields, but they've said that if someone is seen with a firearm, their game will be immediately called off.

Click to expand...

Whose job is it to tell the guy with the gun that the game is cancelled?

Michael Wolfe said:

Whose job is it to tell the guy with the gun that the game is cancelled?

Click to expand...

Here's the policy (AMSA = Austin Men's Soccer Association):

1. 
   [*=left]The open display of any firearm or weapon in the vicinity of any AMSA sanctioned competition, practice, meeting or other event, other than by a licensed law enforcement officer, shall be considered a dangerous condition such as would preclude the safety of participants, officials and spectators.
   [*=left]No AMSA member association shall permit the start or continuation of any AMSA sanctioned game, practice, meeting or event if a dangerous condition exists under paragraph (a) of this Rule.
   [*=left]Any designated official of a member association, or in the absence of such, the referee, shall be the sole judge of whether an open display is "in the vicinity" of the competition, practice, meeting or other event.
   [*=left]Nothing in this rule shall be construed as limiting the referee's authority to abandon or delay a match.

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Oh, wait, maybe you were being funny.

In that case: not mine!

Well, at least Rob thought it was funny.

I take what I can get.