I don't think that absolves the Belfry side at all (assuming that we're taking the refs as being Phelps-homers). It actually makes Belfry and the magistrate look worse. Why did he feel the need to go down there?

 

No there's a lot of fault on both sides

From what I've gathered, these refs only get called in to do home games at Phelps. How does that happen?

There has to be a back story on this. The fight happened with the score 7-6 and 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. A T gets called and the coach takes his team off the floor? There is history here that led to this.

Sidenote: fat officials with shirts hanging out and shorts hanging low is a REALLY bad look.

I don't think that absolves the Belfry side at all (assuming that we're taking the refs as being Phelps-homers). It actually makes Belfry and the magistrate look worse. Why did he feel the need to go down there?

 

Watching the video, as Belfry left the court things seemed to calm. Even when the Belfry coach went to talk to the Phelps coach and officials things seemed orderly. It was when the dad/magistrate came that all appeared to blow up. I don't know what the issue is/was but he didn't help.

From what I've gathered, these refs only get called in to do home games at Phelps. How does that happen?

 

I'd say it happens often in rural areas. I know our middle school games are ref'd by assigned officials, but I've been places where they were just called in by the host school/coach. Never a good plan.

It looks like Mr. Varney (the father) goes and inserts himself into the discussion between the refs and Phelps coaching staff. Then he was joined by Assistant Coach Thomas Varney. Without audio it is hard to tell what escalated the discussion but you can see Thomas Varney push the referee and that is when it exploded and others joined in.

 

It looks to me like during the fight, Mr. Varney was attempting to pull one of the refs out of the scuffle and he lost his balance, falling backwards and dragging the ref down with him. Then when the ref got on his feet, he kicked Mr. Varney, which prompted his son, Coach Varney, to react by tackling that ref.

 

While I think going to the floor and getting involved with the refs was a mistake for Mr. Varney to do, I will defend him as a person. He is our local magistrate, and I have always known him to be a gentle guy and a level head. His involvement after the fight started looks to me like he was trying to break it up and diffuse it. Him taking the referee down looks like an accident, even though I'm sure it didn't feel that way to the referee.

 

It was a sad display all the way around, a black eye for both schools, and the fallout will come. Mistakes were made and tempers flared, that much is obvious. I'm glad this video surfaced, however, because it helped me understand the reasons for some of the actions. I am ready to give Coach Varney a pass on his actions by tackling the referee. Before this video was released, he was the villian in the whole mess. After watching this and seeing it unfold, however, I can tell you that in that situation, if somebody kicked my father in the head, I have no doubt I would have reacted similarly. It may not have been the smart thing to do, and I would have had to pay the consequences, but I would have been all over that referee and I suspect most of you would have too.

I'd say it happens often in rural areas. I know our middle school games are ref'd by assigned officials, but I've been places where they were just called in by the host school/coach. Never a good plan.

Phelps is very isolated and Pike County is a huge county. It doesn't surprise me.

I have to admit...if someone kicked my dad in the head, I would whip him all over the gym or at least give it heck trying.

I will be honest. The Father is the problem in this picture to me.

 

If he stays out of it, I don't think it escalates the way it did. He is not the coach nor is he an official. He is a fan in the stands and he walks up and inserts himself into the conflict. Not long after, it explodes.

 

BTW, it looked to me as the father is tackling the large referee. Maybe as Watusi said he is losing his balance but it looks like a form tackle from an older gentleman. The kick was uncalled for but in the melee the ref probably thought the old man was tackling him. The reaction of the son was made cause the son didn't see the tackle, just the kick.

 

All of them are equal to blame. Just my take.

It's not unheard of for schools to line up their own officials. I used to see it when I coached. You just knew that when you went to certain schools you were "up against it." When officials are not assigned independently they consciously or unconsciously favor the team that hires them each week. Human nature.

The most culpable people in this incident by my view are assistant coach Thomas Varney who was the first person to make physical contact with anyone and the person in the white sweatshirt who comes out of the stands and escalates the incident into a brawl

There are no "passes" given in this mess for ANYONE. The father should have NEVER been on the court period. The son should have NEVER attacked the ref in the first place. The head coach should have NEVER directed his team to leave the court after getting a T, regardless of the situation (he is to be the better person that is why he is the paid head coach). The head coach incites the whole thing by his initial action of pulling his team.

Let's not forget to include the fans in the stands who cheered. Ugly all around.