Post by 50yardfan on Jun 23, 2011 23:15:53 GMT -5
Panthers, SIFL reach compromise over incident at last game against Lions
Panther coach Lucious Davis’ altercation with a fan during the last meeting with the Lions doesn’t result in a fine, but rather Albany agreeing to donate an undisclosed amount of money to a Columbus charity as the two franchise get set to face off again Saturday in the semifinals of the SIFL playoffs.
www.albanyherald.com/sports/headlines/Panthers_SIFL_reach_compromise_over_incident_at_last_game_against_Lions_124397034.html
ALBANY — With the rivalry simmering and this Saturday’s SIFL semifinal playoff game between the Albany Panthers and Columbus Lions inching closer, Panthers coach Lucious Davis says he wants to put the June 4 incident with a Lions fan behind him.
And wishes everyone else would, too.
Davis got into an altercation with a Columbus Lions fan — who was later identified by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer as Jerome Blanton, the father-in-law of Columbus head coach Jason Gibson — during the final minutes of the Panthers-Lions game in Columbus on June 4 when Blanton came down from his seat and leaned over the wall and argued with Davis.
The argument, which included taunting and heckling from
Blanton, got heated and Davis admittedly pushed Blanton, who was eventually ejected from the game.
Davis, however, was not ejected and the league did not technically fine Davis for the incident, but came to a compromise with the Panthers, who — instead of paying cash to the SIFL — made a donation to a Columbus charity.
“Basically, it wasn’t really a fine,’’ Panthers GM Will Carter said Wednesday at practice. “We are donating some funds to the Children’s Miracle Network in Columbus. The matter has been resolved. What happened is that the SIFL, the Albany Panthers and the Columbus Lions came to an agreement and the case is closed and we are moving on, focusing on the game.’’
The Ledger-Enquirer spoke to Lions season ticket-holder Jack Braswell about the incident late last week after Braswell came forward as an eyewitness to the events that took place late in the fourth quarter during a timeout — and with Albany trailing by double digits. Braswell said Blanton, whose seat is along the side of the field, and other fans were heckling the Albany coach when Davis approached them, shoved Blanton and threatened other fans sitting nearby.
“The coach walked by and (Blanton) made a comment about a newspaper article where the coach said the only reason they lost the last game against the Lions was because they were missing some of their players,” said Braswell, whose seat is near Blanton’s. “(Blanton) said, ‘What’s your excuse now?’ The Albany coach asked him to say it to his face and walked over, (Blanton) called him a crybaby, and the coach shoved him.”
No arrests were made, and the Columbus Police Department does not have a file on the incident.
Two days after the incident on June 6, The Herald contacted Dan Ryan, the SIFL’s Director of Media and Communications who said — at that time — the league didn’t plan to fine or punish either team.
However, two days later on June 8, the SIFL sent out a message on its Twitter feed, twitter.com/siflgameday, that read: “Albany coach incident review completed and handled internally by SIFL Commissioner. Fines issued, but no suspensions. Issue is now closed.”
When the Ledger-Enquirer contacted the SIFL for clarification June 10, the league refused to provide any more details. The Herald, meanwhile, was met with similar resistance Wednesday in an e-mail to SIFL Commissioner Gary Tufford, who said the matter was handled within the league, and that no press releases were sent to the media regarding any fines or punishment, but that both sides were responsible.
“The matter was resolved internally through my office. As we deemed that there was culpability on both sides we chose to move forward and seek a positive resolution to the incident,” Tufford wrote. “This week’s game is a huge one and probably one of the biggest of the season. I would hope that we can all focus our attention on the value of the on-field football product and the great contest that will take place in Columbus.’’
A follow-up e-mail was then sent to Tufford asking whether or not Columbus was also asked to donate money to the Children’s Miracle Network in Columbus, considering the SIFL “deemed that there was culpability on both sides,” but Tufford hadn’t responded by press time.
SIFL President Thom Hagar, however, did tell The Herald via telephone Wednesday afternoon that he also considered the mattered closed. This, Hagar said, after Davis issued a formal apology for his part in the incident to the league. Davis also apologized shortly after the game in an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer.
“It was just something I regret, and I was wrong,” Davis told the newspaper. “… To sum it all up, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have paid attention to the things he was saying.”
Questions about security at the Columbus Civic Center have been brought up since the incident because Blanton came down from his seat and leaned over the wall to shout at Davis.
The Herald asked Tufford in that same follow-up e-mail Wednesday if there were plans for increased security Saturday in the rematch, but did not get a reply to that inquiry, either.
And whether there is or isn’t increased security Saturday, Davis said he doesn’t care one way or another — he just wants to play football. He also reiterated Wednesday that he wished the incident hadn’t occurred and he was ready to move on.
“I was wrong,’’ Davis said. “I shouldn’t have done what I did, and that’s it. What happened had nothing to do with the football game. I’m going to be there. I’m coming there Saturday to coach a football game and nothing else matters.’’
He added that he feels that rehashing it is simply throwing more gas on the fire, and pointed out that he has repeatedly declined to comment up until Wednesday.
“I’m sorry it happened, and I can’t take it back,’’ Davis said. “(The fan) can’t take it back, either. He hasn’t said anything (since) to me and I haven’t said anything to him. It’s over. Everybody else who is not involved has something to say about it.’’
Panther coach Lucious Davis’ altercation with a fan during the last meeting with the Lions doesn’t result in a fine, but rather Albany agreeing to donate an undisclosed amount of money to a Columbus charity as the two franchise get set to face off again Saturday in the semifinals of the SIFL playoffs.
www.albanyherald.com/sports/headlines/Panthers_SIFL_reach_compromise_over_incident_at_last_game_against_Lions_124397034.html
ALBANY — With the rivalry simmering and this Saturday’s SIFL semifinal playoff game between the Albany Panthers and Columbus Lions inching closer, Panthers coach Lucious Davis says he wants to put the June 4 incident with a Lions fan behind him.
And wishes everyone else would, too.
Davis got into an altercation with a Columbus Lions fan — who was later identified by the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer as Jerome Blanton, the father-in-law of Columbus head coach Jason Gibson — during the final minutes of the Panthers-Lions game in Columbus on June 4 when Blanton came down from his seat and leaned over the wall and argued with Davis.
The argument, which included taunting and heckling from
Blanton, got heated and Davis admittedly pushed Blanton, who was eventually ejected from the game.
Davis, however, was not ejected and the league did not technically fine Davis for the incident, but came to a compromise with the Panthers, who — instead of paying cash to the SIFL — made a donation to a Columbus charity.
“Basically, it wasn’t really a fine,’’ Panthers GM Will Carter said Wednesday at practice. “We are donating some funds to the Children’s Miracle Network in Columbus. The matter has been resolved. What happened is that the SIFL, the Albany Panthers and the Columbus Lions came to an agreement and the case is closed and we are moving on, focusing on the game.’’
The Ledger-Enquirer spoke to Lions season ticket-holder Jack Braswell about the incident late last week after Braswell came forward as an eyewitness to the events that took place late in the fourth quarter during a timeout — and with Albany trailing by double digits. Braswell said Blanton, whose seat is along the side of the field, and other fans were heckling the Albany coach when Davis approached them, shoved Blanton and threatened other fans sitting nearby.
“The coach walked by and (Blanton) made a comment about a newspaper article where the coach said the only reason they lost the last game against the Lions was because they were missing some of their players,” said Braswell, whose seat is near Blanton’s. “(Blanton) said, ‘What’s your excuse now?’ The Albany coach asked him to say it to his face and walked over, (Blanton) called him a crybaby, and the coach shoved him.”
No arrests were made, and the Columbus Police Department does not have a file on the incident.
Two days after the incident on June 6, The Herald contacted Dan Ryan, the SIFL’s Director of Media and Communications who said — at that time — the league didn’t plan to fine or punish either team.
However, two days later on June 8, the SIFL sent out a message on its Twitter feed, twitter.com/siflgameday, that read: “Albany coach incident review completed and handled internally by SIFL Commissioner. Fines issued, but no suspensions. Issue is now closed.”
When the Ledger-Enquirer contacted the SIFL for clarification June 10, the league refused to provide any more details. The Herald, meanwhile, was met with similar resistance Wednesday in an e-mail to SIFL Commissioner Gary Tufford, who said the matter was handled within the league, and that no press releases were sent to the media regarding any fines or punishment, but that both sides were responsible.
“The matter was resolved internally through my office. As we deemed that there was culpability on both sides we chose to move forward and seek a positive resolution to the incident,” Tufford wrote. “This week’s game is a huge one and probably one of the biggest of the season. I would hope that we can all focus our attention on the value of the on-field football product and the great contest that will take place in Columbus.’’
A follow-up e-mail was then sent to Tufford asking whether or not Columbus was also asked to donate money to the Children’s Miracle Network in Columbus, considering the SIFL “deemed that there was culpability on both sides,” but Tufford hadn’t responded by press time.
SIFL President Thom Hagar, however, did tell The Herald via telephone Wednesday afternoon that he also considered the mattered closed. This, Hagar said, after Davis issued a formal apology for his part in the incident to the league. Davis also apologized shortly after the game in an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer.
“It was just something I regret, and I was wrong,” Davis told the newspaper. “… To sum it all up, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have paid attention to the things he was saying.”
Questions about security at the Columbus Civic Center have been brought up since the incident because Blanton came down from his seat and leaned over the wall to shout at Davis.
The Herald asked Tufford in that same follow-up e-mail Wednesday if there were plans for increased security Saturday in the rematch, but did not get a reply to that inquiry, either.
And whether there is or isn’t increased security Saturday, Davis said he doesn’t care one way or another — he just wants to play football. He also reiterated Wednesday that he wished the incident hadn’t occurred and he was ready to move on.
“I was wrong,’’ Davis said. “I shouldn’t have done what I did, and that’s it. What happened had nothing to do with the football game. I’m going to be there. I’m coming there Saturday to coach a football game and nothing else matters.’’
He added that he feels that rehashing it is simply throwing more gas on the fire, and pointed out that he has repeatedly declined to comment up until Wednesday.
“I’m sorry it happened, and I can’t take it back,’’ Davis said. “(The fan) can’t take it back, either. He hasn’t said anything (since) to me and I haven’t said anything to him. It’s over. Everybody else who is not involved has something to say about it.’’