Hooper after fight on field. Courtesy of The Examiner Four years have lapsed since the crystal national championship trophy left the state of Alabama. Football in the south stretches farther than just a sporting event and merges into a weekend party. BleacherReport.com ranks colleges not on thier team but on the activities outside of the gates. There are 25 colleges chosen for the top tailgating spots in the country, and 11 of those are in the south.
Rivalries stretch far across the nation from Army versus Navy to Oklahoma versus Texas. Blood pressures rise in even the most timid fans, especially when there are 12 seconds left in the last quarter and all they need is a field goal to win. Arguments break out over the most insignificant comments and sometimes the consequences are deadly.
Farther north of the Mason–Dixon, football fans aren’t much different. In Martinsville, Ind., David Carrender, 49, sparked an argument on Oct. 12 with his 19-year-old son, Wyatt. David didn’t want to leave a bar because the football game was still on. Wyatt, being the designated driver, took his father and both of their girlfriends home where the fight continued, according to USATODAY.com.
Morgan County Sheriff Robert Downey said it looked as though the father retrieved a gun and then shot his son six times. The elder Carrender was arrested that night on a preliminary murder charge. A bond has not been set.
Recently in Alabama, a fight over football didn’t end in death, but it did end in a hefty investigation by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA). Cullman defensive coordinator Matt Hooper got in an altercation with Walker head coach John Holladay in the middle of the playing field after the final whistle was blown, according to myfoxal.com. Players and coaches were broken up by the police, and Hooper emerged with multiple injuries to his face.
Walker High School confirmed Holladay was placed on indefinite leave after the game. Superintendent Ron Sparkman stated the following Tuesday that Holladay resigned. Hooper did not receive any disciplinary action and neither team was banned from playing the following weekend, according to wsfa.com.
After arguments like these, it seems as though the players are more safe than the fans.
