A fight among adults broke out right after an 8-and-under football game in Winter Haven, Florida, on the weekend of October 10-11, and the Polk County Sheriff's Office is now looking into whether gambling was behind it. Sheriff Grady Judd says undercover deputies will be working future youth games. Yes, the plainclothes guy in the next folding chair may not be someone's uncle.
What's been reported
- The fight: It started just as the 8U game ended, according to Tampa Bay 28. The Independent reports that law enforcement-released video shows parents and spectators throwing punches and spilling onto the field alongside young players.
- The teams: Outlets disagree. FOX 13 News reports the game was Winter Haven Tigers vs. Plant City Colts, and that a parent struck the Plant City coach in the head to set off the brawl. WFLA reports it was the HOA 30 Kartel vs. the Plant City Colts Certified Strikers.
- The gambling angle: WFLA reports Judd said early findings indicated the fight started over bets on the kids' game. FOX 13 News reports investigators are examining betting claims but don't yet have video or other proof that gambling happened. Tampa Bay 28 also says the claim hasn't been independently confirmed.
- The response: Judd told FOX 13 News, "we're going to go undercover and look for that conduct." Both FOX 13 and WFLA report undercover deputies will monitor future youth sporting events for illegal gambling.
- Possible charges: If instigators or participants are identified, investigators plan to file misdemeanor affray or disorderly conduct charges, per FOX 13's report. Under Florida Statute 877.03, brawling that breaches the peace is a second-degree misdemeanor. Florida law separately makes playing a game of chance for money a second-degree misdemeanor, according to the Florida Legislature.
- Arrests: iHeart's Tampa Bay Mix reports the Sheriff's Office hasn't released information confirming arrests or charges tied to the incident.
Not just a Polk County thing
Adults have been melting down at youth and school games all fall. OutKick, via Fox News, reported a Florida high school football game that turned into a postgame brawl involving players and coaches. NBC10 Philadelphia reported that an altercation between a referee and a spectator at a youth football game ended with someone firing a gun. Boston.com reported video of a referee and a coach fighting at a youth flag football game in Revere, Massachusetts.
The Winter Haven case remains open. Whatever investigators find, Polk County parents should know the guy yelling about the spot of the ball might now be on the county payroll.
Source: Hoodline