Media Appearances

On-field punch has happened in Idaho before
Emotions overtook sport Thursday, and a national expert said the lack of
legal ramifications could be part of the problem
BY PATRICK ORR AND KATY MOELLER -
Copyright: © 2009 Idaho Statesman
Published: 09/05/09

The question popped up in bars, living rooms and Internet chat rooms as soon as people realized what had happened: Would Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount be arrested for punching Bronco Byron Hout in the face? The shot was heard around the sports world - it filled radio airwaves, captivated ESPN for hours and even pushed news off New York Times and CNN Web sites. But in the Treasure Valley, it landed with a sickening realization. We had seen it before. Less than a year ago, former Nampa High School football player Kip Ramos was charged with felony aggravated battery and booked into the Canyon County Jail just hours after punching his coach in the face after a game against Emmett High. It, too, was caught on film.

But unlike Hout, who snapped back up - aided by a furious coach Chris Petersen and staring with a stunned look at a national television audience - Nampa High coach Scott Wooldridge suffered a crushed nose and a broken eye socket. Wooldridge was clearly bleeding - and that immediate visual evidence of possible "traumatic injury" was observed by a police officer attending the game. And that traumatic injury is the factor that makes a battery a felony, said Boise defense attorney Jon Cox, a former Boise State football player who represented Ramos in his criminal case.

That was the difference between Ramos and Blount, Cox said. While Blount clearly hit Hout in the face while Hout was looking the other way, Hout did not appear to sustain any traumatic injury. Petersen said Friday that Hout was OK.

"If there was evidence of what could be traumatic injury, like if Hout broke his jaw or cut his lip - or if (Blount) swung his helmet - that would be a different story," Cox said. A battery without traumatic injury is usually charged as a misdemeanor. But if the victim does not file a complaint, a criminal prosecution doesn't occur.

Petersen said Friday Hout has no intention of pressing charges. But at least one expert said looking the other way doesn't help.

Cristina Versari, a sports psychologist who works with NBA players, said there should be zero tolerance for violence by college and professional athletes. "If it happened after the game, the rules should be the same as for you and me," Versari said. "It shouldn't be tolerated." She said one of the problems with college and professional sports is that athletes are treated differently. "They give them breaks that we wouldn't have," Versari said.

Versari, president and director of the Sports Psychology Program at the San Diego University for Integrative Studies, said college athletes - particularly those who aspire to be professionals - need to recognize that they are essentially business people who are selling a product and must behave professionally. "College players are benefiting because of scholarships," she said. "It's a business. Every time something happens like this, they are losing something - a lot of times, it's an economic benefit."

The outcome of Thursday's melee could have been worse for Blount. Police officials said Friday that Blount did not assault Boise police Lt. Tony Plott or the stadium security officers who escorted Blount off the field after he got in a verbal confrontation with fans after the punch. Plott, who played linebacker for Boise State in 1981 and 1982, told the Idaho Statesman he was not injured and did not believe Blount was trying to hurt him. Ramos, 19, eventually pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 20 days of inmate labor detail. Ramos also was required to write an apology to his former coach and pay nearly $7,500 in restitution to the State Insurance Fund to cover Wooldridge's medical costs.