Posted on Mon May 12, 2008 at 10:20:59 AM EST in NFL
More on: Ravens, brawl, minicamp, NFL, Jim Harbaugh (all tags)

The Baltimore Ravens minicamp is a scary place to be these days. Not because Ray Lewis is there or because they've slipped from Super Bowl champs to the oblivion of 5-11 in 2007 or because Brian Billick is absent after spending the last nine years coaching the squad. The reason Baltimore Ravens minicamp is scary is because it appears to be more WWE Royal Rumble meets COPS than the gelling of a cohesive unit.

The Baltimore Ravens are doing more than merely fighting for jobs at their first mandatory minicamp under new coach John Harbaugh.

They're fighting each other, too.

Nearly all 85 players in camp were involved in a squabble Saturday that began when offensive tackle Oniel Cousins and defensive tackle Amon Gordon threw punches after running back Allen Patrick was taken down hard on a burst up the middle. All the players surged toward the middle of the field, and it was nearly two minutes before peace was restored.

"Guys are competing, so tempers flare a little bit," Harbaugh said.

Later during practice, which was held indoors because of rain, defensive backs Corey Ivy and Frank Walker came to blows during a blocking drill.

"Don't grab me, man!" Ivy yelled.

After the players were separated, veteran cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle spoke with Walker, who signed as a free agent during the offseason after playing with Green Bay in 2007.

"Chill out, man," Rolle said. "There's too much at stake."

Fights are bound to happen when guys are literally on the field, playing for their jobs. It's no biggie really, but it would be fun to watch. We can only hope the Dallas Cowboys show this level of dysfunction during their preseason drills.

Links:
[Yahoo!]: Harbaugh's Ravens brawl at minicamp
[BaltimoreSun.com]: Team showing fight under Harbaugh

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Posted on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:21:32 PM EST in Other Sports
More on: soccer, brawl, dressing room, airport, video, Brazil (all tags)

Say what you want to about the great American sports rivalries, but if you want to see some real animosity then look no further than soccer outside of the States. As if there is soccer inside the States.

A pair of Brazilian teams (Atletico Paranaense and Gremio if you're keeping score) brawled like Peter and the chicken all over town after an Atletico Paranaense player was attacked kung-fu style during a post-gamematch interview.

See what we mean? Have you ever seen Peyton Manning deliver a flying dropkick to Tom Brady's kisser?

The rivalry between the two clubs began earlier this season when Paranaense forward Alex Mineiro was injured in a clash with Gremio midfielder Tcheco.

Tcheco was sent off in Wednesday's match for persistent dissent and both clubs said that as he left the field he clashed with Petraglia.

After the game, Paranaense midfielder Claiton said he was attacked from behind by a Gremio player who lunged at him with a karate-style kick as he was giving a media interview.

Claiton said he went to a police station to file a complaint.

Gremio accused Paranaense of being bad hosts at the end of the match.

"We were badly received here," said Cesar Pacheco, another member of the Gremio delegation. "They spent the week threatening us.

"This can't happen in football."

Now, we know that some of this soccer stuff is tough to believe but, thanks to The Offside, we've got the video to prove it. *"no need to watch after the 1:00 minute mark if you don't speak Portuguese"

End of story, right? Wrong. On Thursday, the two clubs just conveniently happened to bump into each other at the airport and, well, you know where this is going.

The two clubs blamed each other for the fracas at the Afonso Pena airport in Curitiba as they resumed hostilities after Paranaense's 2-0 win in a Brazilian championship match the previous evening.

Paranaense director Mario Cesar Petraglia said he was waiting for a flight to Sao Paulo when he was set upon by the Gremio delegation.

"I was reading my newspaper when they went for me, with physical and moral offences," Petraglia told his club's Web site (www.caparanaense.com).

Gremio, who were heading home to Porto Alegre, said Petraglia was with security men who joined in the fight.

"(Vice president of football Paulo) Pelaipe is with the airport police filing a complaint," Gremio director Alfredo Oliveira told Radio Bandeirnates.

"He lost a tooth and his face has swollen up."

Thank goodness here in the fity states, we don't have to worry about that level of immaturity and poor sportsmanship from our athletes.

Links:
[Yahoo.com]: Brazilian clubs brawl again at airport
[The Offside]: Brazilian Teams Brawl in the Dressing Room, Airport

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Posted on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 12:23:56 PM EST in Other Sports
More on: high school, football, brawl, suspensions, video (all tags)

The hammer came down today following a huge brawl during a high school football game between the players of Florida's Miramar and Flanagan. In all, 56 players got suspended for anywhere from one to six weeks for their roles in the fight.

It's considered by many to be the biggest mass suspension in Florida high school history with 29 suspensions going to Miramar and 27 more going to Flanagan. It all went down on September 28 during the third quarter of the game.

A cameraman for the Sun-Sentinel High School Sports program was rolling after a scuffle broke out following a play. Pushing quickly turned into thrown punches and grappling, as players from both benches rushed in to help their teammates.

"I saw one of the football players push somebody in the dirt, push their head down in the dirt. And then I saw the whole team just come out and fighting," said one student.

Another student agrees with the suspensions, "I believe it was deserved because fighting is not tolerable amongst all schools, so I think they should have got it.

The entire offensive squad that was on the field for Miramar and the entire defensive squad for Flanagan got suspended, in addition to a bunch of other kids that came off the benches to join.

While something like this could happen anywhere in the country, it figures that it would happen in Florida. Obviously, these kidos should be receiving their scholarship letters from Miami and Florida International at any minute now.

Links:
[Sun-Sentinel.com]: Mass suspensions in Broward throw high school football programs for a loop
[CBS4.com]: Dozens Suspended After Broward Foot-Brawl

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Posted on Mon Mar 19, 2007 at 09:39:56 AM EST in Other Sports
More on: high school, basketball, brawl, video (all tags)

Brawling at basketball games is apparently the new hotness for high school kids. Remember the fight last month during a basketball game in Milwaukee? Well the kids in NYC decided to show them how it's done during the PSAL NYC Championship between Lincoln and Boy & Girls. And of course, this was at the Garden where the NBA likes to do its brawling too.

It started with a hard foul on the court, escalated into the stands, spilled into the streets and Times Square and ended with everyone shaking their heads. To make sure that everyone knew this was NYC and not Milwaukee, someone in the crowd fired some shots. (No, Fabolous and Sebastian Telfair weren't involved.) At last count, NYC police have made 21 arrests and beat the hell out of at least one person.

The Public Address announcer voiced what's going through everyone's minds when he said, "What the fuck is wrong with y'all. Come on!"

You can check out video of the brawl below. Then you can move to the suburbs.

Links:
[WCBS TV]: CBS 2 Exclusive Video: 'March Badness' At MSG!

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