Dexter, okay...maybe I was being a TAD sarcastic with my post. The main point I was trying to make was that any number of people can witness the same incident, but each person will paint a slightly different, to completely opposite, picture of the same scene. This doesn't mean that NOTHING happened, only that we are human, and we all see things from a different perspective.
A very good example (yes, another one - but, this one is real) would be the great discussion on these boards after the Irmo-S.Aiken State Championship game some months ago. I can’t find the link to it now, but somewhere out there is posted a video clip of a questionable goal. Okay, there is no question that a goal was awarded by the referee, but whether the ball actually crossed the goal line, and whether a S.Aiken defender kept the ball out of the goal illegally, IS in question. I have seen the video numerous times, and I have read numerous posts stating that one thing or the other “obviously” happened “because it’s right there on video.” “Look at the shadows,” “Look at the angle,” etc. An entire stadium witnessed the incident, but it’s amazing how many differents descriptions of the same incident there are.
I have seen the coach in question (back to this subject) at practices and at games many times. Now, I’m not going to be like the parent in the news who says their “wonderful, sweet child would never ever hurt a flea,” while that same sweet child is on trial for murder. No, I don’t “know” everything about this coach, but if you lined him up with a hundred other coaches from around the state and asked me to rank them according to their propensity for aggressive behavior, he would be very near the opposite end.
Tommyboy, I don’t think Carson was accusing the player of intentionally running into the flailing arms of this coach – I believe he was merely suggesting that when the incident happened, the kid took advantage of it to the fullest. NOTREBMALHH gives a good example of how easy it is to manipulate people when the circumstances are ripe. This is one of the reasons I love my TiVo – in the middle of pretty much any EPL game, there will some some contact between players, and one of them will dive backwards as if hit between the eyes with a sledgehammer. Funny thing is, when I play it back in slow-mo, I usually don’t see any (or much) contact at all. The fans in the stands don’t have TiVo – what do you think they see?
Dexter, I know this one will also sound like a “second gunman theory,” but regarding the “cursing,” I have seen first-hand (and you can quote me on this) how this could possibly be a “mis-interpretation.” As I mentioned, I have spent a good amount of time around a few of the Tobagoan coaches in the area. They tend to have very strong accents, and there are plenty of words they say that just do not come out right. I watched one game in particular where I was asked afterwards by more than one spectator what I thought about the coach’s foul language. Fact is, there WAS no foul language. After said spectator went through the words they heard, I gave them the translation of what was actually said. I, myself, have listened to them talk, and on more than one occasion, perked up when I “couldn’t believe” what they just said, only to realize what the actual word was several minutes later. I am sure that you will not believe me until you witness it yourself, but it is true – I am not exaggerating.
Okay, I have finally come to the end. I am NOT saying that the above is what actually happened, and I am not saying that nothing happened – I am merely suggesting that what APPEARS to be OBVIOUS is not always so. Do not believe everything you hear, even if it is from a witness – remember, there are three sides to every story – his, hers, and the truth.
