Youth soccer referee dies after attack

[Songbird]

17-year-old punched him in the face after getting a yellow.

Ricardo Portillo slipped into a coma, and died.

He was 46.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20130504_Soccer_referee_punched_by_player_in_Utah_dies.html?id=206177601

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I've been reading up on this. The ref had been attacked numerous times on the field in the past, though not from this league. He had ribs broken, and a leg badly hurt, but kept refereeing because he enjoyed it.

RIP.

 

[Armchair_QB]

We need to ban soccer.

 

[cyclingwriter]

Then only criminals will have soccer.

 

[exmediahack]

How many hands violations did the kid commit in attacking the referee?

 

[heyabbott]

If only they allowed the ref to pack heat he'd be alive today. And a punk ass kid who will never amount to much anyway would be dead.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Can't recall the last time a referee was killed by a football or baseball player.

 

[93Devil]

RIP, but the refs that have the most problems with fans, as did one did over and over, usually are ****ty.

No excuse for the kid to do that, but when you ref basketball or soccer, nothing sucks more than working with a ****ty ref because you are getting a lot of blow back on the calls the other person is making.

 

[LongTimeListener]

RIP, but the refs that have the most problems with fans, as did one did over and over, usually are ****ty.

No excuse for the kid to do that, but when you ref basketball or soccer, nothing sucks more than working with a ****ty ref because you are getting a lot of blow back on the calls the other person is making.

He caused his own death by sucking.

 

[93Devil]

RIP, but the refs that have the most problems with fans, as did one did over and over, usually are ****ty.

No excuse for the kid to do that, but when you ref basketball or soccer, nothing sucks more than working with a ****ty ref because you are getting a lot of blow back on the calls the other person is making.

He caused his own death by sucking.

Ever blow a whistle?

This is a very high number of serious events for one referee.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I agree. I've said it a hundred times, if you want to continue to live, learn the ****ing offside rule. It isn't that hard.

 

[93Devil]

I agree. I've said it a hundred times, if you want to continue to live, learn the ****ing offside rule. It isn't that hard.

Or actually do something or listen to people who have experience doing it.

Either the guy sucked or he was confrontational with the fans and players.

 

[exmediahack]

He died doing what he loved.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I agree. I've said it a hundred times, if you want to continue to live, learn the ****ing offside rule. It isn't that hard.

Or actually do something or listen to people who have experience doing it.

Either the guy sucked or he was confrontational with the fans and players.

Or maybe he was the victim of a murderous thug who has no respect for life.

 

[KJIM]

I agree. I've said it a hundred times, if you want to continue to live, learn the ****ing offside rule. It isn't that hard.

Or actually do something or listen to people who have experience doing it.

Either the guy sucked or he was confrontational with the fans and players.

46-year-old guy died. RIP.

 

[heyabbott]

I agree. I've said it a hundred times, if you want to continue to live, learn the ****ing offside rule. It isn't that hard.

Or actually do something or listen to people who have experience doing it.

Either the guy sucked or he was confrontational with the fans and players.

Or maybe he was the victim of a thug who has no respect for life. soccer player

edited for brevity

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I agree. I've said it a hundred times, if you want to continue to live, learn the ****ing offside rule. It isn't that hard.

Or actually do something or listen to people who have experience doing it.

Either the guy sucked or he was confrontational with the fans and players.

... and because of this - if any of this is true - he deserved to die?

So ... he had it coming?

You're embarrassing ...

 

[Shoeless Joe]

I've been keeping up with this, and from what I understand, he was working in a league that lacked civic backing and did not have major sanctioning. You can take that for whatever you want, and I hate it for the guy, but it seems to me like the chances of something like this are higher than they would have been otherwise. I ref YMCA soccer and have never felt uncomfortable during or after a match.

 

[Starman]

I know people who have reffed HS football and basketball for 30 years, and never once been touched by a player or coach.

It has to do with the culture of Eurosport, in which endlessly haranguing and physically intimidating the officials is tolerated.

Nobody pulls this **** in organized HS sports because they know if they do, they'll be finished forever.

In soccer leagues, the kid probably figured, "ah what the ****, I punch the ref in the head, I probably get suspended three or four games, BFD."

 

[Bubbler]

RIP, but the refs that have the most problems with fans, as did one did over and over, usually are ****ty.

No excuse for the kid to do that, but when you ref basketball or soccer, nothing sucks more than working with a ****ty ref because you are getting a lot of blow back on the calls the other person is making.

Are you ****ing serious with this ****?