The UFL issues the following statement today in regards to a incident at the conclusion of the Michigan Panthers vs. the St. Louis Battlehawks game in St. Louis last evening.
Statement from United Football League Spokesman Mike Wade
“The UFL is aware of the incident that took place last evening at the conclusion of the Michigan Panthers vs. St. Louis Battlehawks game in St. Louis. League officials are currently investigating the matter.”
The incident involved Panthers wide receiver Samson Nacua and a Battlehawks fan. Samson is the brother of Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. Panthers cornerback Adonis Alexander was also seen in the video.
Clearly Nacua should not have engaged with the fan nor slap him. He should be fined and suspended for several games.
However, its time for these pro sports league to step up and show this type of fan behavior is unacceptable. Far too often fans think just because they pay for a ticket they can be rude and say whatever they want. These players don’t make millions of dollars. Which is why family’s no longer go to games.
Was the fan drunk? I am speculating that this fan was and probably running his mouth all game. Since this incident took place after the game was over. I have no information on if the fan was drunk or not. They are more than welcome to reach out to us or those who saw the incident and tell their side of the story. Lets assume he was.
In any case, that fan should also be banned from the UFL. No need to stick you head out an egg the player on because you have liquid courage. These types of fans are the reason people don’t like going to live games anymore. We are not the NFL.
9 Comments
by 4tth&long
I think 1 game suspension would be enough. I don’t think the league wants an issue with players now. Nor does the league want to make a stink with fans. They can “remind” the players that this is unacceptable behavior, behind the scenes, while putting out a PR message asking fans to be respectful. Its always something!
by Ken Granito
I have to be honest. I didn’t even read the article. I did see the video, however. Though I have great respect for Mark Perry. I have lost all my respect for the UFL. If this somehow turned into a lawsuit that caused the end of the UFL, it would be more their doing and not as much Sampson Nacua’s. I am not saying Sampson Nacua is not also at fault, because you need to keep control of your actions and hitting someone is not really the way to act. The UFL needs to issue a public apology. It should read something similar to this. We understand our part in this. 1. We should officiate fairly and FIRE officials that get half the plays wrong. Suspend those that are worse than 3/4s and if those officials cannot get their ratings to 90% effective within 5 weeks will be fired regardless. Pro Focus grades offensive linemen. It would be considerably easier to do that with refs. Personally I don’t know how Bradley Anae is not in jail right now. If the refs allowed what happened to him, to happen to me, I would have ripped the LTs helmet off and hit him with it and the betch would not have been able to do anything about it, because Anae whipped him on just about every play in the first half. Give Bradley Anae credit for being a better human being than the executives that run this league that clearly have lost sight of what football really is. I would have done this to expose the UFL and what it does.
Fixing games, especially when the players do not make NFL money is infuriating. They put in all this effort for what.
The USFL used to have this thing where the winning team received money. Knowing this would open themselves up to further scrutiny by the players if they were losing because of league officiating (fixing games) that is based on a specified pre-determined outcome that the league has determined they or a gambling site want. The Fox Sports doesn’t even report penalties anymore. There was NO mention of whether or not Hakeem Butler’s bomb on the double pass was a push off (It was.) a week after they called a major offensive pass interference call against the Renegades where he just made a little space to catch the ball. I understand calls go that way sometimes, but this league is ALWAYS pre-determined for the Battlehawks. The same announcers that said last week, I don’t know if I were Anthony Becht, I would challenge this play…..now. Yes Anthony are you listening? This week they say nothing about the push off. Off course the Panthers didn’t have a challenge flag, because when the game is called unfairly, you use up your challenge flags. Dean Blandino intervenes when it works for the league, but they don’t intervene when the game has been scripted and it works toward the script. They are adjusting on the fly as they get criticism such as this. There are literally thousands of touch points where a game can be fixed. I am just surprised at up to now how DUMB the league is. The NFL fixes games, but they make it that much more difficult to pick up, but if you watch you can see, because they still need to make it look good for the gambling sites. The UFL makes it so obvious that I would tell the cable companies to take the games the league cheated and ask cable companies to scrub them, because they really are SO bad. You have given the Battlehawks so much that I imagine some of the fans would be feeling that they could do anything they want. Match that with a player that knows if he pushed off against the Battlehawks he would have been called for it is probably a little tough to swallow.
3. Complete uncaring for the players. On a scale of 1-10 where 10 shows how much the league cares about players, the league cares about 3, maybe 4. I am glad they came to an agreement about pay, however, players get hit and tackled out of bounds around 5 times a game and I have never seen a flag for late hit out of bounds. I am not talking about as they go out of bounds. I am talking about a player being feet out of bounds and they get hit and no flag. People are head-hunting all the-time. They all want to make the hit that gets them recognized. Teams like DC and San Antonio purposely perform illegal hits, because they are worth 15 yards to intimidate or hurt an opposing player. If those penalties go un-called, even better. The league really does not care for the athletes that play for them. Malik Turner was hit on two plays in the game against the Brahmas that went uncalled.
There are so many other things the UFL does wrong. I don’t know how it can take something so beautiful and make it so ugly. It is really so clear that the league needs to sell franchises. The saying, “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” totally applies to the UFL and how it has ruined football and now Sampson Nacua needs to pay the price for it.
by Ken Granito
To provide an example. In the game with the Stallions and the Renegades. If the officials who were responsible for line play still have jobs, the UFL is a joke. I would love it is someone from the league could explain whether they do or not. I presume they do. If you love those refs, watch the game. At least when they try to reprimand you for lying you can respond with, but you lied to all those people. Yes they have and at some time have likely lied to you.
by Ken Granito
I’m sorry the game was against the Showboats. At least I admit when I get it wrong. , not the Renegades. Look at that 1st half and you will see loads of injustice being done.
The Stallions vs Renegades was the game where the Renegades didn’t have one penalty until the 3rd quarter. Actually you could look at that game too and check to see if the Renegades had any penalties. I bet you can find at least 5 or more the UFL officials did not. The league is so poor with SO many mistakes, I cannot keep them all straight anymore. Just really SO bad.
by Greyson Alman
The UFL should be investigating the lack of security. I have no idea if the fan was drunk or not. But, either way, you can’t host an event where you serve alcohol without having security present. That’s a recipe for situations like this.
by Ken Granito
In the same game between the Memphis Showboats and the Birmingham Stallions where the left tackle held Bradley Anae all first half, yet none were called. Then in the OT section he was held again. Skip Holtz called for a challenge. He, franctically, looked for a number and someone told him it was 96. First, how stupid for the Stallions as Carlos Davis 96 wasn’t even in on the play. 90 Bradley Anae was. However, and no matter HOW MANY TIMES OFFICIALS CALL PENALTIES AND GIVE THE WRONG OR NO NUMBER, WE STILL THEY STILL CALL THE PENALTY. However, even without 96 in the game and even with a clear holding on 90, I mean clothes line clear, they say they cannot corroborate the holding call. That is because it was the Stallions.
The week before in the Renegades and Battlehawks game a 52 yard Renegades TD pass was wiped out because Anthony Becht threw the challenge flag. He specifically called number 99. When Mike Parrera could find no holding on 99, he said oh it was 98 and they took the touchdown off the board. It wasn’t really holding. The Battlehawks block that way on every single play. You can watch it. The Battlehawks Arlington can is ondemand for ESPN. The Stallions vs Showboats game is on Fox Ondemand. The favoritism is just so much in favor of the Battlehawks. Why would it not be on their fans? In the Stallions game they showed the penalty on the screen.
on the screen. I can only imagine. I didn’t see it, but the fans booed. In the Stallions case they did not change it, however in the Battlehawks case they did. IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT THE NONE HOLDING CALL AND LATER CHALLENGE THAT THEIR SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOLDING, WITH THE HOLDING ON THE SCREEN AND ALL THE FANS BOOING, THE UFL WOULD HAVE THEN SAID OH I SEE THE HOLDING WAS ON 90, NOT ON 96. Wait let me shut my microphone off. No we can screw the Battlehawks, they are our meal ticket. I can think of a ton of names for this team, but none of them are Battlehawks. Most of them are not very good. I don’t even think you would be able to get them trademarked. The UnFootball League is very poor. It had a chance to be something good, but they declined.
by Ken Granito
I messed up a little. If the same played happened in St. Louis it is clear they would have said oh they said 96, but they meant 90 and the penalty call would have been called and the Showboats points taken off the board, but because it happened to the Stallions and not the Battlehawks they performed an injustice. They can call it what they want. They just cheat. It’s funny, in the game between the Renegades and Battlehawks the refs blew the whistle and within one step that the Renegades were still holding the running back, there was a flag on the floor. The IS the ONLY flag for that that I have ever seen in the history of the UFL. The league is really so lacking. It is truly like WWE where George the Animal Steel has a machete and the ref can’t see it. If people’s money weren’t being taken I would say it’s humorous.
by Ken Granito
And Greyson, You should be looking at those games I mentioned. At least if you see it, you will know for real. To be honest. I always feel people should know when they are being lied to. I look at it like this. I can have this girl who she and I get along with and we have some good evenings. (Games that aren’t fixed), but if the other two nights she is lying to me and doing things she should not, I would have no part of her. You may be one of those people that don’t want to know if she is cheating on you and lying to you. If you don’t want to know don’t look, but if you are going to write articles and care about truth, maybe you shouldn’t be writing for the UFL.
by Gary Winter
Wow, sounds like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed. Am I missing something? I thought this article was about some blowhard in the stands getting slapped by a player from the opposing team. I missed the part where it was mentioned that the Battlehawks always get the breaks, I assume because they have better attendance than everyone else? Not much of a reason.
First, if you think the league cheats for the Battlehawks and that the refs are always slanted and bad, then why watch and report on every little thing each week? I usually enjoy your takes from week to week but holy cow…I feel you’re so far off base this time it’ll be hard to read and take seriously going forward.
I’m a season ticket holder for the Battlehawks and I can assure you, I get just as aggravated every game due to calls or non-calls against us. Not sure how you came to your conclusions but I have to say, it’s sports, referees, umpires, etc. are humans and are prone to making mistakes just like the players, league officials, loudmouth spectators and even you and me.
The spectator should be banned for a game, the player should get a short suspension for being unprofessional and the UFL should be done with it after that. My take.
As for Hakeem Butler pushing off? Yup, he did. Must’ve been the first time that ever happened in any game, anywhere. Wide receivers usually don’t do things like that! Typically, they just take their beatings back to the huddle and hope the d’back falls down next time. That’s sarcasm and now that I’m relegating to that level, it’s time for me to shut-up.