At what point does the BS need to stop before there is a major incident and someone snaps . At what point does the BS https://www.foxnews.com/sports/new-jersey-referee-who-forced-wrestler-to-cut-dreadlocks-before-match-is-under-investigation
No it was bs and it should have been addressed before the match at weigh-in edit....actually after further reading it sounds like the rule was followed and he didn't have the proper head covering. Also, this has happened to more than a few white wrestlers as well. I would like to change my vote to yes now.
From what I can tell the ref made him follow the rules. I am confident the ref did not write the rules. Perhaps a better question for the poll would be "Should the wrestling rules be changed to make this kids hair legal?". That being said if the ref let other kids wrestle with hair that was against the rules and singled out this particular kid then he should get in trouble.
This is how wrestler's get hurt and it is also how they spread skin diseases via sweat. Hair should be cut short. Graphic pictures. Ye be warned: https://www.google.com/search?q=wre...vL3fAhVEkCwKHQdABxoQ_AUIDigB&biw=1360&bih=657
The main issue here is not that he had to cut his hair...but that he had to do it right before the match. Just imagine someone telling Harden, right as he pulls off his warmups "Yo, you gotta shave that beard." I imagine that going well...now, dreads take some time to grow, so during this whole time no one told the kid that he can't have them while wrestling? The coach? Previous refs? Also @robbie380 that rule doesn't state that the hair should be cut. Just that it should be braided or rolled and covered. Also...the article even says this... Also, they gave the kid 90 seconds to choose to cut his hair or forfeit the match. On the spot...wtf is this?
The situation was BS, right before the match like that. But he should have been made aware and had his hair cut beforehand. These rules aren't in place just for appearances, there is a reason. And yes, if there is evidence this ref let long haired white kids wrestle he should be held accountable.
This was not the Ref's first questionable decision . . from what I read The history of the 'war against black hair' *sic* is also taken in to consideration (while some of you may not have noticed . . . .. black people have had similar incidents like this recently. Not millions of thousands but enough to raise eyebrows) I suspect the Ref did not do his opponent any favors Dude too his PISSED OFF out on him Rocket River
Apparently, the ref arrived late for the match and was not there for the weigh in to inspect the wrestlers. It also appears the ref wouldn't allow the wrestler to wrestle even with the headcover. Wrestler’s attorney suggests haircut because of referee’s tardiness https://www.foxnews.com/sports/wrestlers-attorney-suggests-haircut-because-of-referees-tardiness
I didn't wrestle growing up but I am on the MMA message board I get on and multiple people say it has happened to them even being forced to shave before matches. The grooming policy is nothing new for them even if some refs let it slide. The ref was a stickler for the rules and also the rule says it needed to be covered with the proper head covering or cut the hair.
Did the wrestler have dreds because he liked the style or because he's a Rastafarian? If he's a Rasta then it is part of his religion and there's no way they should be able to force him to cut his hair. If he wasn't then it was still probably a bad move by the ref, but not as bad.
I didn't see anything in the rules about cutting hair though? I was on a wrestling forum and the feeling I got was that the ref was late and should have done these checks at the weigh-in or basically way before the matches started. If he had done so, then the coach could have provided a skull cap that they found acceptable for the kid and he wouldn't have had to cut his hair. To do it right there on the spot and tell the kid that he has to either cut his hair or forfeit the match is unfair to the kid and puts extreme pressure on him as it is a team sport. Looks like the ref didn't even allow the kid to wear a cap. Just went with the most extreme option all while being late and the coach most of all is supposed to look out for this kid and put his feelings and dignity before a match.
No one will take it into consideration. They don't understand, which is fine, the real crime is not listening...so we'll continue seeing incidents like this. I think it happens A LOT more to black women then men and when it does happen not much is made of it. I remember a story not too long ago here about a little black girl getting in trouble with the school because they wanted to cut her hair and people were arguing "These are the rules, oh well, rules are rules..." well when the rules tell someone that how they are naturally is against the rules, that's an issue for me. Especially for young people in school who are trying to find their lanes and growing up and I guess in cases like these learning that the world won't accept them for who they are.
I'll just post a few quotes from the message board "So few things that the article left out... 1. Kid was warned by another ref the week before at the Robin Leff tournament that during the season he needed to have it covered. they cut him a break and let him wrestle at this event. 2. The ref asked in the locker room if anyone needed any special equipment inspected....crickets 3. Kid had a Nike wool beanie he tried wearing to the mat but ref said no, had to be attached to the headgear, per National rules 4. Coach didn't have one and asked the ref "what if we cut it". Ref did the RIGHT thing and and deducted a point and put him on the "injury clock" to cut it. At the end of the day, the wrestler and more importantly his coach are at fault. My son wrestles in NJ and his coach keeps a properly stocked equipment box with a hair cover included (eventhough no one needes one). They also go over all the rules and rules changes with the kids constantly. They were ahead over Oakcrest and the coach could have "protected" his athlete by simply forfieting the match. Where the ref is at fault is that he showed up to weigh-ins late and didn't do the proper pre-match inspection....that's it. Is the guy a racist *******? yes.... he is a shitty ref on the mats...yes.....does he make matches about him...yes....but end of day its on the athlete and coach to be ready to compete within the rules." "The kids coaches failed him. Yes, the ref sucked, but ultimately it is the coaches job to make sure the kid is prepared to compete. That means having proper head covering. The kid had a covering but it didn’t get approved/wasn’t regulation. This was likely a wave cap/durag (I coached and had a lot of black kids with long hair get away with it, but technically not legal). The coaches should have made sure he had a proper covering or got him a back up." "he tried using a Nike wool winter cap.... its a shitty situation...he is a very nice kid from what i have heard from my son." "Heartbreaking video. The kid was crushed. At the end of the day the coaches need to be the ones protecting him; unless it was the kids idea to cut his own hair, I think they also failed in letting it happen in the first place. Put someone else in or forfeit. In all fairness it’s easy for someone like me to have an opinion not having been in the situation first hand. But all this **** going around about the ref seems like deflection from the coaches. It’s their job to know the rules. Kids will be kids and you need to protect them. "
So, what I'm getting from all of this... Horrible ref. Not only because he has an ego (and a bad ref?) but also because he's possibly racist and that his coach should have protected him and got him the proper head gear...especially considering they told him to get headgear one week before the event...and the coach himself asked if they could cut it... If you want to put fault in the kid for not having the right hair cover...I guess...but you'd think the coach would go over that with him, right? You don't send a kid out wearing the wrong size pads or ignore that he put his helmet on wrong and it's not properly latched on to his head. So...the ref was late to the weigh-ins...the coach sounds like he wasn't responsible at all...and in the end, the kid gets punished for the mistakes of his coach and for the ref being late.
Am i the only person asking the obvious how was he wrestling before this match? He didn't grow dreads overnight Also the media has done a terrible job of not explaining the ref's position and really have just fed into the outrage.
http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id...ed-referee-told-andrew-johnson-cut-dreadlocks Sounds to me like the school district and the league think its the refs fault.
It is easier to blame someone else especially when the media has your back. I am not saying I disagree with their stance but I definitely am not surprised by it.
The ref didn't technically do anything wrong from how I understand it. Maybe there was a racial aspect, maybe there wasn't, maybe he is just an ******* and stickler for the rules like that post I quoted was mentioning. He also didn't have to take the actions he took by having the kid's hair cut and the kid's coaches could have also had the proper head covering or simply subbed him out or forfeited at worst. They just need to have a better policy so cutting someone's hair on the mat isn't an option. It's pretty stupid lol. Anyhow, the hair will grow back and I'm sure all the girls at the school will be loving that kid now after all this attention.
