💬 Wanted to see what you guys think about this...ref forces wrestler to cut his hair or forfeit

[ElephantStomp]

I’ve learned one thing being in the profession that I am in...don’t jump to conclusions about racism...every decision we make is because we’re racist.

It appears this dude is racist with the use of the n word, but him making a dude cut his hair I’m not sure. But, I will say whether it was or not his ref career is over because the media, social media, etc won’t let this go and the pressure will force him to be not only fired, but his career as a whole

 

[mrchase]

 

[JoshB]

. Proof positive that racism is not just a southern thing.

How does hair length fall into racism?

A lot of black people look at their hair as a part of their culture, especially when it comes to dreadlocks and the like.

First off, there is so much noise and misinformation about this floating around.

The only question, was the ref following the rules/guidelines set forth?

It's not clear to me yet how this has anything to do with racism.

Kudo's to the kid for making the decision not to forfeit and just cut the hair and handle it the way he did.

I read a tweet about this topic that said dreads are part of some peoples religion. Interesting, I've never heard of that before.

What misinformation?

No he was not following the rules. The rules are that if you have hair over a certain length you wear a cap/hair net over it. There is literally no rule of "you must cut your fucking hair or forfeit." He made that shit up. The cap wasn't good enough for this referee for this particular wrestler for some reason, other than his issues with black people (which he has clearly shown he had) can you think of another reason?

It's a part of the rastafarian religion.

 

[planomateo]

Post the rules

People quoting stuff like it's factual and the typical social media uproar/outcry.

 

[rick4bama]

Post the rules

People quoting stuff like it's factual and the typical social media uproar/outcry.

I know what CBS was saying yesterday. What the reporter said was it was in the rule book. Now Someone will need the State, County and school district this was in? Right, because I know those rules are different in all school district?

 

[JoshB]

Post the rules

People quoting stuff like it's factual and the typical social media uproar/outcry.

SITUATION 17: Does braided hair that is non-abrasive need to be contained in a legal hair cover? RULING: If the hair in its natural state is longer than allowed by rule, then it must be contained in a legal hair cover. (4-2-1)

https://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/wrestling-rules-interpretations-2018-19/

“Regulations regarding hair length and legal hair covers for wrestlers are provided by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). At this point, the NJSIAA is working to determine the exact nature of the incident and whether an infraction occurred.

NJSIAA Statement / Buena Regional High School Wrestling | NJSIAA

Furthermore...

f. Wrestlers opting to wear a legal hair cover must wear it to the weigh-in and be checked for grooming. The legal hair cover must be removed prior to the wrestler stepping on the scale to be weighed.
https://www.njsiaa.org/sites/default/files/document/REGULAR SEASON.pdf

 

[pop2]

The most impressive part is the young man agreed to cut his hair to give his team the opportunity to win.

 

[planomateo]

I still have a few questions which have yet to be addressed.

• Did he have a cover and was it proper?
• Was it addressed at weigh in?

Hope the reporter got what he wanted when he tweeted this.

And it's just hair, had to cut mine many times in the military because of rules. I didn't like it, but it was what it was.

I'm not putting the entire The New York Times article below, just wanted to post something that hasn't been reported yet.

---------------------------

Civil Rights Investigation Opened After Black Wrestler Had to Cut His Dreadlocks

Ron Roberts, another wrestling referee and a member of the same association chapter, said he had spoken to Mr. Maloney on Friday about what had happened and that Mr. Maloney was “just upset about the situation,” which he believed had been taken out of context.

The athletic association, in its statement, said that it was reviewing whether Mr. Johnson violated rules by the National Federation of State High School Associations about wrestlers’ hair.

Roy Dragon, who is in charge of interpreting the rules for the state wrestling officials association, declined to comment.

According to the federation’s rule book, wrestlers’ hair must not fall below the back of an athlete’s shirt collar, earlobes or eyebrows.

Wrestlers with long hair are allowed to wear a hair covering that has to be “made of solid material and nonabrasive.”

Mr. Roberts, a graduate of Buena High School who has been a wrestling official for more than 20 years, said that he visited the team last week to review the rules.

When he was there, he said he told Mr. Johnson and another student with long hair that they would need proper hair coverings to compete.

“I told them in front of the coach,” he said. “So the awareness of the hair was brought up by myself last week.”

After the meeting, Mr. Johnson competed in the team’s first match of the season without incident. George Maxwell, the Buena wrestling coach, and the school’s athletic director, David Albertson, did not respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Roberts said that usually, before the competitions begin, there are “pre-meet” discussions between officials, coaches and wrestlers on issues like uniforms, hair, facial hair or fingernails. He did not know whether this had occurred Thursday night with Mr. Johnson.

If those violations have not been addressed by the time the wrestlers have reached the competition mat, Mr. Roberts said, athletes have 90 seconds to correct the problem.

In a situation similar to the one involving Mr. Johnson, wrestlers would have three options, Mr. Roberts said: put on an appropriate hair cover, forfeit or get an approved haircut.

Mr. Roberts said that in his two decades of officiating, hair-related violations were uncommon.

 

[TUSKtimes]

I think the fact that he has already competed in previous bouts without incident would have had me standing up for what was mine. I realize some people panic or just fail to stand up for themselves but there is no way I get my hair cut under those circumstances. I let the dude know that I've passed inspection just fine under my current circumstances on other occasions and when he disqualifies me, I still come and get this delusional nitwit.

Where was this kid's coach?

 

[planomateo]

I think the fact that he has already competed in previous bouts without incident would have had me standing up for what was mine. I realize some people panic or just fail to stand up for themselves but there is no way I get my hair cut under those circumstances. I let the dude know that I've passed inspection just fine under my current circumstances on other occasions and when he disqualifies me, I still come and get this delusional nitwit.

Where was this kid's coach?

By all accounts, the coach did argue this prior to the video. What's missing is what was said at the beginning of the match and what was discussed prior to the video.

It seems to me, he was given the below three choices. Let's be clear, nobody forced him to cut his hair.

1. Wear appropriate head cover.
2. Forfeit
3. Cut hair

It's still unclear to me what any of this has to do with racism. Page clicks baby!

 

[TUSKtimes]

By all accounts, the coach did argue this prior to the video. What's missing is what was said at weigh in and what was discussed prior to the video.

It seems to me, he was given the below three choices.

1. Wear appropriate head cover.
2. Forfeit
3. Cut hair

It's still unclear to me what this has to do with racism.

As I mentioned earlier racism is a broad term. I doubt seriously it comes to that unless he's got documented history against him, which I doubt. Stupidity/foolishness should make him accountable enough to lose his work and credibility if other wrestlers with a similar length of hair, including this youngster, has passed inspection before.

That's the kind of stuff that usually inspires speeches from head coaches like:

 

[planomateo]

@TUSKtimes read what I posted above, he was told a week prior about his hair.

The ref's name has been absolutely drug through the mud.

Morale of this story - reporters are lazy and people need to wait for the facts before they feed social media outcry (something I'm guilty of as well from time to time).

 

[JoshB]

I think the fact that he has already competed in previous bouts without incident would have had me standing up for what was mine. I realize some people panic or just fail to stand up for themselves but there is no way I get my hair cut under those circumstances. I let the dude know that I've passed inspection just fine under my current circumstances on other occasions and when he disqualifies me, I still come and get this delusional nitwit.

Where was this kid's coach?

By all accounts, the coach did argue this prior to the video. What's missing is what was said at the beginning of the match and what was discussed prior to the video.

It seems to me, he was given the below three choices. Let's be clear, nobody forced him to cut his hair.

1. Wear appropriate head cover.
2. Forfeit
3. Cut hair

It's still unclear to me what any of this has to do with racism. Page clicks baby!

He was wearing "appropriate head cover." What part about that don't you get?

Him being a piece of shit racist because of his prior history and the fact that he pulled this stunt, but by all means man, keep defending it.

Let me point out that you have shifted your defense multiple times by first implying that people were "making up" the rules about wearing a cap to suddenly pretending like no one has mentioned whether he was wearing a cap before this happened (its been said NUMEROUS times, the reporter that was at the event was the first person to bring it up) and now suggesting that he was told he had to wear a cap or cut his hair (which is just blatantly false, he was told his cap wasn't sufficient, by the way told this on the mat rather than at weigh in like should have been done IF true). Now its just all about "clicks" supposedly.

 

[planomateo]

I think the fact that he has already competed in previous bouts without incident would have had me standing up for what was mine. I realize some people panic or just fail to stand up for themselves but there is no way I get my hair cut under those circumstances. I let the dude know that I've passed inspection just fine under my current circumstances on other occasions and when he disqualifies me, I still come and get this delusional nitwit.

Where was this kid's coach?

By all accounts, the coach did argue this prior to the video. What's missing is what was said at the beginning of the match and what was discussed prior to the video.

It seems to me, he was given the below three choices. Let's be clear, nobody forced him to cut his hair.

1. Wear appropriate head cover.
2. Forfeit
3. Cut hair

It's still unclear to me what any of this has to do with racism. Page clicks baby!

He was wearing "appropriate head cover." What part about that don't you get?

Him being a piece of shit racist because of his prior history and the fact that he pulled this stunt, but by all means man, keep defending it.

Easy dude, I don't understand why you get so wrapped around the axle in these discussions. You're getting all spun up over some articles...perhaps you need to step away from the keyboard?

He made a mistake and apologized for it, perhaps he's learned from his mistake or perhaps he's a racist. Who the hell am I to judge the guy, I don't know him...

I'm just trying to be level headed and rational here

 

[TerryP]

I read as far as "home made wine" and see argument in the picture...

An argument, between wrestling refs, with moonshine...no freakin' tellin'.

 

[planomateo]

I read as far as "home made wine" and see argument in the picture...

An argument, between wrestling refs, with moonshine...no freakin' tellin'.

I've been on both sides of that . I know I've said some dumb things while I was under the influence.

Had a guy a few years ago say something to me in front of people about my wife. I told him he should choose his next comments wisely. He apologized the next day at work and I wrote it off as he was drunk. We're still friends, even though he said something he shouldn't have said.

 

[planomateo]

Let me point out that you have shifted your defense multiple times by first implying that people were "making up" the rules about wearing a cap to suddenly pretending like no one has mentioned whether he was wearing a cap before this happened (its been said NUMEROUS times, the reporter that was at the event was the first person to bring it up) and now suggesting that he was told he had to wear a cap or cut his hair (which is just blatantly false, he was told his cap wasn't sufficient, by the way told this on the mat rather than at weigh in like should have been done IF true). Now its just all about "clicks" supposedly.

Responding to the edit you made.

Shifting my defense? LOL, ok. I've been consistent with my comments - feel free to validate with my other posts in this thread.

What are the rules is what I've stated all along.

I posted something from the NYTimes that stated he was told the week prior to wear an appropriate cover as his hair was too long. My question was, did he wear an approved/appropriate cover? That hasn't been addressed from what I've seen.

Mike Frankel has added nothing to this story other than a tweet of his video. I shouldn't have to explain page clicks to you.

I've yet to understand why you get so personally invested in these stories and speak to people on the board like you do.

 

[bamafan9201]

I'm pretty sure alcohol isn't a viable excuse for anything. If you're a drunk racist, you're a regular racist with better sensibilities, doesn't mean you've changed just that your ability to hide it has. I have to agree, the article and information is pretty clear cut here on this man's history.

Questioning the reporters is fine, but if the information is duplicated on multiple outlets, it becomes a good basis of information. I'm a little unhappy at people's reaction to this thread, I mean we don't need pitchforks and a noose, but to immediately jump to defend him is also a bit too far in the other direction.

 

[LeGarrette]

I don't see anyone jumping to defend him. I see some here simply trying to wait for the facts before jumping to flame the ref.

 

[UAgrad93]

I had to ask an old friend that just so happens to be a wrestling coach with 25+ years experience. He even posted the NFHS rule on his Facebook page. The rules are cut and dried. They must be clean shaven, any sideburns can't come below and be exposed below the headgear, long hair, dreadlocks, etc must have a hair cover tucking their hair inside and underneath the headgear. Sadly, the rules are the rules.

We don't know what this reporters motive was, seems like @planomateo found out and linked that the referee supposedly met with the team and went over these rules the previous week. The reporter only seemed to bother to pull up the incident from the refs past that would make this racially motivated.

I went to a school that had a former military man as our principal. Hair couldn't touch the collar, no beards, could wear a stache, no earrings. Now, after 25 years as a teacher, I have seen the hair length go out the door, along with the beard/facial hair and earrings.
As far as my coachi went, we followed the state rule as far as all jewelry, no chains or earrigs and carried it one step further, you didn't wear the earrings in the fieldhouse. The rule still is enforced with no issues. As for hair, if it caused problems, seeing or even getting tackled by it, then we needed a trim. All hair was balled up and put inside the headgear.
Again, like @planomateo stated, it looks like he was given choices. My only questions are, was there a problem in previous matches that night and what happened to the "hair net" in earlier matches?