OJ Mayo Video..Brawl

[Guest Ozen]

http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=19256&catid=3

[Guest Bridge City Card]

[PoppaBearstarr]

Looked like the ref was trying to take a charging call....

[T_totha_K]

OJ will be ok...the video doesnt show he push the ref....things go on like this everywhere its just being put out all over cause he's highly ranked, keep ya head OJ....

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

he'll be ok. i've seen way worse.

[tvc184]

Looked like the ref was trying to take a charging call....

Charging call in the back?

[KFDM COOP]

Judge clears way for Mayo to play; coach claims vengeful ref to blame for situation

Updated 1/30/2007 6:28 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | 

HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — Prep basketball star O.J. Mayo, who won a court order Tuesday blocking a two-game suspension, was the victim of a vengeful referee who wanted him to "keep his mouth shut," his coach said in court documents.

Mayo and five Huntington High teammates were cleared to play in a high-profile matchup Tuesday night after a judge prohibited state athletic officials from imposing the suspensions.

Huntington (15-0), No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY national rankings, was scheduled to play No. 11 Artesia (21-1) of Lakewood, Calif., as part of the HoopHall Classic in Durham, N.C. The tournament also featured two other teams ranked in the top 10: No. 3 Oak Hill Academy of Mouth of Wilson, Va., against No. 6 Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Calif.

"We did get a little victory," Mike Woelfel, Mayo's attorney and an assistant coach at Huntington, said Tuesday. "O.J. is relieved and eagerly looks forward to competing."

Cabell County Circuit Judge Dan O'Hanlon set a Feb. 9 hearing for Mayo and the other players.

Mayo, who signed a letter-of-intent in November to play next season at Southern California, received two technical fouls in the fourth quarter of Friday's game with Capital and was ejected, triggering an automatic two-game suspension. Five teammates, all reserves, also received two-game suspensions for leaving the bench area.

According to referee Mike Lazo's account to the Secondary School Activities Commission, he cited Mayo with the first technical foul for taunting an opponent.

Instead of going to the scorer's table to report the first technical, Lazo followed a group of players who had gathered at midcourt. After Mayo twice was told to stay away from the same player, Lazo assessed a second technical.

Mayo, hoping to plead his case, followed Lazo to the scorer's table and Lazo fell.

"As I turned my head towards him he came in contact (with) me, causing me to fall to the floor. While I was on the floor, (Mayo) was using profanity," Lazo said.

Under state rules, a student who "in protest lays hands or attempts to lay hands upon an official" can be declared ineligible for up to a year.

In his court filing, Woelfel said witness accounts contradicted Lazo.

Huntington coach Lloyd McGuffin said in a statement Lazo indicated at the beginning of the game that "Mayo better not talk with him tonight because he is not going to put up with him at all. He said he needs to keep his mouth shut."

During the game, Mayo told his teammates during a huddle at the free-throw line to stay out of foul trouble. Lazo interrupted, "telling him he needs to be worried about himself because he is going to toss him out of the game if he doesn't shut up," McGuffin's statement said.

McGuffin said after the second technical was called, Mayo and Lazo bumped into one another.

"Lazo then gets his feet tangled and takes a couple of steps and flops his arms and fakes a fall," the coach said.

Mayo, considered one of the nation's top seniors, transferred to Huntington last fall after leading Cincinnati's North College Hill to two Ohio Division III championships. Huntington has won back-to-back Class AAA titles in West Virginia.

"I never wanted to come and (have) this happen," Mayo told WSAZ-TV shortly before leaving for North Carolina.

Under SSAC rules, if a student plays under a restraining order that is later reversed, the team could be forced to forfeit any victories in which the student played.

Woelfel accused the SSAC of denying due process to suspended players.

"The judge wants to look at that issue," Woelfel said.

Also, SSAC rules aren't clear whether punishments can be imposed during out-of-state games, he said.

SSAC Executive Director Mike Hayden, who met privately with Mayo and his family at Huntington High on Tuesday, didn't immediately return a telephone message.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

Sounds like the ref shoukd be barred for the rest of the year.  >

[Guest pngbaseball10]

he just didnt wanna get knocked out  lol

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I bet the same thing happens to J'Covan or Thomas next year. I hope not though.

[stang4life]

Had Mayo displayed the discipline that he should have...he would have never re-entered the situation.  I am not impressed.  The refs seem to be talking to him and he just walks away and then decides to walk back into the crowd and receive his 2nd tech.  That type of an attitude is why NBA basketball has had so many of their problems.  Although he did appear to forcefully bump into the ref, he did make slight contact and that should be unacceptable.  He created that situation and all he had to do is stay out of the way initially.  I don't agree with the overturning of the suspension.  It should have stayed. 

[bmtdc1996]

I agee with Stang....the kid should have stayed away from the other team after the first tech.  He had to show a little attitude though.  I don't think he pushed the ref or caused the fall though.  That looked a little fake to me.  A guy like that with a lot of talent has got to deveop a tough skin and have a lot of self control as well.

[SPS#12]

looked like the ref wus kinda scared of the large african american.jk.but he shouldnt be penalized for that.