Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan (Post 476704)

More information: Kid is 17 years oldish. He was definitely trying to help Swansea by wasting clock time. (Speculation on my part, but I'm guessing the kid probably plays soccer at a near professional level, and knew exactly what he was doing.)

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan (Post 476704)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT5ogjqgghI

So the context is that this was towards the end of the game. Chelsea needed two goals to move on in the tournament. The ball went out of bounds, and a ball boy pounced on it. Hazard went to retrieve it, and the kid clutched tighter. So Hazard kicked the ball / ball boy. Ball pops out, he throws it in.

Kid writhes on the ground, play is stopped, and things are "sorted out." Hazard is red carded. Swansea goes on to the final of the tournament. Kid and father got taken to the Chelsea dressing room after the game to ward off litigation.

More information: Kid is 17 years oldish. He was definitely trying to help Swansea by wasting clock time. (Speculation on my part, but I'm guessing the kid probably plays soccer at a near professional level, and knew exactly what he was doing.) Chelsea is having an okish season. This tournament isn't that big of a deal, but it's something. They're out of Champions League. They're still in FA cup, and they're third in EPL, but pretty far back from Man U. They lost recently to QPR. This wasn't that big of a game, but it was the last leg of the semi-final. I imagine that a kick from someone who kicks professionally is pretty painful. I also imagine that someone who kicks professionally is pretty accurate in his aim at ball vs. flesh. I suspect that acting on the part of the ball boy may have played a role in the reaction, but I concede that he may have been kicked and it may have hurt. I also concede that he may have been shocked that the soccer player could have given a shit about his body getting in the way of the ball.

Is this something worth getting up in arms about?

There are plenty of other videos out there if you want to look at it closer. I chose this one because it was the events as they happened (on TV anyways), rather than analysis after the fact.

Originally Posted by notcasesensitive (Post 476702)

Looks like a theater geek to me. LA hipsters look nothing like that.

Originally Posted by Replaced_Texan (Post 476704)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT5ogjqgghI

So the context is that this was towards the end of the game. Chelsea needed two goals to move on in the tournament. The ball went out of bounds, and a ball boy pounced on it. Hazard went to retrieve it, and the kid clutched tighter. So Hazard kicked the ball / ball boy. Ball pops out, he throws it in.

Kid writhes on the ground, play is stopped, and things are "sorted out." Hazard is red carded. Swansea goes on to the final of the tournament. Kid and father got taken to the Chelsea dressing room after the game to ward off litigation.

More information: Kid is 17 years oldish. He was definitely trying to help Swansea by wasting clock time. (Speculation on my part, but I'm guessing the kid probably plays soccer at a near professional level, and knew exactly what he was doing.) Chelsea is having an okish season. This tournament isn't that big of a deal, but it's something. They're out of Champions League. They're still in FA cup, and they're third in EPL, but pretty far back from Man U. They lost recently to QPR. This wasn't that big of a game, but it was the last leg of the semi-final. I imagine that a kick from someone who kicks professionally is pretty painful. I also imagine that someone who kicks professionally is pretty accurate in his aim at ball vs. flesh. I suspect that acting on the part of the ball boy may have played a role in the reaction, but I concede that he may have been kicked and it may have hurt. I also concede that he may have been shocked that the soccer player could have given a shit about his body getting in the way of the ball.

Is this something worth getting up in arms about?

There are plenty of other videos out there if you want to look at it closer. I chose this one because it was the events as they happened (on TV anyways), rather than analysis after the fact.

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall (Post 476713)

His title on the site is "Hipster Barista." And they do indeed look like that out here on the East Coast.

TM

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall (Post 476713)

His title on the site is "Hipster Barista." And they do indeed look like that out here on the East Coast.

TM

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall (Post 476714)

Damn, girl. Why you do me like that? http://www.lawtalkers.com/forums/sho...&postcount=816

I read a bit about this. I think the kid is the son of the owner or manager. It also seems that delaying giving the ball back by ball boys who are employed by the home team is fairly common. What all that adds, I don't know.

I'm pretty sure this is something to get up in arms about. From what I understand, all Hazard had to do would have been to alert the ref to the kid's delay and the time would have been added, extending the game. Instead, a professional athlete kicked a kid! That's fucking ridiculous. And it isn't something that shouldn't condemned from every angle. Because once that's okay, even if it's minor, then athletes everywhere will turn into bigger fucking douchebags on and off the field (or court).

During NBA games, I watch closely when a player is checking in and taking off their warm-ups. If they take off their shirt or finish with their towel and deliberately throw them on the floor despite the presence of the towel boy who is literally standing right next to them, I know the player is a fucking douchebag and will believe any story about them acting like one off the court.

No one should treat other human beings like this. And not making a big deal out of a professional, highly-paid soccer player kicking another human being (even if that kid is acting like a moron) would be a mistake.

TM

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch (Post 476720)

I see a real difference between treating the towel boy like shit when he is standing there trying to help you, and treating the ball boy who decides to interfere with the game like he is a player.

Stupid for Hazard to kick him. Incredibly dumb move. But it doesn't scream "douchebag" to me. It tells me he was pissed off because someone was unfairly interfering in a high-stakes game and he acted poorly.

Of course, most Chelsea players are already douchebags.

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch (Post 476720)

I see a real difference between treating the towel boy like shit when he is standing there trying to help you, and treating the ball boy who decides to interfere with the game like he is a player.

Stupid for Hazard to kick him. Incredibly dumb move. But it doesn't scream "douchebag" to me. It tells me he was pissed off because someone was unfairly interfering in a high-stakes game and he acted poorly.

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch (Post 476721)

Responding to my own post -- to me, this incident is similar to when a fan runs onto a racecourse to slow a runner down. Is it okay for the runner to punch him?

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall (Post 476727)

I don't see that much of a distinction. The people who are there to serve you can be treated like shit. The fact that they are perceived to be insignificant leads one to believe you can treat them like shit, kick them, throw things on the floor to pick up. It's all the same stuff as far as I'm concerned. Once your brain thinks that way, you go from going out of your way to throw your shit on the ground instead of putting it in a hand that is 3 inches away from you, to kicking a fucking ball boy for doing something stupid.

TM