By Fernie Ruano Jr.
How does a meaningless college football bowl game between BYU-Memphis in the middle of a Monday afternoon in a near-empty baseball stadium in Miami (Little Havana) end up leading off ESPN’s 6 p.m. Sports Center and find its way into your local and national news broadcast?
By ending in a wild brawl which included dozens of staffers and players from both sidelines coming together at the middle of the field, most of them shoving and punching.
The melee, which erupted shortly after Memphis defensive back DaShaughn Terry intercepted a pass from BYU quarterback Christian Stewart in the second OT, sealing a 55-48 Tigers win in the inaugural Miami Beach Bowl, included bloodied- BYU defensive back Kai Nacua taking a wild swing at Memphis tight end Alan Cross, who TV cameras showed was being held back by a Tigers staffer.
But the fisticuffs at Marlins Park fell a few uppercuts short of going down as a memorable brawl on any given Saturday night inside a club in South Beach, never mind as one of the top sports fights of all-time.
THE MALICE AT THE PALACE (2004): A five-minute brawl, which ended up in the stands at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan, started when Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace shoved Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest after a foul, leading to nine-player suspensions totaling 140 games, including Artest for the rest of the season and nine people being treated for injuries. Benches cleared. Artest and teammate Stephen Jackson went into the stands to fight with fans. And the NBA witnessed one of the darkest nights in its history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO1ejvao9GU
FIU-UM BRAWL AT THE OB (2006): The crosstown schools engaged in a bench-clearing brawl in the third quarter, started when FIU safety Chris Smith wrestled Miami holder Matt Perelli to the ground after a point-after-attempt and appeared to have kicked him in the chin. FIU defensive back Marshall McDuffie Jr. followed with a kick to Perelli’s head and a wild fight ensued with players being separated by Florida Highway Patrol State Troopers and FIU Police. The next day, a combined 31 players were suspended. UM coach Larry Coker was fired at the end of the season, while FIU coach Don Strock resigned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6GD_GUjAj0ATLANTA BRAVES-SAN DIEGO PADRES (1984): The game was wild from start to finish. The benches cleared four times and 13 players were ejected, along with both managers. Braves starter Pascual Perez beaned Padres leadoff hitter Alan Wiggins to lead off the first inning. Even several fans joined the fracas, with police intervening halfway through the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIlywwDcEQ8
BOB PROBERT VS. CRAIG COVE (1987): These two heavyweights and hockey goons just kept going and going.. Probert ended close to 40 seconds of fisticuffs with repeated right hands to Cove’s face. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFAReX5k9cA
KERMIT WASHINGTON VS. RUDY TOMJANOVICH (LAKERS-ROCKETS) IN 1977: A fight broke out on the basketball court at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Tomjanovich rushed to the aid of teammate Kevin Kunnert, who had tussled with Kareem Abdul Jabber, then with Washington. Washington punched Tomajanovich and changed both of their lives forever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgqUZ1IAA_8
Do you want to know more about this 305-reeking, beach-bumming, Cuban food-obsessed dude? Well, then.. You can connect with Fernie @wordbyfernie (Twitter) and Fernie Ruano (Facebook). Who knows? If he really likes you, he might even give you his email.
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