Screen capture via WCBS New York
If there ever were a Bad Sports Dad Awards, Peter Iappelli would certainly take home the big tamale. The 50-year-old grown New Jersey man was at his son's football game, when the coach informed the parents that Iappelli's son would be rotated out as quarterback. Iappelli responded by putting the coach in a choke hold, according to NJ.com. The coach was 16 years old. The players were between 6 and 8 years old, in a Pee Wee league.Understandably, people within the league weren't too happy, so they decided to give Iappelli and his whole family a lifetime ban from the league. Not to mention that he was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct—Iappelli later turned himself over to the police for those charges.There's one particularly choice quotation from the commissioner (yes, that's the title) of the North Jersey NFL (yes, also that) Flag Football league, Fred Kritzer: "What looked like a handshake turned into a bear hug that turned into a chokehold." So, in sum: Iappelli gradually suffocated the kid like a snake.The other crazy part here is that the 16-year-old coach had the professionalism to even address the parents about the changes that were happening. To give them advance warning—accountability, responsibility, maturity. The coach wasn't even getting paid for his volunteer work.Just like death and taxes, it is a universal certainty that the most mature people involved in youth sports are always the kids.
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