04/26/24
May 25, 2012
Boy Calls Mike Vanderjagt a Choker: Former NFL kicker Mike Vanderjagt may lose his job as a middle school football coach for allegedly grabbing the throat of a student who yelled "wide left! wide left!" at him in the parking lot on March 12. "During his career, he missed a very important field goal attempt during a playoff game," explains a Marco Island, Fl., police report.
Sometimes kids forget that the real world isn't like the internet.
And maybe Vanderjagt should get Scott Norwood a call and find out how he's held up all these years.
posted by grum@work at 07:56 PM on May 25, 2012
This all could have been prevented if that kid had been properly exposed to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
posted by Hugh Janus at 08:04 PM on May 25, 2012
From Wikipedia: "In a 2000 playoff game against Miami, Vanderjagt successfully converted a 50-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but missed a 49-yard attempt in overtime. Miami scored on the next possession to win the game and eliminate Indianapolis from the playoffs."
a) This kid was how old when this occurred? He was in Pampers.
b) Whatever happened to children respecting adults?
posted by jjzucal at 09:54 PM on May 25, 2012
I thought they were referring to the kick he missed against Pittsburgh in the playoffs leading up to the 2006 Super Bowl.
That was an incredible game, win lose or draw.
Last I heard, Scott Norwood was doing great, and made a sane, healthy transition to life after football. Which he deserves.
I will defend him to the end. He was a good kicker. Whenever I hear him referred to as a "goat" it bothers the hell out of me.
He pushed a challenging, long kick wide of the uprights at a critical moment. It happens. That kick was never a sure thing. The coaching staff knew what his range and accuracy at that distance was and knew that sending him out there to make that attempt was a last ditch desperation move that was the only option they had under the circumstances. He gave it his best shot and for that has gotten nailed to the wall for eternity. People think he fucked up a cakewalk.
More celebrated kickers such as Morten Andersen have missed critical kicks that were much closer to being chippies. Vanderjagt's miss was stunning because it was well within his range and Manning had the Colts playing massive catchup ball with a lot of late game momentum.
At first glance, I had the sinking feeling that this incident was a Bob Knight moment, but now I hope that Vanderjagt can get things straightened out and build on what he's already accomplished.
posted by beaverboard at 10:39 PM on May 25, 2012
My nephew, aged about 10, went to a cricket camp where there were a number of first class and Test players from New South Wales.
The bowling coach was Wayne "Cracker" Holdsworth. My nephew said to him "My Dad reckons you can't bowl".
Needless to say, there was an interesting moment when my brother came to pick him up at the end of the day.
posted by owlhouse at 10:47 PM on May 25, 2012
So he choked a kid for accusing him of choking? Seems like the adult move.
posted by feloniousmonk at 02:46 AM on May 26, 2012
Seems like Vanderjagt and the kid/kid's family have worked out their differences. Considering the fact that he is a volunteer and has no prior incidents of inappropriate behavior at the school, I think everyone should just let this one go. That being said, the school and Vanderjagt need to understand that he is on a short leash from hereon in. And on a positive note, maybe the incident will have scared the kid enough that he will stop being a mouthy prick before someone really does assault him for it.