I've played at this location for many years on several teams on different nights and always have had nothing but good things to say. I recently was involved in an altercation with players from the opposite team where one guy attempted to head but me and I ended up on my back on the ground. This same guy was standing over me trying to rain down haymakers and I was able to keep him from hitting me with my feet.
While this was going on, 2 of his teammates ran over and kicked me in the back of my head and my back (thank goodness I didn't suffer severe injury). By this time the other guy was on top of me trying to hit and choke me. All the guys were eventually pulled off and everyone was separated. The game was ended immediately and both teams went to their respective benches. A few players from the other team came towards our bench and tried to start the fight again but were restrained by the referee.
The whole incident was caught on surveillance cameras. The referee talked with management and submitted his report and recommendations. The management decided to suspended me for 4 weeks for defending myself, the guy who was the aggressor and started the fight was suspended for 4 weeks and the guy who kicked me in the head while I was on my back on the ground only got suspended for 8 weeks.
JFYI. . . This was the 1st time the other team has ever played at ASC and they have been involved in altercations in every game they have played.
I sat down and spoke to management reference the incident and voiced my concern about the danger and severe injury that I could have received from being kicked in the back of the head while laying on my back on the ground. I expressed my opinion pertaining to that cowardly act should be a lifetime suspension.
Their view/stance was that everyone deserved the same blanket suspension because that was the fair thing to do. They also advised since I had been there for so long and never cause any problems they reduced my suspension to 4 weeks instead of 8 weeks but to be fair, they had to reduce the other guys suspenion as well. It was their opinion that defending yourself was just as guilty as being the aggressor and instigator of the fight.
I've always enjoyed playing there and never worried about safety issues but after this incident, I'm definitely concerned. Knowing the guy who kicked me in the head will be allowed back in the facility to play, I fear this incident will occur again to somebody else resulting in severe injury.
In my opinion. . . The ASC management is more concerned with not offending people and keeping players/teams for the money instead of the safety of the players in the facility.