Ill intentions not part of Tidwell’s game plan
There is no way to sugar coat the incident which took place during halftime of the Pioneer football game Friday night.
In an attempt to motivate his team and generate much-needed enthusiasm, head coach Gerald Tidwell lost control. He picked up a football helmet, flung it across the locker room and it hit one of our football players in the head.
Unfortunately, the injury was a little more than just a scratch. Mario Pezzimenti had to leave the game and be treated at a nearby hospital where he required 10 stitches.
The result: School officials have suspended coach Tidwell for one game and Pezzimenti says he will no longer play on a team coached by Tidwell.
It is truly an unfortunate incident and one which could severely hamper a young Pioneer team trying to develop unity and find a way to win. Among all the hard work and preparation, this incident will likely be the one thing people remember more than anything else about this season.
The Standard by no means feels Tidwell’s behavior should be overlooked. It should not be treated lightly.
At the same time, we must work to remember what happened Friday night was a complete accident. That certainly doesn’t change the end result, but it does go leaps and bounds toward keeping things in perspective.
Tidwell is a football coach. Football coaches are known for their fiery nature. And everyone knows halftime talks are not always peachy – especially for teams that sleepwalk through the opening half.
Coach Tidwell was simply doing what hundreds of football coaches across the nation were likely doing Friday night. He was fired up, obviously agitated at his team’s performance, and he was grasping for some way to find a second-half spark.
We’re confident when we say striking a player with a helmet was by no means Tidwell’s method of finding a spark. We’re certain that was never meant to be incorporated into his pep talk.
Was Tidwell wrong to pick up a helmet and throw it? Absolutely. That’s when he crossed the line from simply showing emotion and went too far.
Tidwell hasn’t shied away from accepting responsibility for his actions. More than anything, Tidwell is deeply sorry for what he did. His concerns have centered around Pezzimenti, his well-being and any embarrassment this fiasco has brought to Warren County football.
Before anyone passes judgment on coach Tidwell and demands unreasonably harsh punishment, we should all keep in mind this situation was an accident. There was no malice and no ill intentions. You could even go so far as to say it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
As a football coach and as an adult, Tidwell is responsible for his actions. That’s the bottom line. But before this man is unfairly painted as a helmet-throwing demon, we should all remember it was also an accident.