(Image Source: Fox Sports)

BY JIM FLINK

You're watching multisource U.S. news analysis from Newsy

“The ref quickly blows his whistle and assesses a technical foul on Holland, who responds by pushing the ref. Holland then runs after the referee who then throws the referee to the floor, before being restrained.” (Fox Sports)

A high school basketball player in the state of Florida, goes berserk on a referee, not just pushing him, but tackling him to the ground. The player -- DeSoto’s Mason Holland -- has since been suspended, and could face criminal charges.

So, is violence in high school sports getting out of control? Or are we just catching more acts with our cell phone cams?

Port Charlotte High walked away with the win when the refs refused to continue officiating after the incident.

In addition to being booted off the team, and facing criminal charges -- he’s been suspended from school.

The Tampa Tribune quotes DeSoto High Coach Joe Sheridan as saying, he was shocked as anyone about his player’s conduct.

“It was totally unacceptable behavior. It was everything we are not, and now we have to recover from that with 12 very, very good boys. He’ll never play here again. I’ve been coaching for 40 years, and I’ve never experienced anything like that. I’m still in shock.”

ESPN discusses if this attack is a new level of violence, or simply the fact that cell phone cameras catch so much more than we ever saw before.

Anchor 3: I think it’s like everything, you start seeing it more. We say is there more violence? Is there more this or that? Anything that happens, it’s like everybody has video of it.
Anchor 1: Very very disturbing.
Anchor 2: Very ugly.
Anchor 4: And I don’t know that we’ve seen it to that level, where an official is attacked, by a, well, he’s a, he’s a man.

The entire incident -- lasted just 20 seconds. But in 20 seconds, Babble notes, Mason Holland changed his future forever.

“The 6′5″ senior most likely ended his chances of going on to play college ball after attacking a referee mid-game and tossing him to the ground.”

So what do you think of this incident? Overblown because it was caught on camera? Or -- should this kid be banned from the hardwood for life?
 

Get multisource video news analysis from Newsy

Transcript by Newsy