RICARDO YEARWOOD’s public apology may have come a day too late.
For Keith Mayers, at least.
The point guard launched into a verbal tirade on Yearwood’s coach Adrian Craigwell during a Premier League basketball contest, before the police were called in to quell Saturday night’s incident at the Wildey Gymnasium.
It’s the most recent development of the Yearwood saga, which started almost a month ago with Yearwood’s highly publicised dropkick of the Cougars playmaker.
However, unknown to Mayers, his tirade came only hours after Yearwood would’ve been recorded issuing a public apology one mile away at CBC.
“He seems to be very upset and traumatised,” said basketball president Derrick Garrett of Mayers, who he accompanied out of the gym following the outburst.
“He basically told me that he has been bombarded by phone calls every day. He said he feels humiliated and he even reasoned to me that he hasn’t been eating or sleeping.”
The latest incident happened unexpectedly during the first half of a featured league game between Yearwood’s Station Hill Cavaliers and Pinelands.
With 7:12 remaining in the second quarter, a visibly angry Mayers walked onto the floor near the Cavs’ bench and brashly cursed Craigwell.
The tirade went on for a few minutes before Garrett asked Mayers to leave and called the police.
Mayers was finally pacified by a group of friends just outside the gymnasium’s main entrance before speaking to a police patrol, who also spoke to Garrett.
“In the interest of basketball, I called the police to ensure the safety of the players, coaches and spectators,” said Garrett, who also advised Craigwell to await police escort before leaving.
Mayers eventually left the premises an hour after the completion of the game with no further incident.
“I’m also putting in a recommendation to the council that he [Mayers] be suspended from all basketball games until this issue is resolved,” stated Garrett.
Yearwood has been served with a life ban, but the Station Hill Cavaliers have since appealed his suspension.
The club’s lawyer Arthur Holder is also expected to file for a court injunction against the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association sometime this week.
