{
  "id": 17483191,
  "title": "College Football Referee Facing Intense Backlash for Injuring East Carolina Player",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/college-football-referee-facing-intense-backlash-for-injuring-east",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-31T22:29:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/college-football-referee-facing-intense-backlash-for-injuring-east-carolina-player-12645697"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A college football referee is facing intense backlash after injuring an East Carolina player during a game against Temple on Saturday. East Carolina defensive back David Coleman Jr. was helped off the field due to an incident where the referee slipped and fell on his legs. The incident sparked outrage among fans, with many criticizing the referee's actions. One fan questioned the referee's purpose on the field, stating \"WTF is that ref even running for?\" and calling for the referee's firing. Another fan described the situation as \"absurd\" and questioned the referee's actions, even suggesting that he should have changed direction once the player took a step in that direction. Fans expressed frustration with referees in general, calling for their removal from the game and threatening legal action against the referee administration. East Carolina defensive back David Coleman Jr., in his first season with the team, recorded six tackles in three appearances before the incident. The East Carolina Pirates entered the game with a 3-4 record and a 1-2 record in the American Conference. Their previous two games saw losses to UAB and Memphis in overtime.",
  "summary": "A referee slipped and fell into an East Carolina player, which led to him being helped off the field.",
  "key_points": [
    "East Carolina player David Coleman Jr. injured during game",
    "Referee slipped and fell, causing the injury",
    "Fans demand referee's removal and legal action"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}