In yet another legal matter involving a sports TV broadcaster, NBC lead NHL studio analyst Mike Milbury has been charged in relation to a physical altercation with a twelve-year old.
Milbury has been charged with one count each of assault and battery on a child, threats to commit a crime, and disorderly conduct. The bizarre charges stem from an altercation last week between Milbury, who coaches a pee-wee hockey team, and a twelve-year-old player on an opposing team.
Milbury stated through his attorney that he intervened in a fight between his son and the opposing player.
An NHL analyst for NBC since the 2007-08 season, Milbury is the second prominent NHL analyst in the past year to get involved in legal trouble. Former ESPN NHL analyst Matthew Barnaby was involved in separate domestic violence and DUI cases this year, losing his job with ESPN due to the latter.
Beyond hockey, it has been a banner year for anyone tracking legal problems among sports TV analysts. ESPN NBA analyst Jalen Rose served jail time for a DUI over the summer, new Knicks play-by-play voice Spero Dedes faced drunk driving charges of his own, ESPN.com writer Howard Bryant was sentenced to probation in a domestic violence case, and former ESPN pundit Jay Mariotti was sentenced to probation and community service in his second domestic violence case in less than a year.
If sports television analysts constituted their own league, one imagines the ‘thug’ moniker would start getting thrown around at this point.
(Friday’s news from thebostonchannel.com via Fang’s Bites)
