I was in Tuscaloosa watching the game at Egan’s. So I don’t know. But triangulating all the information at hand, I’d say it went down something like this:
Bama fans are decked out in colors, in an LSU bar, and everybody of both loyalties has been drinking. Some more than others, but all have had a gracious plenty.
Female cousin is one of the drunker ones, and is running her mouth. The local LSU fans are already doing a slow burn over #8, and are in no mood to hear the trash talk. But it’s coming from a woman, and in what passes for chivalry in Cajun country, they elect to confront the first male associate of said drunk female they can find.
He’s also wearing crimson, and that doesn’t calm the situation. They demand that he shut up the trash talker....I’m sure interspersed with a lot of sexual vulgarity.
Elder Alabama fan responds in kind, and LSU fan escalates with what turns out to be the fatal punch.
The fact that all parties had multiple chances to de-escalate doesn’t change the character of what ended up happening...it wasn’t a freak accident. It was the culmination of several people making several consecutive bad decisions.
The victim is dead. The puncher’s life is ruined. The puncher’s accomplice might or might not have his own set of problems, and at least two families will feel the effects for decades.
And not to make light of a tragedy, but on my wedding night, I had a number of things on my mind, none of which had the first thing to do with drinking in a bar. Why was the groom there in the first place?
