Two New Jersey dads are facing charges after an argument over a player being kicked off of a travel softball team ended in bloody fisticuffs in Maryland earlier this week, authorities say.
Police said 48-year-old Michael Barbella, of Ventnor, and 45-year-old Michael John Duffy, of Mays Landing, were arrested in Salisbury, Maryland, after a fight Wednesday was captured on a cellphone video.
The video, posted to YouTube and the sports website Deadspin (warning: profane language), shows the two men arguing before fists were thrown. The footage ends with Barbella on the ground, blood streaming from his face.
Deputies in Salisbury responded to the Wicomico County Youth and Civic Center after the fight.
Police said an investigation into the dustup revealed that Barbella allegedly challenged Duffy via text message to a fight earlier in the day and had driven to Maryland to confront him.
Both men are charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
Barbella was held in lieu of $20,000 bond after an initial court appearance in Maryland, and Duffy was released on his own recognizance, authorities said.
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Attorney information for the men wasn't immediately available.
