Obviously have to hear the whole story, but I just heard "spanking his son with a switch" on an NFL.com video. 

 

I reckon there's more to it than that.  That was a regular occurrence for me as a child and I remember it comically these days.  

My parents would often instruct me to enter the back yard and "pull a switch."  It was the selection process that held the most punishment IMO. 

 

I flimsy switch would have you sent back to get a sturdier one along with the admonishment "you're just making it worse!" 

 

Imagine an 6 or 7 year old attempting to find the perfect instrument with which to have his rear-end reddened.  I find it comical now, but it was certainly formative  -- and in a good way, IMO. 

 

 

(edit  -- after reading the quote above -- it would appear AP took it too far.)

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