Marcus Smart Shoves A Fan

[Tugg Speedman]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10426105/marcus-smart-oklahoma-state-cowboys-shoves-fan

Smart claims the fan used a racial slur.  Does that excuse shoving a fan?

I expect a multi-game suspension.

Thoughts?

[MarquetteDano]

A lot of postings about this fan on You Tube.  Seems to be the kind of middle aged guy who likes yelling at young kids.

For this reason alone I side with Smart.  Though he needs to better control his temper.

[🏀]

'Go back to Africa' is the Twittertracka story.

[GGGG]

Knowing his past, the fan deserved it. 

This will cause another Richard Sherman-like discussion about race in sports.

[GGGG]

Nevermind...foiled by a fake Twitter account.

[EnderWiggen]

Both need to be punished, imo.  If i was Texas Tech, I wouldn't want this fan representing my university if he indeed did yell racial slurs.  Take his tickets away.  That said, Smart, no matter how provoked, shouldn't be shoving anyone and needs to be suspended. 

[Eye]

Agreed on both counts. A handful of games for Smart sends the message that you can't have players shoving fans, regardless of the alleged deplorable circumstances. And if the allegations are proven to be true, that guy shouldn't be allowed to attend an NC2A sporting event ever again.

[MarquetteDano]

Rumors have it that this is the fan in question.  If so, like I said, I side with Smart....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0NdJahHN0w#t=00m08s

You see it best at the 31 second mark.

[brandx]

I commend Marcus Smart.

Doesn't this Orr guy have kids at home that he can verbally abuse?

[Pakuni]

Twitter has become the modern-day equivalent of the telephone game.

http://deadspin.com/go-back-to-africa-twitter-rumor-becomes-marcus-smart-1519336610

[tower912]

Ya know, if athletes, professional and collegiate, were allowed to deck, I mean just frickin cold cock and lay out, without punishment, one fan a year that got on their nerves, it would go a long way to restoring civility to our ballparks and arenas.   Each athlete.    A few hundred fans get leveled, stupid stuff stops getting yelled.   

[mu-rara]

Ya know, if athletes, professional and collegiate, were allowed to deck, I mean just frickin cold cock and lay out, without punishment, one fan a year that got on their nerves, it would go a long way to restoring civility to our ballparks and arenas.   Each athlete.    A few hundred fans get leveled, stupid stuff stops getting yelled.   

someone got Tower's password.  He would never say anything this stupid.

[brandx]

someone got Tower's password.  He would never say anything this stupid.

I don't know - some people use that argument for guns all the time

[tower912]

I said it.   We say stupid stuff.   Fans at games say stupid stuff.    People talk about accountability.   Give the athlete a chance to look the heckler in the eye and give him the option to retaliate if the heckler crosses whatever the line is.   It will never happen, of course, but if the person I was yelling stupid stuff had the right to just deck me, perhaps I would be a trifle more restrained in what I yell. 

[GooooMarquette]

Both need to be punished, imo.  If i was Texas Tech, I wouldn't want this fan representing my university if he indeed did yell racial slurs.  Take his tickets away.  That said, Smart, no matter how provoked, shouldn't be shoving anyone and needs to be suspended. 

Agreed.  Two wrongs never make a right.  Punish both.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

We go to these contests to be entertained by the athleticism and energy of the athletes not to be disturbed by loud, obnoxious fans. That's why I never go to games when teams are playing opponents from Boston.

 

[Pakuni]

I said it.   We say stupid stuff.   Fans at games say stupid stuff.    People talk about accountability.   Give the athlete a chance to look the heckler in the eye and give him the option to retaliate if the heckler crosses whatever the line is.   It will never happen, of course, but if the person I was yelling stupid stuff had the right to just deck me, perhaps I would be a trifle more restrained in what I yell. 

Why give athletes this special privilege? Maybe we should all have a free pass to deck anyone who annoys us once a year.

By the way, what's the line? If I yell "That call sucks," can Jim Burr take a swing at me? Can I swing back? Will said swing be conducted contemporaneously to the offending statement, or will Jim and I have to appear before a panel to determine whether my insult was punch-worthy?
Who's the arbiter on these things?
Sounds like another wasteful government program to me.

[Golden Avalanche]

Would have been better if he punched the guy's bitch. Lubbock is an epicenter of white power. No shock this happened in their arena.

[tower912]

Why give athletes this special privilege? Maybe we should all have a free pass to deck anyone who annoys us once a year.

By the way, what's the line? If I yell "That call sucks," can Jim Burr take a swing at me? Can I swing back? Will said swing be conducted contemporaneously to the offending statement, or will Jim and I have to appear before a panel to determine whether my insult was punch-worthy?
Who's the arbiter on these things?
Sounds like another wasteful government program to me.


I don't mind if anyone disagrees with me.  Clearly, it will never happen and never should.   I just find myself increasingly disgusted with fans with a false sense of entitlement, both at games and on message boards.  Bringing it back to MU, our players have family who read message boards and have to listen to ignorant fans yell ignorant things.    And while congress may not pass a law restricting free speech, if stupid, possibly racist,  speech had more immediate repercussions, perhaps it would be curtailed.   

[Pakuni]

And while congress may not pass a law restricting free speech, if stupid, possibly racist,  speech had more immediate repercussions, perhaps it would be curtailed.   

Great.
Now, who does Tower put in charge of determining what qualifies as "stupid" speech and what repercussions are appropriate.

Call me crazy, but I'm a little leery of suggesting it's a good idea to physically assault others for saying things we don't like.
Sticks and stone, y'all.

[jesmu84]

Middle-aged guy sitting courtside for a big game? Probably/possibly a donor or important figure in some way in regards to TTU. I'd assume, under those circumstances, if anything happened to the guy, it'd be a slap on the wrist

[real chili 83]

Middle-aged guy sitting courtside for a big game? Probably/possibly a donor or important figure in some way in regards to TTU. I'd assume, under those circumstances, if anything happened to the guy, it'd be a slap on the wrist

Lots o money in Texas waiting in line to take this guys place.  If he did wrong, he goes down.

[jesmu84]

Bilas with one of the more level-headed responses I've heard: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10426109

Also, watching the video a couple times, I love how the lady next to the guy (his wife?) erupts when Smart pushes the guy, yet 99.9% chance she heard what was said. So, glad she condones her husband's(?) comments.

[Pakuni]

Bilas with one of the more level-headed responses I've heard: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10426109

Also, watching the video a couple times, I love how the lady next to the guy (his wife?) erupts when Smart pushes the guy, yet 99.9% chance she heard what was said. So, glad she condones her husband's(?) comments.

I have no idea what he said. Do you?

[chapman]

Middle-aged guy sitting courtside for a big game? Probably/possibly a donor or important figure in some way in regards to TTU. I'd assume, under those circumstances, if anything happened to the guy, it'd be a slap on the wrist

He's their "Number One Fan"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Eoa1Ko_lxE