Fuller: Geno's take on the Marcus Smart incident at Texas Tech

[pap49cba]

GENO'S TAKE ON FAN/PLAYER ALTERCATION
During his time at UConn he has not had any issues with his players getting into shoving matches with opposing fans but that doesn't mean that Geno Auriemma doesn't have an opinion on what happened between Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart and Texas Tech fan Jeff Orr.

"In general student-athletes are held to a different standard than normal people. It is neither fair or unfair, it just is," Auriemma said. "You get a scholarship to play basketball, football or any other sport it is like all of a sudden you sign away whatever freedoms you thought you had in college. Now you can't react like a normal human being. If somebody says something, you can't react. If somebody does something, you can't react. This kid wants to go out one night and have a good time, you can't go with him. All of a sudden people, especially adults, can say and do whatever the hell they want to a college kid on the floor knowing that kid has no recourse, they have to take it. I don't necessarily agree with that but that is the world and somebody pays 20 bucks to watch a college basketball game and they think it gives them the right to be an idiot. If you're an idiot, you don't need to pay 20 bucks to prove it, that is my take on it. I feel bad for the kid."

Smart was suspended three games for pushing Orr.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Very unfortunate. And now a lot of fans are also thinking Texas Tech is "a piece of crap school." Admins see no problem with their fans making obscene gestures or calling players scatalogical names to their faces. And then when lardhead fan finally says "Gee maybe I shouldn't have gotten my school such bad publicity" and offers not to attend any more games this season, it appears to be just silence from the school on the offer.

It always amazes me that foulmouthed fans like Orr and his wife are so shocked when their behavior provokes these incidents at basketball games. "What us? We're just acting like normal Texas football fans. Why can't we call them crap when we're sitting ringside and they come near?"

 

[blaqtech]

Oh, if you think he is giving up whatever freedoms he has..... become a referee. Let's see how he feels then.
Crazy fans and parents waiting for you after games looking for confrontations..

 

[Deadrody]

The simple fact is, the fan needs to have his season tickets revoked and he should be banned from the arena for at least one season.

 

[Icebear]

The simple fact is, the fan needs to have his season tickets revoked and he should be banned from the arena for at least one season.

Without a question that should be the action of the school.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I think at this point they have kind of sidestepped the issue for the school. Earlier it was reported that Orr had "offered" to not attend any more games this season. The statement released by Texas Tech now says that Orr has "agreed" not to attend any more games this year. That will give him some time to rest his voice and come back next year with fresh new taunts to extend his long series of obnoxious incidents at games. Maybe Texas Tech can suit him up as their Masked Rider mascot for the Red Raider football team and have him strafe the opposing team with obscenities before the game. He's masked, so no one would know it's the same guy.

 

[Icebear]

I would suggest that he not attend any games this lifetime.

 

[VAMike23]

I will say that Mr. Orr, while certainly deserving of his place on various people's s%*t lists (including mine), cannot hold a candle to the infamous Antler Fans at the U of Missouri some years ago.

Those fans went so far beyond the pale that it should have been source of institutional embarassment for the entire school. Instead, neither the school nor the MBB coach (Norm Stewart) did anything in response to their 'antics' for quite a number of years. Stewart in particular, though presented with numerous opportunities, could never even bring himself to say a discouragin' word about the Antlers. They were the worst of the worst.

 

[easttexastrash]

TTU has some very rude fans. Baylor had to have a police escort the season after "the punch." Odd how another incident occurred in that arena.

 

[EricLA]

I have no doubt that the fan was a jerk and said at least one, or maybe more, inappropriate things, possibly racial but the fan and others insist he did not. But while I'm sure the fan said something really egregious, Smart basically committed battery (as in assault and battery) on the guy. It wasn't just a push, it was practically hitting the fan. With both hands. I get the heat of the moment, etc etc, but no matter what a person "says" to you, the laws say you aren't allowed to strike the person. I'm actually surprised the kid wasn't arrested.

 

[Icebear]

Assault can, also, be verbal in certain jurisdictions and might rise to hate speech in this instance.

None the less Smart is responsible for his actions which while understandable are unacceptable.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I have no doubt that the fan was a jerk and said at least one, or maybe more, inappropriate things, possibly racial but the fan and others insist he did not. But while I'm sure the fan said something really egregious, Smart basically committed battery (as in assault and battery) on the guy. It wasn't just a push, it was practically hitting the fan. With both hands. I get the heat of the moment, etc etc, but no matter what a person "says" to you, the laws say you aren't allowed to strike the person. I'm actually surprised the kid wasn't arrested.

Um, well than I guess they would have had to put BG in the pen for a long time a ways back. It's a shove with not much on it since it is directed upward and the tub has support behind him.

If they ever started locking players up for that type of push both football and basketball would have to be banned, as even two WCBB guards do a lot more pounding on each other in any sequence as in the little love-shove form Smart to Orr.

 

[phil sampieri]

Assault can, also, be verbal in certain jurisdictions and might rise to hate speech in this instance.

None the less Smart is responsible for his actions which while understandable are unacceptable.

Really ? There is such a thing as verbal assault ? then why wouldn't the jerk in the stands not held accountable.Read the backround of this fan ((in his case fanatic) You do not have a license to insult/bait a player just because you bought a ticket.And by the way it was a push not a punch as was stated in another post. Now I'm happy

 

[Kibitzer]

There are a couple issues here. One for each side, so to speak.

First, fan behavior. If you look at your UConn bb ticket, on the back in a font that is microscopic in size, the standard warning about unacceptable fan behavior is printed. It is unreadable to the naded eye, which suggests that this pales in importance to the easy-to-read ad for Roncari Express Valet Parking below it. The point is that schools (and arenas) must make this a constant area of emphasis (like hand-checking on the perimeter) by a combination of publicity and enforcement. UConn's effort seems perfunctory. At some venues it is non-existent.

Second (picking up on Geno's comments, linked elsewhere), there is an unfortunate unfairness about players being subjected to taunts, even abuse. Unfair or not, players must learn to deal with it, whether it is the traditional juvenile "AIRBALL" chant after an errant shot or something personal and egregious (e.g., "piece of crap" reportedly stated by fan Orr at player Smart). Players at any level, especially big Div I schools, must be made aware that they have become "public figures," not in the context of Hillary Clinton or Ted Cruz but something akin to A-Rod or Tebow or Kobe or Tiger. As such, they are vulnerable to public scrutiny, on the tube, in print, or from the bleachers. Life may not be fair but we (and athletes/fan targets) must deal with both the good and the bad.

Which means: (1) Stay out of the stands unless you buy a ticket; and (2) If you have a ticket, behave yourself.

 

[UcMiami]

Civil society in all its forms has taken a beating in the last 40+ years. And sport has seemed to attract a lot of very uncivil fans over the years - worse than just about anything else. And it isn't just in this country but worldwide. And it isn't just fan/player interactions but fan/fan interactions and some have led to murder and maiming.
I do not envy that aspect of athletes' lives and while I do not advocate this action, I can certainly understand how the pressure could build on a college kid.
I saw an interesting clip (during the post game or half time yesterday?) of a college coach talking pre incident on the effect of social media increasing the pressure on athletes - something I hadn't thought about before. The fact that you suddenly have unfiltered avenues for thousands of folks to publicly call players out is not 'good'. And maybe a very good reason for the Uconn twitter ban during the season - hate to think what might be posted after say Charde missing that short shot in the regionals a few years ago. Or DT's dreadful freshman FF.

 

[calpedaler]

He looks a little like Harvey Updyke.

 

[ndmb]

I have no doubt that the fan was a jerk and said at least one, or maybe more, inappropriate things, possibly racial but the fan and others insist he did not. But while I'm sure the fan said something really egregious, Smart basically committed battery (as in assault and battery) on the guy. It wasn't just a push, it was practically hitting the fan. With both hands. I get the heat of the moment, etc etc, but no matter what a person "says" to you, the laws say you aren't allowed to strike the person. I'm actually surprised the kid wasn't arrested.

I feel like this is pretty similar to the Griner situation. I think that the school and the NCAA are well within their right to (and should) enforce rules about non-violence. Having said that, if the fan really did tell Smart to go back to Africa, I don't think any less of Smart for shoving the guy.

 

[Icebear]

Really ? There is such a thing as verbal assault ? then why wouldn't the jerk in the stands not held accountable.Read the backround of this fan ((in his case fanatic) You do not have a license to insult/bait a player just because you bought a ticket.And by the way it was a push not a punch as was stated in another post. Now I'm happy

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Verbal+assault

 

[RockyMTblue2]

And the organized Cameron Crazies are what? Orrs in training; and at Duke they are an institution viewed with fondness.

 

[SallyH]

I cannot envision any circumstance where words justify putting hands on someone. Yes, the fan is a jerk, but even if the used F verb N noun and F noun, one cannot touch that guy in any way. Geez, weren't we all raised with "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me?"

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I cannot envision any circumstance where words justify putting hands on someone. Yes, the fan is a jerk, but even if the used F verb N noun and F noun, one cannot touch that guy in any way. Geez, weren't we all raised with "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me?"

Admirable, but unrealistic sentiment. And that little "Sticks and stones" thing...well, it is known to us all because the natural tendency is to clock someone when they say something uncalled for that really hurts. Names hurt people all the time. Consistent verbal abuse can break a person.

I could also give you a lot of very graphic statements which would have you cheering the person who clocked the dirt bag who uttered them.

I am surprised there are not more Orr incidents. The best solution in addition to culling the screaming foul boors like Orr is to create more space between the athlete and the "fan".

 

[phil sampieri]

I cannot envision any circumstance where words justify putting hands on someone. Yes, the fan is a jerk, but even if the used F verb N noun and F noun, one cannot touch that guy in any way. Geez, weren't we all raised with "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me?"

Not where I came from my father told me as a youngster ikf anyone says something about your mother or your ethnicity you had better make them pay for it. Sorry some people do not deserve to turn the other cheek.

 

[ndmb]

I cannot envision any circumstance where words justify putting hands on someone. Yes, the fan is a jerk, but even if the used F verb N noun and F noun, one cannot touch that guy in any way. Geez, weren't we all raised with "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me?"

Have you ever been called the equivalent of the N word?

From what I've seen, it's the kind of thing that is really different in practice than in theory. I think it was reasonable to suspend Smart for three games, but I wouldn't judge him over his actions.

 

[UCONNfan1]

Not where I came from my father told me as a youngster ikf anyone says something about your mother or your ethnicity you had better make them pay for it. Sorry some people do not deserve to turn the other cheek.

Well good for you then. End up in prison because someone insulted your mother or your ethnicity? Not that smart in my book. Would I want to beat the living crap out of someone in that situation? Of course. Would I do it? Not if I want to stay out of jail...

I'm not advocating that what the fan did was ok or that it should be covered under some kind of free speech. I would not be unhappy to see him banned from the stadium for the rest of the season, or whatever. While verbally assaulting Smart the way Orr did was over the line, pushing the guy the way Smart did crossed over the physical line.

 

[UCONNfan1]

Have you ever been called the equivalent of the N word?

From what I've seen, it's the kind of thing that is really different in practice than in theory. I think it was reasonable to suspend Smart for three games, but I wouldn't judge him over his actions.

My brother is gay and been called every nasty name in the book, equally as bad as any demeaning ethnic insult you can think of, and he's never punched anyone because of it. Would he be justified? Probably. But there are consequences for laying your hands on someone in an offensive manner. It sucks, but it's the law.