Player shoving a fan, going to far?

[GOINGDEEP]

Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart shoved a Texas Tech fan in the final seconds of the 19th-ranked Cowboys' 65-61 loss to the Red Raiders on Saturday night in Lubbock, Texas.

Smart tried to block Jaye Crockett's dunk attempt from behind with 6.2 seconds to go but stumbled out of bounds behind the basket. As he was being helped up, he appeared to exchange words with a fan in the front row before lunging for the fan and pushing him with two hands. The fan, wearing a black Texas Tech shirt, stumbled backward but did not fall.

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Smart then walked away, pointing back in the fan's direction. Officials assessed a technical foul but did not eject him, and he remained on the bench until the final buzzer.

The fan who Smart shoved is Jeff Orr, an air traffic controller in Waco, Texas, who travels thousands of miles each year to attend Texas Tech basketball games, according to athletic department spokesman Blayne Beal.

Smart has claimed to Oklahoma State coaches that Orr called him a racial slur, a member of the basketball program confirmed to ESPN.

Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State Cowboys shoves fan - ESPN

 

[Amy in AZ.]

There is enough blame to go around and both men apologized. Why the man thought that he could berate a player is beyond me. I believe he has banned himself from games, the rest of the season.

In the waining moments of a tough game, the player was out of control. He is being punished. I think he learned a lot from his actions.

Maybe the 2 will go have a beer. j/k

 

[InsidePitch]

Since we don't know for sure what was said, I think I'll defer to the officials who gave Smart the 3 game suspension.

I feel it was the heat of the moment AND this fan has a history of not being very nice to opposing players so he is not without some blame. I read where he has offered not to attend any more games this year. Perhaps TT should ask him to move back from the court where his unsportsman like conduct will be drowned out by the rest of the crowd.

I'm sure Smart has heard similar smack from opposing team fans so he should be used to it. When he ended up in the fan area as he was, Orr should have kept his comments civil or at least man up and say I started it.

I'm sure a number of us would find ourselves in similar circumstances had we been in Smart's shoes.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Mostly a "don't care" with me but in general I sort of like it when fans get a "little something" back from the players. (Not saying it's right) But too many fans are like on-line bloggers - they think they can say anything and get away with it becasue they have some invisible shield of some sort..... Things that they never would have the guts to say it if they were in person.

Falls under the category of "don't let yer mouth write checks that yer azz can't cash...."

 

[sluggers]

If someone had something like that to my DD after she had played her heart out like Marcus did, my DD have gone into the stands as well...in order to pull me off the guy.

I have met Marcus Smart. He played at a HS about 20 minutes from my home. When he was in HS, he would play with the old men down at the local gym. He is not a "hot dog" loud mouth. He is just a good kid who wants to play well. He works very hard at his sport. If any of you met this kid, you would think, "What a nice young man."--because he is.

He is 19YOA. His family is, to be polite, "of modest means". His athletic ability, which is considerable, means much more to him than it does to other people. He and his family have barely gotten by for years, and in another 2 months, he and his family will be able to live "the American dream". He is under tremendous pressure right now to perform.

Of course, he should not have pushed the guy. Marcus said as much. It is an unfortunate incident that has probably cost Marcus at least a million dollars.

As to the idiot who made a comment to Marcus...the guy is one of those "hangers on". He thinks sports are audience participation game shows. He doesn't understand basketball specifically or sports generally. For this joker, "running a suicide" would probably *BE* suicide.

I hate people like that...I went to a Texas Rangers baseball game the next year after the Rangers had lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. There was some joker behind home plate yelling smack to Pujols, a guy who is without a doubt one of the best hitters to ever play the game and is headed for the Hall of Fame. Pujols hit the next pitch over the left field fence.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I heard Gail King criticize Smart, this morning. It is evident that she has never played a sport in her life.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

In my playing time I've seen coaches physically involved, I've seen players physically involved, I've seen coaches/players physically involved with umpires. I've never seen players get physically involved with fans. "Mouthing" is part of sports fans, as a representative of your team, it's your responsibility to let it roll off your shoulders and be the better man/woman.

In college and men's league ball, fans can say some pretty rough stuff, if you have thin skin you're not going to make it long. Glad Smart is not a pitcher, he'd need to keep some boxing gloves in his ball bag.

I hope both men can move forward without pressing the issue further.

 

[Momo'sDad]

There are some lines our society does not allow to be crossed. Right or wrong, we attach 'more' to physical assaults than we do to verbal assaults. If there's a verbal altercation between 2 people, the 1 who then strikes the other is deemed to be the 1 who escalated the event.

Smart could've gotten up and said pretty much whatever he wanted to the fan, but the fact that he turned back from the court and then walked 2-3 feet into the stands to shove someone is something he does not get a pass for, regardless of what the fan said. That's an absolute.

 

[JJsqueeze]

All loudmouth jerks should face the possibility of it getting physical. It would improve the civility of our nation.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

The 3-game suspension is only part of the ramifications. I expect opposing fans will go out of their way to provoke him.

Schools bear some responsibility for the actions of their fans - they essentially condone whatever they allow. The fans of some schools have a reputation for creating a hostile environment for the opposing team, including organized cheers that include inappropriate language. I've heard some softball fans at UT and the Sugar Daddies at TAMU get pretty rough with what they yell.