Marcus Smart hits a fan

[SwirlingFloater]

Wasn't there a black lady directly behind fat boy in the stands??? It would be interesting to find out if the media or Big 12 could track her down to see what fat boy was actually yelling at Smart. Question the cameramen and photographers in the area too.

I wouldn't trust Smart saying that the "N" word was used in this case or fat boy's denial that he said the "N" word. I would definitely want witnesses that were as neutral as possible.

If he was just calling Smart a "flopper" and Smart freaked out he should be done for the year. If that fan was dropping N-bombs, TT should pull his season tickets and ban the fan from future games.

 

[azepp]

If you can't defend yourself, keep your mouth shut.

Think how different history would be if everyone thought this way.

 

[Tornado man]

1) Marcus Smart screwed up. It might be understandable that he did it, but that doesn't make it acceptable.
2) I have a feeling something pretty nasty came out of the white bigot's mouth. Marcus Smart has literally heard it all in opposing arenas.
3) Those of you that don't get why black people use of the "N" word is different that a white persons use of it don't know many black people. It is a way to take the word back and make it less harmful and painful. There is so much hate in that word and when it is used between people that can recognize that is is a way to neutralize its power.

I'm late to this - is there any outside proof that something vile was indeed said, or are we all taking Marcus Smart's word for it?

 

[Cyclonepride]

Was the fan removed? Marcus told the official immediately after it happened and the fan was allowed to stay. The current rule isn't working. The Big 12 needs to get these types of fans under control.

There were 2 seconds left. If this happened with ten left, I would guess that would have happened. At the time, all the adults on the floor looked like deer in the headlights.

 

[mctallerton]

Was the fan removed? Marcus told the official immediately after it happened and the fan was allowed to stay. The current rule isn't working. The Big 12 needs to get these types of fans under control.

Again, Smart had just shoved a fan, that would take precedent and require more immediate action.

 

[azepp]

I think it was awesome. I hate fans that taunt athletes. They are absolute scum. If I were ever next to a fan that taunted an athlete, I would do worse than Smart. Fans need to be held to a higher standard. Hopefully the Big 12 starts implementing rules to kick out these types of fans.

I agree that fans who taunt players are scum but it's not an excuse for what happened. There are plenty of instances of players taunting fans and it's not ok for fans to retaliate physically.

 

[cycloneG]

Again, Smart had just shoved a fan, that would take precedent and require more immediate action.

This was handled poorly by everyone involved. The Big 12 needs to set a zero tolerence precedence with fans to avoid future problems. No one knew what to do because nothing is in place to police these types of situations. I'm glad this happened because fans need to be held to higher standards.

 

[only4cy]

IAStubborn: Grayer NEVER hit a Missouri fan. That was completely fabricated in this thread, and you keep perpetuating. Any "confrontation" with Missouri fans was verbal, and actually very civil on Grayer's part. During warmups, he asked the Antlers to stop saying things about his mother, who was sick at the time. They actually showed video of it later in that very game. Sorry to ruin your convenient story.

 

[CysRage]

I agree that fans who taunt players are scum but it's not an excuse for what happened. There are plenty of instances of players taunting fans and it's not ok for fans to retaliate physically.

Exhibit A: after Elijah Johnson's unnecessary dunk against us last year in Hilton. He proceeded off the court throwing his hands up to the crowd and flashing his jersey.

 

[cycloneG]

I agree that fans who taunt players are scum but it's not an excuse for what happened. There are plenty of instances of players taunting fans and it's not ok for fans to retaliate physically.

I'm glad this finally happened because there needs to be policies in place to police fan/player interaction. Too much is currently allowed both ways.

 

[isufbcurt]

Exhibit A: after Elijah Johnson's unnecessary dunk against us last year in Hilton. He proceeded off the court throwing his hands up to the crowd and flashing his jersey.

I am so sick of this. Was there time left on the clock? YES. It was not an unnecessary dunk, if we didn't want him to dunk it we should have stopped him. I would have thrown down just like he did in that situation.

 

[exCYtement]

So the word I'm hearing from numerous sources is that Jeff Orr said "Go back to Africa", which isn't the N-word, but is still awful in every way. Smart needs to be suspended 2-3 games and Orr needs to be suspended from that arena for a few seasons. Completely inexcusable actions on both ends.

 

[CyArob]

So the word I'm hearing from numerous sources is that Jeff Orr said "Go back to Africa", which isn't the N-word, but is still awful in every way. Smart needs to be suspended 2-3 games and Orr needs to be suspended from that arena for a few seasons. Completely inexcusable actions on both ends.

To me, that would be worse than just the N-word.

 

[vmbplayer]

So the word I'm hearing from numerous sources is that Jeff Orr said "Go back to Africa", which isn't the N-word, but is still awful in every way. Smart needs to be suspended 2-3 games and Orr needs to be suspended from that arena for a few seasons. Completely inexcusable actions on both ends.

I keep hearing this and I want to point out where it started. Twitter, based on a TV station doing lip reading. Their tweet said it looks like the fan said "go back to ____". A college basketball twitter feed then made it "Go back to A-----". Which the TV station said they didn't see. There was nothing concrete about any of this. The TV station even noted it was based on amateur lip reading they were doing.

Also, if this lip reading is from immediately before the shove, it's not what irked Smart because that would be after Smart already quickly shot up off the ground and approached the fan.

The go back to Africa example seems to be the perfect example of how nobody has any idea what was actually said with the exception of a bunch of lip reading that anyone who watches the film is capable of doing. I believe it looks like Smart is complaining to the ref while he's explaining to Ford the call "He called me a (camera blocked). Racist!(while pointing toward Orr)".

But it's all total speculation. The only reason I saw the go back to Africa thing is because I was watching the information get more and more elaborated on the trending topics on Twitter. I can almost guarantee that story is entirely speculation and not the basis of what caused the confrontation.

 

[06_CY]

Orr supposedly said it wasn't vulgar or the N-bomb, but he let his mouth say something he shouldn't have.

Marcus Smart Pushes Fan in Game vs. Texas Tech | Bleacher Report

 

[stevefrench]

Orr supposedly said it wasn't vulgar or the N-bomb, but he let his mouth say something he shouldn't have.

Marcus Smart Pushes Fan in Game vs. Texas Tech | Bleacher Report

so the only person saying he said the N word is Smart, and Orr is denying that.

Glad everyone has already labeled the guy the next leader of the Klan

 

[IAStubborn]

man up a little Nancy...geesh. Quit making excuses for ****** behavior. If the n word really bothers blacks so much they should quit using it as well. I say that as someone who doesn't like the word...and doesn't use it...but at the same time the idea the n word allows blacks a free pass on behavior is a load of BS and needs to stop.

Wow....really? If someone says something outrageously inflammatory it doesn't justify the actions but it puts them in a more understandable context.

 

[kingcy]

There were enough people around the situation that were not Tech fans that someone had to hear part of what he said.

 

[IAStubborn]

I actually agree with Stephen A.- he says that the Big 12 and the NCAA in general have to send a message that this is never acceptable, regardless of what was said.

I think he should get 1. Same as the Nebraska player that hit the fan rushing the field (which was much worse imo) and same that fran got for charging the ref.

 

[exCYtement]

I keep hearing this and I want to point out where it started. Twitter, based on a TV station doing lip reading. Their tweet said it looks like the fan said "go back to ____". A college basketball twitter feed then made it "Go back to A-----". Which the TV station said they didn't see. There was nothing concrete about any of this. The TV station even noted it was based on amateur lip reading they were doing.

Also, if this lip reading is from immediately before the shove, it's not what irked Smart because that would be after Smart already quickly shot up off the ground and approached the fan.

The go back to Africa example seems to be the perfect example of how nobody has any idea what was actually said with the exception of a bunch of lip reading that anyone who watches the film is capable of doing. I believe it looks like Smart is complaining to the ref while he's explaining to Ford the call "He called me a (camera blocked). Racist!(while pointing toward Orr)".

But it's all total speculation. The only reason I saw the go back to Africa thing is because I was watching the information get more and more elaborated on the trending topics on Twitter. I can almost guarantee that story is entirely speculation and not the basis of what caused the confrontation.

The sources definitely aren't too reliable, but after re-watching the clip myself, "Go back to Africa" lines up awfully close to what Jeff Orr lips are saying.

Also, you bring up a good point about how late into the confrontation that alleged comment is. It looks like before Orr finished his sentence, Smart is already mid-shove, so there must have been something said right as Smart was crashing into the stands right after the foul, and most likely no camera picked that up.