Marcus Smart hits a fan

[CyFan61]

The fan says that he did not call Marcus Smart a n*****. Smart says that he did.

I'd actually tend to believe Smart on this one, for two reasons:

1) Smart's reaction leads me to believe that he was provoked by something more than a "You suck," etc.
2) No one in their right mind who is publicly identified in what is now a fairly major media story would admit to calling a black man a n*****. He would be ostracized for his behavior. It would truly be life-changing for him. His only hope now is to lie.

My money is on the Tech fan being a racist ***hole. Smart still should have kept his composure, but it does certainly give him some cover.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Not that legal precedent matters. This one will be affected by public pressures and the message the league wants to send as well.

 

[IAStubborn]

Because every man ignores having a beer thrown onq him? Especially in what was already a very emotionally-charged situation? Artest obviously bears a lot of blame for that situation, but to place no blame on the person who instigates the incident isn't fair. Same deal here.

Agree. A coach loses his cool and shoves a ref he gets a one game suspension. A player in a emotionally charged situation pushes a fan and people say regardless of what provoked, he should be suspended 5 games or more.

 

[Gorm]

I don't think it was the N word. I'm pretty sure his reaction would have been much more violent and agressive if that were the case. My bet is on the word flopper...

 

[carvers4math]

At least ESPN finally showed Melvin. They don't seem to give a rip about the Hoks big win though.:laugh:

 

[demoncore1031]

I don't really buy that. The fan either said something really bad, or smart thought. You can tell by the way he quickly turns around and goes up to the guy.

Yeah, but still. You can't assault a fan no matter what he/she says or does. Even if the guy didn't drop the N bomb, of course Smart is going to say that he did. I hope they look into it and take statements from witnesses.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

I don't really buy that. The fan either said something really bad, or smart thought. You can tell by the way he quickly turns around and goes up to the guy.

Yeah, because Smart is not one to lose his cool or deceive.

Really though this sucks. Takes away from the positive pub we would be receiving for Mel's day, and now our opponents get to face OSU without Smart...yet he will be back for Senior night in Hilton.

 

[clone52]

I don't think it was the N word. I'm pretty sure his reaction would have been much more violent and agressive if that were the case. My bet is on the word flopper...

Reading Smarts lips after the shove when his teammate was pulling him away.

F-ing, racist MFer. You called me a n-word.

 

[HFCS]

I wonder if he could be gone for the season. He'd be gone for all 82 games if he did that in the first game of an NBA season, of course they have hard and fast rules about it now.

 

[tm3308]

Yeah, but still. You can't assault a fan no matter what he/she says or does. Even if the guy didn't drop the N bomb, of course Smart is going to say that he did. I hope they look into it and take statements from witnesses.

1. I think everyone agrees that Smart didn't make a good choice in this situation.

2. Sure, Smart could be lying about what was said. But that also would mean he is literally insane. 99% of people don't react like that over nothing.

3. Lip reading is a very inexact science, and the guy was surrounded by Tech fans. Good luck getting a reliable corroboration from that group.

 

[3TrueFans]

I don't think it was the N word. I'm pretty sure his reaction would have been much more violent and agressive if that were the case. My bet is on the word flopper...

Why would flopper be something that he "shouldn't have said"? Half the stadium at every OSU game is yelling flopper.

 

[tm3308]

Yeah, because Smart is not one to lose his cool or deceive.

Really though this sucks. Takes away from the positive pub we would be receiving for Mel's day, and now our opponents get to face OSU without Smart...yet he will be back for Senior night in Hilton.

This reaction was a lot different than kicking a chair, and lying about what was said is very different form of deception than flopping. One is standard practice (although Smart is certainly one of the most brazen floppers out there), the other is sociopathic.

 

[HFCS]

I've been called horrible things by Iowa fans in Ames at Iowa/ISU football games just walking to the stadium after they got drunk tailgating. Things I could not post on here even if I bleeped them out with asterisks. But if I started a physical fight with them instead of ignoring the idiots and walking by I'm sure I'd have been blamed for the incident. Not sure why it should be any different for Smart.

If they can prove the fan said something horrible then Tech or the Big 12 should ban him from attending games or something, should have zero effect on Smart's punishment. If this fan's behavior is truly as bad as some are making it maybe it's best that happens, but a player going into the stands and starting something physical is as bad as it gets in sports.

 

[carvers4math]

I've been called horrible things by Iowa fans in Ames at Iowa/ISU football games just walking to the stadium after they got drunk tailgating. Things I could not post on here even if I bleeped them out with asterisks. But if I started a physical fight with them instead of ignoring the idiots and walking by I'm sure I'd have been blamed for the incident. Not sure why it should be any different for Smart.

If they can prove the fan said something horrible then Tech or the Big 12 should ban him from attending games or something, should have zero effect on Smart's punishment. If this fan's behavior is truly as bad as some are making it maybe it's best that happens, but a player going into the stands and starting something physical is as bad as it gets in sports.

Just don't let those Hok fans follow you into the porta potty.:laugh: I'm not sure I believe he was called the N word, but even if he was, he has to learn to control his actions. Maybe he should read up on Jack Trice.

 

[ISUCY23]

Couldn't that guy have Smart charged with assault?

So everyone is a bunch of ******* now huh?

 

[tm3308]

I've been called horrible things by Iowa fans in Ames at Iowa/ISU football games just walking to the stadium after they got drunk tailgating. Things I could not post on here even if I bleeped them out with asterisks. But if I started a physical fight with them instead of ignoring the idiots and walking by I'm sure I'd have been blamed for the incident. Not sure why it should be any different for Smart.

If they can prove the fan said something horrible then Tech or the Big 12 should ban him from attending games or something, should have zero effect on Smart's punishment. If this fan's behavior is truly as bad as some are making it maybe it's best that happens, but a player going into the stands and starting something physical is as bad as it gets in sports.

Obviously, I don't know you or what you look like. But n****** (assuming that's what was said) is a lot different than most of the names a white person gets called. There isn't really an equivalent for white people in this country.

 

[carvers4math]

Several tweets claiming superfan told him, "Go back to Africa, N word." The Williams sisters have endured this for well over a decade. It is why they quit playing Indian Wells tournament, although I think Serena may finally be going back there

 

[HFCS]

Obviously, I don't know you or what you look like. But n****** (assuming that's what was said) is a lot different than most of the names a white person gets called. There isn't really an equivalent for white people in this country.

Suffice to say this was something that would be called a slur with other profanity before and after it. From a drunk kid who jumped off the top of a bus into my face out of nowhere. It really was pretty out there.

Point is if I had jacked the guy they wouldn't have cared what he called me. If you ask around here I'm the most liberal-pc guy on the board. Any basketball fan who's followed the game the past ten years knows that players going into the stands and starting stuff with the crowd has basically become the absolute worst thing anyone can do in the sport.

I'm all for a lifetime ban on the fan if they can prove he was calling players that word, but it should have no bearing on Smart's punishment. Sad thing is I'm sure it happens a lot. Players starting stuff with fans doesn't happen a lot.

 

[alarson]

Seriously...alarson, I'm only responding to you because you are a seasoned vet around here. Yes...what Marcus Smart did was wrong. No question about it. But you cannot say "it doesn't matter what the fan said". You can't dismiss that, because if you do, we may as we'll be watching hockey. I like hockey, but I'd rather watch my basketball without plexiglass obstructing view.

****!!! Melvin Ejim had 48 and 18 tonight!

If he said something wrong, then TTU should deal with that separately. However as far as the punishment for Smart, it doesnt matter to me what was said as a player should never engage a fan like that. Theyre separate issues.

 

[LoyalSons]

Let's not play the which white guy can act like hes more offended by the n word aka ******. You don't care and you yell it out at the top of your lungs with when your favorite rap song comes on.