Racist chants are done by fans nearly every week over there (happened yesterday in the Milan-Napoli game) and they rarely do that unfortunately. It's a great idea and I don't know why they don't do it more. I guess the teams would lose too much money which is why I can't see them ever doing that here.
Video: Marcus Smart shoved a Texas Tech fan
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Racist chants are done by fans nearly every week over there (happened yesterday in the Milan-Napoli game) and they rarely do that unfortunately. It's a great idea and I don't know why they don't do it more. I guess the teams would lose too much money which is why I can't see them ever doing that here.
The-Real-Truth
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This is very true. My coworker's son plays soccer in Southern MN. They have some black and hispanic kids in their roster. They went to Byron to play a game a few months ago. Byron is not a very diverse town. I was told that fans were not shy of using racist words on the sideline. My friend who is also white said that he had the hardest time explaining the situation to his son.
Racist and crude comments are commonly made against gopher and opposing players in the Barn. People on this board know this to be true. It is as bad here as it is in the South. Smart should and will be punished. It is amazing the amount of racism that still exists in this country including the Twin Cities. People hide their true beliefs under the cover of being a fan.
Well, Tubby is the coach, and he still goes to the games.
My point is that there if far too often a rush to judgement, as in this case, just because the altercation involved a black man and a white man. A little research in the past few minutes has uncovered multiple cases where Smart has lost his temper during a game. As reported earlier in this thread, he was T'd up for yelling at fans earlier in this game.
If he did, in fact, called Smart the "N" word, he probably deserved to get smacked, but so far there's no evidence to suggest that. The video I linked a few minutes ago certainly doesn't help make the case. Perhaps the fans around him will come forward and settle it. Someone had to have heard what was said.
The fans around him have probably had the same seats for 30 years. It is like family. They could probably tell some pretty wild stories of various antics over the years - but my guess is that no one is going to come forward with anything (other than the "he's their #1 fan and a saint"). Not saying he is guilty of anything, but I would not want to rely on the fans to prove anything.
Big Ten Championship
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It takes two to have an incident. Both of them should be punished! Clearly Orr initiated it, so he should definitely loose his seat privledges no matter what he said. They have proof of his previous action against Texas A & M and I'm sure others around him would come clean on other things he has done and or said. Smart lost control during a very emotional incident and must be punished to ensure he never has issues again, especially if he wants to play in the NBA.
Statements are out now along with a Youtube video that seems to support the notion that the fan called Smart a "piece of crap" - I don't see any reason whatsoever to punish the fan. Smart was way out of line, and needs to learn some lessons about how to behave. Hopefully this 3-game punishment will do that.
A lot of fans I think owe Orr an apology for immediately rushing to believe he said the worst things he possibly could've said, when in reality Smart was the one who lost his composure and was completely wrong to do what he did.
But did the message board posters learn to not automatically assume a fan shouted racial slurs just because he got pushed by a frustrated player? I don't think so.
bleedsmaroonandgold
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It takes two in the sense that there was one guy who shoved and another guy who got shoved. I still don't know exactly what was said, but either way, Smart is the only one who got physical. If there was some magic set of words that automatically causes an athlete to do what Smart did, then opposing fans/players would say those words every chance they got to get opponents to foul out. It is possible that Orr said something that would make me believe Orr is also in the wrong, but that wouldn't mitigate what Smart did. If all Orr did was call Smart a "piece of crap", then I've definitely said worse about Gopher opponents.
I saw a Penn State fan with a sign up against the glass that said "Rau plays for the Lollipop Guild". It was not discrete, it was openly displayed on television and where Rau could see it, it was making fun of one of Rau's immutable physical characteristics (for those who don't follow the hockey team, Rau is very short by hockey standards), yet somehow Rau never gave any indication he saw the sign. Opposing fans will always try to get under your skin, and if it ever is firmly established what Orr said, than opposing players and fans now have the key to get under Smart's. Not a "Smart" move by him, he better get ready to deal with a lot more of it now that everyone knows he is susceptible.
golfing18now
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In my mind, it wasn't a stretch to think he shouted racial slurs based on the clear pattern of behavior this clown seems to think is acceptable. Smart went over the line but the reaction from message board posters isn't unusual. He put himself in that situation so I have a hard time feeling bad about the reaction.
From the Barn
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with edited audio.
die hard gopher
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LesBolstad
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Silly. Why should he lose his seat? If that's the case no school could have a student section.
Once again, all the race baiting clowns are wrong. And the irony is they are the ones that propagate more racism than anyone else.
GoodasGold
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Jeff Orr Statement
"I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere apologies to Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, Tubby Smith and the Texas Tech Men's Basketball program. My actions last night were inappropriate and do not reflect myself or Texas Tech - a university I love dearly. I regret calling Mr. Smart a "piece of crap" but I want to make it known that I did not use a racial slur of any kind. Additionally, I would like to offer my apologies to Texas Tech fans that have been embarrassed by the attention this incident has created."
Some alcohol involved.
"I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere apologies to Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, Tubby Smith and the Texas Tech Men's Basketball program. My actions last night were inappropriate and do not reflect myself or Texas Tech - a university I love dearly. I regret calling Mr. Smart a "piece of crap" but I want to make it known that I did not use a racial slur of any kind. Additionally, I would like to offer my apologies to Texas Tech fans that have been embarrassed by the attention this incident has created."
Some alcohol involved.
stocker08
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Message board posters? There was plenty of speculation pasted all over sportscenter and espn about that exact case. Should we not consider it to have been a possibility? I personally doubted it.....as racial slurs like that from a guy who attends every game would likely make those around him uncomfortable. I'm sure that he would have had his fair share of complaints now and in the past.
But many those same people rushed to dig up an old video where he may have flipped off an opposing player, and completely ignored the fact that about 2 weeks ago Smart also let his emotions get the better of him during a game and kicked a chair among other antics.
bemidjigopher
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I find it funny Mr.Orr refers to Texas Tech as a University, I am sure Aggie on the football board can confirm that it's really a glorified Community College
Section201
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MAY HAVE?
golfing18now
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To me they are two different issues. I think the response to Smart has been pretty universal that he should be punished (and has) for his actions yesterday, with or without a pattern of previous behavior. No player should be allowed to put his hands on a fan, regardless of the circumstance.
But I'm equally annoyed with the feeling that fans should be held to a completely different set of standards. Why should it be acceptable for a fan base to flip off opposing players or start "F Bo Ryan" chants. IMO, it is one of the sadder trends in sports.
Or watching how this clown acts at games. Maybe I'm in the minority on this but watching a grown man act like a six year old is just plain sad.
The cameras were not on Mr. Orr when Smart was on the ground. Smart apparently heard an inappropriate comment and turned his attention to Mr Orr.Mr. Orr may have called Smart a piece of crap at that time but who knows what he said initially because there is no documentation. There had to be pretty strong language to evoke such a response.
The relevant section of the statement released by Texas Tech, which I linked earlier in the thread:
I suppose anything is possible, but I find it implausible that they would all be willing to lie for this obnoxious fan. I know I wouldn't.
bleedsmaroonandgold
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That logic seems pretty backwards. Using your reasoning, if Smart had found a knife and stabbed Orr, would you assume that Orr said something even more offensive? Regardless of what Orr said, Smart's action showed terrible judgment. Given that lack of judgment, I don't see why the possibility that Smart overreacted to some garden-variety heckling is an unreasonable possibility.
I believe Mr Orr used a racial slur. People are ignoring the fact that the cameras were not on Mr. Orr while Smart was on the ground. It is obvious that what he said struck a nerve. which prompted the confrontation. I do believe Smart was wrong and should be punished.
My wife played major D1 basketball and she played in the south a few times and heard worse on the court. He has to learn not to react to the fans no matter what. Obviously it built up over the last few weeks with an incident on the bench a few games ago. The coaches have to keep on him about his reactions. Fans will always be idiots. Funny that he gets 3 games for pushing a fan and Brittany Griner got only 2 games for punching a Texas Tech player during a game and breaking her nose a few years ago. Btw Griner heard way worse throughout her career.
