Marcus Smart

[WV Cowboy]

Did you see what he did at Texas Tech on Sat.?

 

[jterrell]

I am a Tech Ex and also a big Marcus Smart fan.
I've been int he gym with Smart a number of times.
He is a good kid by all accounts.
Very unselfish and he looked out for his high school teammates when it came time to pick a college.

Apparently the fan belted out the N word in a direct angry fashion.
--as opposed to saying it in a friendly/inclusive to mean something akin to homie or bro or dude.

I think the Tech fan should be banned if it is found he did say that.

I think what Marcus did wouldn't have troubled me if he had cooled off fairly immediately afterwards and not been fuming and getting dragged off the court 5 minutes later.
When the anger lasts that long a lot of bad decisions can be made and it is hard to call it just heat of the moment.
I Love Smart's overall game and what he has represented until this month which has been a tough one for him in almost every way.
I'd love the Mavericks to draft him still but I wouldn't touch him in the top 3 or 4 now.
The anger issues are a red flag.

 

[jterrell]

oh and yes sorry never answered the original question, lol....

i watched it live.
happened to catch the entire second half after seeing on twitter Tech was playing very well.

 

[RastaRocket]

I am a Tech Ex and also a big Marcus Smart fan.
I've been int he gym with Smart a number of times.
He is a good kid by all accounts.
Very unselfish and he looked out for his high school teammates when it came time to pick a college.

Apparently the fan belted out the N word in a direct angry fashion.
--as opposed to saying it in a friendly/inclusive to mean something akin to homie or bro or dude.

I think the Tech fan should be banned if it is found he did say that.

I think what Marcus did wouldn't have troubled me if he had cooled off fairly immediately afterwards and not been fuming and getting dragged off the court 5 minutes later.
When the anger lasts that long a lot of bad decisions can be made and it is hard to call it just heat of the moment.
I Love Smart's overall game and what he has represented until this month which has been a tough one for him in almost every way.
I'd love the Mavericks to draft him still but I wouldn't touch him in the top 3 or 4 now.
The anger issues are a red flag.

There is a video out, he didn't say the N word. I think this whole situation is a bunch of overreaction. It's not a big deal if you ask me.

 

[Tabascocat]

Smart said he didn't use that word. That "fan" has been known to get under players skins often, just to rile them up. Both were in the wrong, you do not push or hit any spectator and the fan should lose his seats. It is blown out of proportion, let Smart sit his three games and have execs have a talk with this fan and tell him "one more time, you will never be back". They are making this story out to be bigger than it is.

 

[jterrell]

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/lets-talk-about-marcus-smarts-mistake/

great article here imho.

 

[RastaRocket]

I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. A lot of fans deserve deserve a nice right hook to their face.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

This is a situation that I am surprised doesn't happen more. In this day and age, the Fan experience is encouraged more and more. Sports tries to get fans to believe that they are more a part of the game then they actually are.

The Fan was completely wrong but you can't control that for a lot of reasons.

Smart should absolutely be punished if only to make sure that he remembers the lesson. At the next level, which is a very real possibility for this young man IMO, he can not afford to have this kind of thing happen. It will cost him 10x if it ever happens in the NBA. The fan is probably more responsible for what happened but the player will and should receive the brunt of the penalty for this.

 

[joseephuss]

Smart acted poorly in the moment and should be suspended. He seems earnest in his apology. I'm not terribly surprised this happened at Lubbock. The obnoxious Tech fans(not to be confused with the average Tech fans) don't have a great history. Still it probably is being overblown to some extent.

 

[WoodysGirl]

The fan apologized and sad he wouldn't attend any more games this season, of his own accord. Also read that the fan has a history of heckling players.

 

[RastaRocket]

This is a situation that I am surprised doesn't happen more. In this day and age, the Fan experience is encouraged more and more. Sports tries to get fans to believe that they are more a part of the game then they actually are.

The Fan was completely wrong but you can't control that for a lot of reasons.

Smart should absolutely be punished if only to make sure that he remembers the lesson. At the next level, which is a very real possibility for this young man IMO, he can not afford to have this kind of thing happen. It will cost him 10x if it ever happens in the NBA. The fan is probably more responsible for what happened but the player will and should receive the brunt of the penalty for this.

Ever since the malice in the palace the NBA has not been messing around with player emotions.

 

[burmafrd]

what is telling is that the player is ejected and suspended and nothing happened to the fan.

 

[WV Cowboy]

When Smart jumped up and got in the guys face, .. he was waaay out of line already. If we don't punish that action, .. this kind of thing will only escalate.

So when he steps into him, and jacks him with both hands, .. well, I am surprised he only got 3 games.

We are not helping this kid by allowing him to get away with this type of stuff.

Against WV, .. he kicked a chair, .. and at one point left the court in anger.

We have not heard the last from Marcus Smart. He cannot control his anger.

 

[jterrell]

When Smart jumped up and got in the guys face, .. he was waaay out of line already. If we don't punish that action, .. this kind of thing will only escalate.

So when he steps into him, and jacks him with both hands, .. well, I am surprised he only got 3 games.

We are not helping this kid by allowing him to get away with this type of stuff.

Against WV, .. he kicked a chair, .. and at one point left the court in anger.

We have not heard the last from Marcus Smart. He cannot control his anger.

That's not how it happened.
Smart fell into the stands and was in the guys face by merely following he play.
He turned as the guy was screaming something at him and was already in his face.

3 games for shoving him is fair. If it has been a swing it would have warranted more.
If he had went from court into the stands it would have been more egregious.

Smart's actions are probably gonna cost him a fair about of money in the NBA Draft and 3 Conference games in basketball is a lot.

 

[WV Cowboy]

That's not how it happened.
Smart fell into the stands and was in the guys face by merely following he play.
He turned as the guy was screaming something at him and was already in his face.

Like everyone else, I have watched the video.

As he got up, he took two steps towards Orr, .. he took two steps away from the basketball court, which is where he should have gone back to.

He took two steps to confront Orr, .. he did not have to do that.
He could have/should have gotten up and gone directly back to the court.

I am not picking on Smart or OK St. That is what I saw.
Last night I saw a WV kid (Harris) get ejected against Iowa St. for a flagrant foul.
It was a flagrant foul, .. I'm not trying to cover for him. He was retaliating for a non-call, but he went too far.

We can not condone this type of action from Smart or Harris. If we do it will only get worse.

 

[jterrell]

Like everyone else, I have watched the video.

As he got up, he took two steps towards Orr, .. he took two steps away from the basketball court, which is where he should have gone back to.

He took two steps to confront Orr, .. he did not have to do that.
He could have/should have gotten up and gone directly back to the court.

I am not picking on Smart or OK St. That is what I saw.
Last night I saw a WV kid (Harris) get ejected against Iowa St. for a flagrant foul.
It was a flagrant foul, .. I'm not trying to cover for him. He was retaliating for a non-call, but he went too far.

We can not condone this type of action from Smart or Harris. If we do it will only get worse.

The video shows an emotional Smart in a play that pretty much sealed the game for Tech fall into the stands, the heckler leans in over Smart and says he is a "piece of crap" at the very least.
He was very close to Smart.
Smart stepped forward to stand up then turned and stepped one stride back to the guy and shoved him hard with two open hands and retreated to the court.

Smart should have been given a Tech 2 and escorted off the court.
But 3 games is fair in light of what transpired which wasn't all that much.

Fans should absolutely not be addressing players who have fallen into the stands at all much less leaning in to scream at them.

These are not professional athletes paid to handle fans. These are kids playing for free for the schools they represent.
Smart made the Big 12 and OSU a fortune by coming back this year.
He himself got about 15 grand in tuition. room and board for that.
He lost millions by coming back and this incident only makes that worse.
He will be punished far more severely than he should be but that's life.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

The video shows an emotional Smart in a play that pretty much sealed the game for Tech fall into the stands, the heckler leans in over Smart and says he is a "piece of crap" at the very least.
He was very close to Smart.
Smart stepped forward to stand up then turned and stepped one stride back to the guy and shoved him hard with two open hands and retreated to the court.

Smart should have been given a Tech 2 and escorted off the court.
But 3 games is fair in light of what transpired which wasn't all that much.

Fans should absolutely not be addressing players who have fallen into the stands at all much less leaning in to scream at them.

These are not professional athletes paid to handle fans. These are kids playing for free for the schools they represent.
Smart made the Big 12 and OSU a fortune by coming back this year.
He himself got about 15 grand in tuition. room and board for that.
He lost millions by coming back and this incident only makes that worse.
He will be punished far more severely than he should be but that's life.

No, I don't think this is realistic. I mean, I agree, fans should not do that but honestly, the College game is more emotional then the Pro Game. You can't really expect fans to behave. I mean, it would be nice but it's not realistic. Also, these kids are not playing for free. They are playing for an education that can be very expensive indeed and they do sign agreements that specifically stipulate the fact that they do represent the University. I know you know this JT but still in all, if that had escalated, it would not be the young man who would be sued. It would be the University and the Fan would get a substantial pay out. Obviously, there is a lot at stake in situations such as this.

 

[WV Cowboy]

The video shows an emotional Smart in a play that pretty much sealed the game for Tech fall into the stands, the heckler leans in over Smart and says he is a "piece of crap" at the very least.
He was very close to Smart.
Smart stepped forward to stand up then turned and stepped one stride back to the guy and shoved him hard with two open hands and retreated to the court.

We must be seeing two different videos then. Because in the one I am seeing on the web, Orr is probably at lease 5 feet from Smart as he lay on the ground, (sort of holding on to a different fan as they fell together) as he gets up, he takes two steps towards Orr, .. pauses, .. and then jacks him with both hands. Unacceptable.

Orr is not close to him, and he is not leaning in over him. Smart walks back towards him.

Please send me a link to what you are seeing, so I can know for myself.

 

[jterrell]

No, I don't think this is realistic. I mean, I agree, fans should not do that but honestly, the College game is more emotional then the Pro Game. You can't really expect fans to behave. I mean, it would be nice but it's not realistic. Also, these kids are not playing for free. They are playing for an education that can be very expensive indeed and they do sign agreements that specifically stipulate the fact that they do represent the University. I know you know this JT but still in all, if that had escalated, it would not be the young man who would be sued. It would be the University and the Fan would get a substantial pay out. Obviously, there is a lot at stake in situations such as this.

Who might get sued is a merry go round of pointlessness.
Smart could easily sue for lost wages based upon falling draft stock.
Literally you can sue folks for almost anything.

Tech has plenty of attorneys and plenty of insurance.
Same as OSU.
Scholarships are fairly pointless for a future top 10 NBA draft pick that has worth 3 mil a year plus today but has no money in his pocket.
Smart will make OSU 1000x more money than the total cost of his scholarship.

Stand behind every word of my above post and I have been a very rowdy tortilla throwing Tech fan for 20 years.

If you want to prevent fan/player actions you work both ends.
Fans are not stupid. They realize they have lines not to cross.
And they realize that players in the stands can almost always throttle them at will if they so desire.

A 50 year old guy screaming in a 19 year old kids ear for no other reason than he went to an opposing school deserves in the real world to be punched in his face.
That's just reality.
On the high school or lower levels that fan would immediate expulsion and possibly face jail time for harassment.

Smart's poor handling of it aside Orr is a tool.
And his 'voluntary' self-suspension is likely just a compromise so the school doesn't openly punish him.

Smart is going to face large and lasting punishment for his actions here but he's likely the only one and that is a shame.

 

[jterrell]

We must be seeing two different videos then. Because in the one I am seeing on the web, Orr is probably at lease 5 feet from Smart as he lay on the ground, (sort of holding on to a different fan as they fell together) as he gets up, he takes two steps towards Orr, .. pauses, .. and then jacks him with both hands. Unacceptable.

Orr is not close to him, and he is not leaning in over him. Smart walks back towards him.

Please send me a link to what you are seeing, so I can know for myself.

watched it live as it happened.
lots of different videos floating around but live I saw Orr lean in right near Smart with a game guide or something else rolled up in his hand.
was close enough that i wasn't sure the paper in his hand hadn't touched him.
smart does step back up toward Orr to get in his face and then shoves him.

You can see what I mean at about 1:03 of this ESPN video where its zoomed in. Orr leans forward yelling down on Smart right below him.
It's clear Smart is able to pick Orr out without seeing him as the person yelling and makes out what he said clear enough to be beyond control.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...arcus-smart-oklahoma-state-cowboys-shoves-fan


here's a take I fully agree with:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...us-smart-suspended-for-shoving-texas-tech-fan

Smart had to be suspended and 3 games is perfect length of suspension.

Would hate to have ESPN/Big 12 not make the millions off showing next time Smart faces Tech Feb 22nd....