Marcus Smart Receives Three Game Suspension

jonathanlambert33

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Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart has been suspended for three games for shoving a Texas Tech fan in the final seconds of Saturday's game, Cowboys coach Travis Ford announced Sunday.

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 exchanged 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.
Marcus Smart shoved a Texas Tech fan in the final seconds of Oklahoma State's 65-61 loss on Saturday.

Smart tried to block a dunk attempt from behind and stumbled out of bounds behind the bucket. Smart appeared to exchange words with a fan in the front row before pushing him with two hands.

Referees gave Smart a technical foul and did not eject him.

Smart has claimed to coaches that the fan, identified as Jeff Orr, called him a racial slur.

Smart was "down and remorseful," a team official told ESPN, claiming that the sophomore guard "got caught up in the moment."

Via ESPN
 

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and Orr:
Orr, an air traffic controller in Waco, Texas, travels thousands of miles each year to attend Texas Tech basketball games, according to athletic department spokesman Blayne Beal.

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

Texas Tech conducted its own investigation of the altercation that said no racial slur was heard. In a statement released through the school, Orr denied using a slur and said he was sorry for calling Smart a "piece of crap."

"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," Orr said in a statement. "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."
 

playmaker7

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I'm just saying, I don't personally believe that he would have reacted in that manner after only being called a "piece of crap". 
 
Still, the incident could have been a lot worse than just a shove.
 

jonathanlambert33

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playmaker7 said:
I'm just saying, I don't personally believe that he would have reacted in that manner after only being called a "piece of crap". 
 
Still, the incident could have been a lot worse than just a shove.
 
Agreed.
 

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The guy is clearly a piece of shit but you have to control yourself. Certainly not the first player to be called a racial slur in these conservative souther states.
 

playmaker7

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elcheato said:
The guy is clearly a piece of shit but you have to control yourself. Certainly not the first player to be called a racial slur in these conservative souther states.
Ok?
 
I think you don't understand how powerful emotion can be. Your body can be completely ruled by your emotions if that response is illicit, and if he was actually called a racial slur, then obviously his emotions got the best of him.
 
Like what do you expect? Him to just smile and laugh it off?
 
Fuck that.
 

elcheato

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I understand the emotion, and I understand why he reacted, but when's the last time an athlete in college had a physical confrontation with a fan? And you can't convince me that white fans don't throw those racial slurs around when heckling and he was just one white fan acting as an extreme outlier, because they truly are awful people and it happens too much.

I don't condemn Smart, the fan deserved worse than a push, but he's gotta control himself, it comes with the territory of being in the public eye
 

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In the words of Jalen Rose, "lucky he didn't get a two-piece for saying what he said"
 

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He is, but Smart isn't the one who should be reacting, he's got more to lose than that asshole.
 

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elcheato said:
I understand the emotion, and I understand why he reacted, but when's the last time an athlete in college had a physical confrontation with a fan? And you can't convince me that white fans don't throw those racial slurs around when heckling and he was just one white fan acting as an extreme outlier, because they truly are awful people and it happens too much.

I don't condemn Smart, the fan deserved worse than a push, but he's gotta control himself, it comes with the territory of being in the public eye
Doesn't matter at this point. It could have been a lot worse and I bet future incidents like this won't happen. But everyone is more focused on criticizing Smart, but no one is condemning Orr's old ass for shit talking a kid from the stands.
 
And a 3 game suspension won't take away from him being a lotto pick.
 

elcheato

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It's not a criticism of Smart, it was just poor judgement, which happens with emotional reactions. When you act on emotion you can do things that you'll regret.

Jalen Rose's comment was exactly what I'm talking about. What if Smart had that mindset and did more than push him, and it escalated to the point of the malice at the palace?
 

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elcheato said:
The guy is clearly a piece of shit but you have to control yourself. Certainly not the first player to be called a racial slur in these conservative souther states.
this was my initial thought.

let it blow over, as hard as it may be. this allows people to see how vulnerable you are, and with millions dangling in your face, you cant act like this because fans will eat you alive at the next level.
 

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Sometimes an event such as the Malice at the Palace is necessary. Just because you are in an arena doesn't give you the right to talk/act wreckless. I highly doubt Orr would have called Smart a nigger one on one in the street. 
 
Neither side is right with this incident, but I still consider Smart's actions "less wrong"
 

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I don't think anyone's arguing Smart's actions were "more wrong", he just needed to use better judgement, and realize that, that's the response that fan was looking for. He baited him and got to him. Smart has everything to lose, that guy has nothing.
 

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elcheato said:
that's the response that fan was looking for. 
 
Was it though? I mean the game was damn near over at that point. I think he was just being racist to be racist. I can't give him the credit of heckling Smart to get to him. And I highly doubt the response he was going for was Smart going into the stands.
 

elcheato

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guru said:
 
Was it though? I mean the game was damn near over at that point. I think he was just being racist to be racist. I can't give him the credit of heckling Smart to get to him. And I highly doubt the response he was going for was Smart going into the stands.
I'm assuming it was a culmination of the entire game of heckling, and the final racial slur set him off.
 

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