After just committing a fast break foul down while being two points in the hostile environment of Texas Tech, Oklahoma State All-American guard Marcus Smart went flying into the stands.
What happened next nobody besides Smart and a few fans truly know. While Smart was on the ground, he was yelled at by the Texas Tech fans. Smart stood up and looked at one specific fan, Jeff Orr, and pushed him into another fan.
Originally it was reported that the so called “Superfan” Orr called Smart a racial slur. Smart was seen running around the court and yelling at the referees and coaches. He was not ejected, but he did not return to the game.
In the investigation that followed, it was reported the Orr only called Smart a piece of crap. I find it hard to believe that Smart would react like that to such a seventh grade insult. Smart was seen in the footage running to coaches saying the word racist.
It was soon after, an announcement was made that Smart would be suspended three games.
Coaches around the country always talked about how composed Smart is and how uncharacteristic that was of him.
I do not know Smart personally, but I have never thought of Smart as the type of player that would react to an insult like that.
It blows my mind that the NCAA would accuse Smart of lying about something like that. Isn’t the NCAA supposed to support the athletes over anything else?
Jeff Orr was accused before this incident of saying the same racial slur to other African American players, yet he is still allowed to go to the games and sit courtside.
The NCAA has done a bad job of protecting and supporting the athletes that make them their money, and they still continue to do the same. They go through so many legalities to avoid paying athletes and now they want them to take insults from fans, but crucify them when they react to what they say.
This is not the NBA, these players do not get paid. The NCAA must start defending their athletes from these situations.
I am not condoning what Smart did – he deserves his three-game suspension – but I think the NCAA should make a point to stop fan incidents by punishing Orr as well, especially with the reputation that he has had in the past.
