That is not true. If a football player went into stands and interacted with fans, yes they could be penalized. Same goes for baseball. Of course the interaction would have to be seen, but yes you penalize players when they say things to fans or make gestures, so why would you not be able to do the same from basically an action that could be seen as an assault or a fight?

Peace

As officials, we needed someone to be helping Smart get up after going into the crowd. Hostile environment, rowdy crowd, big play, we needed someone in the trenches. It appeared as if we treated this as business as usual play and then it escalated really quickly and we were left without knowing what happened.

If we are there, we can prevent Smart from attacking the fan. We can then have game management remove the spectator.

Who is going to help him that quickly? Smart has to be smarter than that. Most players make that kind of play and when it is clear they are not hurt, they turn around and go back to the court. I am sure often people say things to players in these situations that are not nice. And I know during the games things are said to players that are not nice and we do not see players going into the stands to address those issues.

Name another situation in big time college basketball you have ever seen a player go into the stands and confront or physically engage a fan?

Peace

Is this a joke? You think the officials, after calling the foul, responsibility is to help the kid up? that's what his team is there for. It's just an unfortunate set of events that occurred and we learn and move on. We don't "need" anyone in the trenches. It would be another story all together if two opposing players land one on top of another then we need someone in there to make sure THAT doesn't escalate. But as far as I am concerned, it was a business as usual play.

We don't need knee jerk reactions and caseplays and rule changes that address what the officials *should* do or have done. It's a 1 in a million chance and I am good leaving it at that. At the least maybe a caseplay for how a penalty should be adjudicated with player and fan interaction. but that's it.

Child's Play Compared To This ...
 

Dont misunderstand me, this is still not an excuse for what he did. Off the court this is grounds for a battery charge, why should it be different in this case?

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."


He has also agreed not to attend anymore games for the rest of the year.

Irony---Smarts first game back will be against Texas Tech.

I don't believe him. He is a liar. Once again another Black player gets Riley Coopered. Now Marcus is gone for 3,games. This guy can still come to games next year. He should be banned for next year. He probably was not going to attend them this year anyway.

From deadspin
We haven't done the total CSI type analysis, but it appears this is what TTech superfan Jeff Orr says to Marcus Smart: "go back to ———".


The guy said a racist slur.

You have no idea what was said, and there are enough bad lip reading videos out there that I'm skeptical of any "analysis." It was a loud gym, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's telling the truth and Smart just heard it wrong. There were enough people around him, and enough cameras in the vicinity, I would be surprised to find he could get away with a racial slur that close to the court without it being caught.

I'm also guessing the offensive comment was made before the cameras were really on him, judging by his reaction and the body language of both.

How does one hear a racial slur wrong? I need an example. This has no place in sports one of the few places in life where there is an equal playing field.

So tell me exactly what the officials job is? The offensive players run into the crowd and are pounding their chest. The defensive player who just picked up a foul in a closely contested game, go flying into the crowd.

Maybe you can be like the C and go grab the ball, I'm sure you think that's #1 priority.

The safety of players of the crew and then players is #1 and #2 priority.

I agree that we may not have prevented the reaction, but in this case we didn't even try. We have to realize that there is potential for things like this to happen.

Smart does need to be smarter than that and so do we.

I don't doubt it though, as you said, it doesn't excuse Smart's reaction.

Speaking of Smart's reaction, my first reaction was something racial was said (for what it's worth, one of my 17-year-old sons thought the same thing). Smart looked fairly relaxed as he was being helped by the other guy then went from zero to 100 emotionally after hearing what was said. If Smart had been a hothead during the game that's one thing. Something set him off in a big way.

I'm highly skeptical of Orr's apology and his denial of using any racial language especially given the video from the other game of him shooting the one-armed salute at a visiting opposing player.

I don't know what he said. Do you normally guess when making calls? He certainly said something out of line but claiming anything else is just a guess.