Marcus Smart's Dumb Decision

     Unless you haven't tuned into Sportscenter or checked your social media sites in the last couple of days, you have heard about the incident Saturday from Oklahoma State basketball player Marcus Smart.  The incident occurred at the end of the Cowboy's 65-61 loss to Texas Tech, where Smart went into the crowd and pushed a fan after the fan said something to him.  The consequences for the push were a technical foul called on Smart and Smart has also been suspended for OSU's next three games.

     Way too much speculation has followed on whether his actions were justified.  Reports have surfaced that the fan, Jeff Orr, used a racial slur to Smart, spawning the altercation.  So if the report is true, and Orr did say the slur (it was supposedly the "N" word just so you know), Smart's actions are rational, right?

     Quick answer: No.

     Nothing that Orr said validates what Smart did.  Being disciplined and ignoring the taunts from the crowd, or other players for that matter, is a huge part of any sport.  No matter how offensive the comments may be, a player retaliating causes more negative consequences than positive ones.

Marcus Smart finds himself suspended for his actions on Saturday

     Think of this situation as a coach, would you care what a fan said to the player?  No you do not, because the player who responded in that way just affected the team negatively.  Smart's behavior yielded a technical foul which gave Texas Tech free throws that were key in OSU's defeat.  On top of that, Smart was handed a three game suspension, so now head coach Travis Ford must lead his team without one of his key players for three important games.  Not one coach has ever condoned an action that will hurt the team in any magnitude, and this situation is certainly one not to be excused.

     On another note, how much more justifiable is a racial slur compared to a comment on your mother being overweight or your girlfriend/wife being a woman that sleep with other men?  The N-word, no matter how harmful it is, is still not any different than calling you mother fat or girlfriend a tramp, it just isn't.  All of these comments are very offensive, but no matter what is uttered from their mouth, there is no pardon for retaliation.

     Even if Jeff Orr is at fault in this altercation, Marcus Smart must learn to ignore the heckling.  Being a part of a team in sports means you are a part of something bigger than yourself, and Smart's reaction was very selfish.