On Marcus Smart

Yesterday, Oklahoma State guard (and well-known NBA prospect) Marcus Smart decided to do this when his Cowboys were about to be upset by Texas Tech.

c/o SB Nation

In light of the Malice at the Palace, this is a no-no, and the Big 12 is expected to send a harsh penalty. I expect the talking heads (like the infamous Ok State alumnus Skip Bayless) to pillorize him for many a reason. However, Colts punter Pat McAfee wrote an interesting set of tweets that needs to be considered.

#MarcusSmart...I have the very fortunate opportunity to be on the sidelines and listen to the things that fans think they can say to players
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2014

1 of the things that makes sports so amazing is the feelings that it gives people.. From anger & anxiety all the way to elation.. It's a
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2014

Roller coaster of emotions that fans within the venue get to openly experience.. We all know as players that fans are what make our sports
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2014

Tick.. Those feelings are what have kept sports relevant for so long.. BUT, just like in any aspect of life, there is a line.. & sometimes
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2014

That line gets crossed in the heat of the moment.. I think we should take what happened last night and use it as a learning situation.. A
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2014

Front row ticket is not a golden pass to say whatever you want to somebody.. Just like Twitter and social media isn't one either.. We should
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2014

Learn that our words can be powerful, and remember that no matter the setting we should be nicer to eachother
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2014

By the time this will be posted, the school and Smart will be saying something to the media in Stillwater. He'll be grilled on this by NBA coaches and GMs on this, and his draft stock might fall. But that may just be a good idea, as he would be on a team that is winning and would be surrounded by individuals who can mentor him right.

Also a good read: Dave Zirin's piece on this matter at the Nation.

I write this, knowing how this is sort of like how the Bo Perasol incident happened.