Scout.com has this story from Josh Kendall. After UT's win over Georgia on Saturday, the Vol basketball players went into the stands at Stegeman Coliseum to celebrate with their fans. UT Athletic Director and basketball coach admit that it was a mistake, and they have apologized to Georgia.
Damon Evans, athletic director at Georgia, and Mike Hamilton have both handled this situation with a great deal of class and restraint. Without the normal posturing and chest thumping from these types of things.
The facts are it was dangerous and stupid to send players into the fans at a visiting stadium. But the apology was a nice gesture.
Although, I can't help but ask....why such a gesture when you just beat a team with a 4-6 record? Wouldn't you save a stunt like that for a win over UK, LSU or UF?
Odd.
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4 comments:
As to why they went into the stands after a win over 4-6 Georgia,I think everyone knows the reason for that...But in the SEC,the fact is that a basketball victory,while certainly a good thing,is no comparison to a football victory,which is all important in a truly civalized world.
Paul,
I don't say this as a dig but I'm sure Pearl would've done something similar at UK, UF or LSU. But at those places, there's not 2,000 tickets available to opposing fans for reasons you've elaborated (4-6 record, fans having been burned so not going to turn out until Felton team proves worthy). So at UK the previous game, there might have been 100 Vol fans scattered in onesy-twosy around kaRUPPt arena so no one to go say "thanks" to.
To the Vol fans reading this from one of a particularly belligerent message board.
No one is saying that they should apologize b/c it's politically correct. He should apologize b/c it's practical and smart.
Imagine if the UGA football players went into Neyland Stadium's stands every time we won up there to thank our fans. You think there wouldn't be a fight?
Of course there would be.
I'm just shocked there wasn't more said in the Coliseum last Saturday.
Pearl is on a learning curve in the PR of playing in a big time athletic conference. I doubt the hostility existed between UW-M and their conference foes as exists in the SEC. He made a mistake and he'll learn from it, just like the incident at his sons game.
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