Tom Izzo Should Be Very Disappointed in the Izzone
Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
If you are unfamiliar with the story of Purdue forward Robbie Hummel, here it is: During his junior year, he tore his right ACL. When he finally recovered to make it to his senior year, he re-tore it in his first practice. After a long journey and recovery back to shape, Hummel finally returned to the court this year.
All players, coaches, and fans of basketball have to respect Hummel for his perseverance and dedication to the game. He is by far one of the most respected and likable players in all of College Basketball.
Tom Izzo, coach of Michigan State, has the upmost respect for Hummel and his accomplishments. When talking about his return to basketball Izzo said of Hummel, “Robbie Hummel has always been one of my favorite players in the league, and what he’s done and what he’s gone through, he remains. He’s a big reason why they’re a contender right now.”
At today’s game between the Spartans and Boilermakers, the Izzone, Michigan State’s student section, did not share the same respect.
I was sitting about 6 rows back from the Purdue bench when a fan to my left yelled out, “Hummel don’t tear your ACL.” I was completely stunned when I heard this.
More stunned was Purdue coach Matt Painter who turned around and yelled at the students saying “That’s pushing it.” And he continued to try and make the students stop these comments.
Witnessing all this, I was completely embarrassed and furious at the kids around me who were all laughing and jeering Painter.
This is not how a student section should behave, especially one of Michigan State’s stature. All students should respect their opponents, our’s failed. Personal attacks like that are ridiculous and a complete disregard of sportsmanship.
As a student of Michigan State and a member of the Izzone, I would like to apologize to Robbie Hummel, Matt Painter, and Tom Izzo. As a College Basketball fan I have the utmost respect for Robbie Hummel and his accomplishments. I hope that fans everywhere realize and respect the accomplishments of all students athletes and represent their universities to the fullest.
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Long time reader, first time poster.. seriously who cares? Ur apologies are stupid too
Tom Izzo cares because he called out his students after the game. Matt Painter cares because he acknowledged the students comments during the game. Robbie Hummel cares because his brother was sitting behind the bench and heard all of it.
Shizey, I believe you left a T out of your name. I care so I read the article,you must care because you read the article. A coward hides behind a computer and a student section. You are an ahole. Now excuse me, I need to go take a Shizey.
Well said, Jason. I’m a former Spartan. I hope the kid is identified and has his season tickets taken away. Completely classless.
Purdue alumnus here. Very familiar with the Hummel story.
This is nothing. If you can’t take the heat, get off the floor. Comes with the territory. Man up, Hummel and Painter, and play ball. People shouted all kinds of stuff to visiting players at Ross-Ade when I was there. Some of the Notre Dame stuff was unbelievable.
Take away season tickets? For yelling? Why don’t we just tape every mouth in the section shut, and tie every student to his seat?
Now in a different area of the US. They shout all kinds of stuff during college games here.
Big Ten needs to get over itself. Man up and play better than them.
Boofuckinwhooo
I believe people may be missing the point here. I stand with the author. I’m a Zags fan and I know all about digging up dirt on opponents, which we impressively enough did NOT do to Mich State when they came up to Spokane this year. I guess we had that much respect for Izzo and the MSU program. But we routinely do this to the likes of rival teams such as Saint Mary’s, Washington State, Washington (when they played us), and any other bigger programs that come play us at the MAC. Taunting from the students comes with the decision to play college basketball. That is a given. This is neither here nor there, though. You do not taunt an athlete for something as personally severe as suffering an ACL injury. That is flat-out unacceptable and classless. You really think it is ok? Why don’t you go out, do it yourself, and see what the pain feels like… Dear Lord. I’ve lost a lot of respect for the Izzone after reading about this…
So you can’t yell about an ACL tear, but you can yell about dirt you dig up on Washington and Washington State?
What kind of reasoning is that? Where is the line again?
Can I yell at a player for slipping on a banana peel and hurting his back? Or for a kid whose mother had him out of wedlock? Or a kid arrested for, say, drug possession? Or beating his girlfriend? Or stealing a computer?
You, young man, have elected to enter the arena. The fans of the opposing team are going to yell anything and everything they can think of, especially in college basketball, to get you off your game. Get used to it and get over it.
To paraphrase what shizey said above-
Boo f#$%king hoo hoo hoo.
If you hurt your back by slipping on a banana peel, you deserve to be made fun of. You’re bringing up a lot of stuff that I MOSTLY agree with. The point has already been made, you play college basketball, the students are going to taunt you. And I’ve seen players get made fun of for everything from obesity to stealing laptops to drug possession to even statutory rape. I GET the seriousness of all of it, and this sort of stuff is going to happen. But still… an ACL tear is a horrible experience for a player to go through, and I mean that in a strictly on-the-court manner. Going after him for that reflects a lack of class on yourself and your school. I’m not saying it can’t happen, or it won’t happen… I’m saying it simply SHOULDN’T happen. And like I said before, if you can’t respect a player for getting through an injury like that, you should probably try going through it yourself before you target him for it…
And, I mean, come on… even Izzo himself said he was disappointed in how the students acted. That should say enough in itself over the given situation.
Izzo said that because he has to say that for public relations purposes. You have no idea what he really thought. Spartans won the game, didn’t they?
I cannot see how an ACL tear (twice) or any other injury insulates a player from being taunted in an opposing arena. That is ridiculous. And I am a Purdue fan.
It might be classless, it might not be what you or I would yell, but it comes with the territory.
I again say man up, I do not understand the arbitrary line you are drawing, and boo f^&%$ing hoo hoo hoo.
I can definitely see the other side of the argument, I mean making your arena a tough place to play is one of the most fun parts of College Basketball. Tom Izzo is very connected to the student body here and he credits the student section for at least 1-2 wins a year for their passion. But, he still wants his students to reflect the mutual respect for the other players he and his team shares. At the end of the day they’re all just student athletes. I’m all for getting into the head of the other team and giving my team an edge but I still respect my opponents no matter how much I may not like them.
I had no problem with our section chanting “Robbie, Robbie,” every time he touched the ball, we were just trying to make it tough for him to play effectively. But when you start calling for harm or injury on a player thats had his fair share of pain, I’m not ok with that. Its not necessarily a line I’m drawing, its just having respect for your opponents even if you hate them.
Again, this is just all my personal opinion on the situation. This may happen at every arena in the nation and obviously the players can just shake it off and play. Its just my personal opinion that students should be conscious of what they say and when.
Once again, I never said he couldn’t be made fun of… but I am sure there were plenty of other things they could have taunted him for. But like Jason has pointed out just below, here, and I have been trying to point out… wishing injury on a player is unacceptable. Once again, I realize this stuff comes with the territory and I do not think taunting is NOT going to happen. It just simply should not. There are no lines drawn. It is simply a matter of morality and class, more or less. The Izzone showed neither by going after a player for suffering such an injury.
You said what i was gettin at.. but you typed alot more than me. If you cant handle it. Gtfo. Oo and clever name callin “bill”.. if my parents named me bill im sure i wouldnt be allowed within 5000 feet of a school either, bill sandusky
Seriously, this is as bad as it got? Have these people never been to a big ten event before? in madison when a player goes down on the field “treat em like a horse shoot em in the head” is chanted. this is nothing man up and stop being a b*tch
Just a little more on what Izzo had to say on the situation:
“I will be sending out another email to my favorite group, our students, and just let them know how big of an impact one idiot can have on a bunch of good people,”
Izzo said. “Would I love to see that kid and tell him what I think of who he is and what he is? Yeah, I would. I mean, it’s below the belt when a guy’s battled through two knee injuries and you say something about his knee. It’s just uncalled for. It’s ridiculous. So if that made Matt Painter mad, I completely understand.”
Izzo said it is difficult to control everything going on away from the court and the person that shouted the comment has yet to be identified. Courtesy of the Lansing State Journal.
The whole situation is different from a football game, just because at the time is was completely quiet and everyone on both benches heard the comment. I wrote this article just from the context of the single situation so I viewed it as a separate situation.