Norfolk St- Horton Game

[BirdGrad2011]

As I read all these comments and especially the response by Norfolk st and specifically their coach. They don't like the response from Coach Pedon and ISU. OK, do we really think any response would have been OK. What could we have done except to respond right after the game. The incident still happened, wouldn't have changed anything. Not one comment from NSU was about the person who uttered the words who other than being a fan of ISU, has no affiliation with the school that we know of. Also no recognition by NSU about the actions of #6 a few other players and coaches who were talking back to fans, and as many here have stated and I witnessed waving bye to fans at the end of the game. Also no comments by NSU about the referees who played a huge part in what went down. Stop making ISU out to be the villian in this situation.

Bingo. I am confident ISU will take appropriate action once investigation is complete. The combination of 6 taunting, refs not controlling the game, loud atmosphere, Jones reaction, Pedon’s reaction. There’s so much shared blame for the escalation.

I support Pedon and he has no way of knowing. As he said let’s learn and grow.

 

[Manchester Matt]

As I read all these comments and especially the response by Norfolk st and specifically their coach. They don't like the response from Coach Pedon and ISU. OK, do we really think any response would have been OK. What could we have done except to respond right after the game. The incident still happened, wouldn't have changed anything. Not one comment from NSU was about the person who uttered the words who other than being a fan of ISU, has no affiliation with the school that we know of. Also no recognition by NSU about the actions of #6 a few other players and coaches who were talking back to fans, and as many here have stated and I witnessed waving bye to fans at the end of the game. Also no comments by NSU about the referees who played a huge part in what went down. Stop making ISU out to be the villian in this situation.

Then saying he had to be "reminded" of problems the last time? What exactly was said then? Don't spew allegations without any proof. That rubbed me the wrong way.

 

[isuquinndog]

The point is, the NSU coach did not feel heard. In most cases like this, the offended party does not feel like they are being heard or their concerns are being taken seriously. Something that (what I assume) most of us white people don't and will never understand. I can't fault the coach for that. Pedon, both literally and figuratively, did not hear what NSU was saying or feeling in the moment and even in the hours after.

But, he's also taking it to another level with his now 4 day later reaction to it. So, that's a completely different subject.

 

[DougSutton]

As I read all these comments and especially the response by Norfolk st and specifically their coach. They don't like the response from Coach Pedon and ISU. OK, do we really think any response would have been OK. What could we have done except to respond right after the game. The incident still happened, wouldn't have changed anything. Not one comment from NSU was about the person who uttered the words who other than being a fan of ISU, has no affiliation with the school that we know of. Also no recognition by NSU about the actions of #6 a few other players and coaches who were talking back to fans, and as many here have stated and I witnessed waving bye to fans at the end of the game. Also no comments by NSU about the referees who played a huge part in what went down. Stop making ISU out to be the villian in this situation.

I fully support coach Pedon but in fairness, you can watch the comments from the NSU coach on video (and article) that are posted a few pages back where he discussed coach Pedon and the multiple chances he had to apologize and didn't. The comment coach Pedon made at the press conference about being Italian came across as dismissive and tone deaf. I can appreciate the NSU coach's perspective.

I know what it's like to get triggered in the heat of the moment and when this happens, people have a difficult time thinking/acting mindfully and rationally. I empathize with coach Pedon in this respect, just watching the game over the internet, you could feel the tension in the game. Pedon and anyone else watching or in Horton other than the NSU coach and the refs had no idea why their coach was acting so irate on the court and I fully understand coach Pedon being upset for why the refs didn't call a technical on the NSU coach. But once triggered and fired up, it appeared as if coach Pedon didn't fully grasp what happened until after the dust settled (either just before the post game press conference when he said nothing because someone in the administration instructed him to or the following morning after he had time to reflect).

To Quinn's point, the NSU coach didn't feel heard.

@Manchester Matt regarding the NSU coach being reminded of what was apparently said in 2011, in the videos posted a few pages back, he names his former players that reached out to him to tell him by name. In this case, it's their word against ours but what appears clear is that the NSU coach was an assistant coach during that game and he had no knowledge that these comments were supposedly made at the time, or for the following 12 years until after Saturday's game. From an optics perspective, this seems much less credible compared to what happened on Saturday night with the refs telling the NSU coach what was said.

 

[GOP_Redbird]

NSU Coach saying in his presser yesterday he “isn’t doing this for clicks” when his twitter feed is all gaslighting and himself highlighting how many views his tweet has is something else.

 

[SlackBooDom]

NSU Coach saying in his presser yesterday he “isn’t doing this for clicks” when his twitter feed is all gaslighting and himself highlighting how many views his tweet has is something else.

Feels like a strange time for him to be liking posts saying high-majors need to call to hire him.

 

[ISUalum19]

I find it interesting that there wasn't more of a reaction from people around the person who is supposed to have said something so vile. Wouldn't the people sitting around them make a bigger scene or call them out as well? Or administrators at ISU? I know it was at Horton so maybe nobody even next to them could have heard it?

I know when I was at ISU at RBA there were many games in 2016/17 where me and a few others had a little too much to drink and if things even got a little rowdy in the student section (nowhere NEAR the degree that supposedly happened last weekend) we had several admins threaten to kick us out.

I had too much fun messing with triple G and Porter.

 

[isutaz]

NSU Coach saying in his presser yesterday he “isn’t doing this for clicks” when his twitter feed is all gaslighting and himself highlighting how many views his tweet has is something else.

Unfortunately, three sides to several things that happened...

From Norfolk Coach:
"He said game officials told them the reason for the ejections at the time. He said one game official heard the slur and one other Norfolk State player heard it. He said after the incident, the effect of an African American official changed."

“His whole demeanor changed,” said Jones. "It put a damper on him, too. On the way out, he told me he’s going to let the whole conference know exactly what happened.”

 

[Manchester Matt]

Unfortunately, three sides to several things that happened...

From Norfolk Coach:
"He said game officials told them the reason for the ejections at the time. He said one game official heard the slur and one other Norfolk State player heard it. He said after the incident, the effect of an African American official changed."

“His whole demeanor changed,” said Jones. "It put a damper on him, too. On the way out, he told me he’s going to let the whole conference know exactly what happened.”

Then why didn't the officials relay this information to Pedon during or after the halfcourt altercation? Makes zero sense.

 

[ISU FAN 1]

Every time there is any mention of race and ISU athletics the first thing people bring up is Coach Robinson 50 years ago. 10 basketball coaches have followed him, Like it or not the fact is our athletics department is inherently white. All you need to do is scroll through the administration on our website. 15 folks with "athletics director" as part of their title. All white. Scroll down the list of coaches. A few assistants are people of color. We're going back half a century y'all. Is it any wonder this entire situation was handled poorly? I'm not saying anyone at ISU is racist. I don't believe that. But who's followed Coach Robinson? In any sport? Something that makes me go hmmm.

Just quoting your post for context, not calling you out on anything.

Maybe ISU has been focusing on LGBTQ+ hires. Also, had the Lyons administration, that at least appeared, to be steeped in nepotism. Or heaven forbid, maybe ISU has been focusing on merit. Not hiring the best qualified candidate because they are white, is just another form of discrimination.

 

[DougSutton]

Then why didn't the officials relay this information to Pedon during or after the halfcourt altercation? Makes zero sense.

This the the part that pisses me off the most. I have empathy for the ref that heard it and for the NSU coach after it was relayed to him. I will not question what the NSU coach said as I've seen the video and article with the quotes that @isutaz shared.

The fact that the refs didn't bring coach Pedon and the NSU coach together at the same time to tell them is what caused this bad, unacceptable conduct of a fan to become an embarrassment of our university. I am 100% certain that coach Pedon would have actively gotten involved to calm the crowd and immediately apologized for what happene.d

 

[Phantom]

Getting to the bottom of this needs to involve three direct things, which should be relatively easy to do:

1. Get official statements from the refs. Find out what they heard. Apparently one of them heard something - what was it?
2. Get official statements from the fan(s) in question. Find out what they really said. Was it an actual slur, or something that could've been mistaken for one amid the fieldhouse noise?
3. Get official statements from the refs about why they didn't inform both coaches at once, or at least why they didn't inform Pedon. Find out why they handled it the way they did.

The investigation we're doing MUST include these things. Then, for good or bad, release a new statement declaring the findings. This needs full transparency. Anything less would just be dropping the ball further. Unfortunately, it seems like the NSU coach and everyone on their side has already made up their minds and won't entertain anything else about it, so the damage has been (possibly unnecessarily) done. But not much we can do about that. All we can do is find the truth and report it.

 

[Birgs]

Unfortunately, three sides to several things that happened...

From Norfolk Coach:
"He said game officials told them the reason for the ejections at the time. He said one game official heard the slur and one other Norfolk State player heard it. He said after the incident, the effect of an African American official changed."

“His whole demeanor changed,” said Jones. "It put a damper on him, too. On the way out, he told me he’s going to let the whole conference know exactly what happened.”

It took "THIS" to dust off the cobwebs of a prior incident? It was so vile he totally forgot it 'til now and wouldn't have played THIS game? And a grown man, a head D-I basketball coach won't take a phone call and doesn't approve of a method of apology. This is classic grandstanding.

As far as the official's "on the way our" comment - speaks volumes to his lack of professionalism as well - beyond being a major cog in the dysfunctional communication machine that went off the rails.

 

[ISU FAN 1]

Your point stands about minority coaches, Mel, but it's important to clarify that Elvis Forde is from Barbados.

Seriously? Why is that important? A POC has to be of AA descent?

FWIW …. Most of the enslaved Africans brought to Barbados were from the Bight of Biafra (62,000 Africans), the Gold Coast (59,000 Africans), and the Bight of Benin (45,000 Africans).

 

[DougSutton]

It took "THIS" to dust off the cobwebs of a prior incident? It was so vile he totally forgot it 'til now and wouldn't have played THIS game? And a grown man, a head D-I basketball coach won't take a phone call and doesn't approve of a method of apology. This is classic grandstanding.

As far as the official's "on the way our" comment - speaks volumes to his lack of professionalism as well - beyond being a major cog in the dysfunctional communication machine that went off the rails.

Based on what the NSU coach has shared, I don't fault him for feeling the way he did. The only thing I question about what he shared was the incident in 2011. I believe he had his former players call him to tell him what happened but the fact that he had to be told/reminded of that incident seems less credible.

His perspective that the official was shaken by the comment that was made makes complete sense to me. It's wrong to try to gaslight them for their experience. I have compassion for anyone on the receiving end of hatred, racism or attacks and will always stand up for them. If what was reported is true (and I'm 100% confident it will be revealed by the university after the investigation) then the upset by the NSU coach is fully justified.

The NSU's comments regarding why he has no desire to talk to coach Pedon (the 3+ attempts he had to apologize and only the following day did he) are understandable, even though I fully support coach Pedon. The whole situation is unfortunate and we can't change what happened.

This is however an opportunity to see our administration lead by example from this point forward and I believe coach Pedon's most recent comments are a great example of this.

 

[TBus_Birds]

Seriously? Why is that important? A POC has to be of AA descent?

FWIW …. Most of the enslaved Africans brought to Barbados were from the Bight of Biafra (62,000 Africans), the Gold Coast (59,000 Africans), and the Bight of Benin (45,000 Africans).

You missed the point entirely. The question was about our former African American coaches. Coach Forde is not African American and out of respect to his heritage I wanted to clarify that.

Thanks for editing in the history lesson but it doesn't change that fact.

 

[Manchester Matt]

This the the part that pisses me off the most. I have empathy for the ref that heard it and for the NSU coach after it was relayed to him. I will not question what the NSU coach said as I've seen the video and article with the quotes that @isutaz shared.

The fact that the refs didn't bring coach Pedon and the NSU coach together at the same time to tell them is what caused this bad, unacceptable conduct of a fan to become an embarrassment of our university. I am 100% certain that coach Pedon would have actively gotten involved to calm the crowd and immediately apologized for what happene.d

Yep! That official is "going to tell the rest of the conference what was said," but he's not telling the head coach of the team that's playing in the game when it happened? Sorry, but that doesn't make any sense.

 

[ISU FAN 1]

You missed the point entirely. The question was about our former African American coaches. Coach Forde is not African American and out of respect to his heritage I wanted to clarify that.

Thanks for editing in the history lesson but it doesn't change that fact.

I bow to your knowledge of Forde’s ancestral family tree. Just pointing out that many blacks from places like Barbados, Jamaica, etc., do have ancestral roots that trace back to Africa.

 

[Phantom]

Based on what the NSU coach has shared, I don't fault him for feeling the way he did. The only thing I question about what he shared was the incident in 2011. I believe he had his former players call him to tell him what happened but the fact that he had to be told/reminded of that incident seems less credible.

His perspective that the official was shaken by the comment that was made makes complete sense to me. It's wrong to try to gaslight them for their experience. I have compassion for anyone on the receiving end of hatred, racism or attacks and will always stand up for them. If what was reported is true (and I'm 100% confident it will be revealed by the university after the investigation) then the upset by the NSU coach is fully justified.

The NSU's comments regarding why he has no desire to talk to coach Pedon (the 3+ attempts he had to apologize and only the following day did he) are understandable, even though I fully support coach Pedon. The whole situation is unfortunate and we can't change what happened.

This is however an opportunity to see our administration lead by example from this point forward and I believe coach Pedon's most recent comments are a great example of this.

Not to make this situation any saltier or play the whataboutism game, but there is a little hypocrisy by Coach Jones bringing up the 2011 game, isn't there? He said he didn't remember it and had to have former players call him about it. Well, they called him after the snafu Saturday night. So it's okay for him to bring up an alleged incident from 12 years ago that he himself didn't remember...but he tries to negate Coach Pedon for only offering an apology/explanation well after the incident (and only after he was informed)? Can't have it both ways. This was NSU's first visit here since 2011...wouldn't former players call the coach before the game with "remember this?" Maybe that's a stretch. I dunno. I understand both coaches' reactions in the moment but they were literally arguing about two separate things. The "I dont care" was a bad look though; too easy to appear a terrible thing to say if it was in the context that Jones thought. No matter what though, he won't let himself believe that Pedon was NOT talking about the fan incident...and that's unfortunate. I think both coaches had their missteps here. And certainly so did the refs, both PR departments and most obviously, the fan(s) in question. Just a big mess all around.

 

[TBus_Birds]

I bow to your knowledge of Forde’s ancestral family tree. Just pointing out that many blacks from places like Barbados, Jamaica, etc., do have ancestral roots that trace back to Africa.

And that's absolutely true. But if we are making efforts to acknowledge ethnicities besides our own I felt it was important to note the distinction. That's all.