Following the 71-64 defeat to Wisconsin in the Final Four, Kentucky players were understandably upset having their 38-0 undefeated season ended abruptly. What happened in the team's post game press conference has stirred up some controversy. During the post game interviews, one of Harrison's teammates was asked about Wisconsin center and National Player of the Year winner Frank Kaminsky. Although the question was not posed to Harrison, his microphone was still turned on and he is heard uttering "f**k that n***a" in regard to Kaminsky. Harrison took to Twitter following the incident and said, "First i want to apologize for my poor choice of words used in jest towards a player I respect and know. When I realized how this could be perceived I immediately called big frank to apologize and let him know I didn't mean any disrespect. We had a good conversation and I wished him good luck in the championship game Monday"(Twitter).
This is obviously a mistake on Harrison's part for not only using vulgar language, but also a racial slur. Because he is African American, he does not face the same criticism that a white player would face, but multiple African American media members, including Stephen A. Smith) have come down on Harrison for his choice of words.
My questions are: What are your thoughts on Harrison's choice of words? What do you think of the way Kentucky handled losing for the first time this year? Do you think Harrison, along with his teammates acted ethically after the game when some players left the court without shaking hands? What would have happened if it were Kaminsky who used a racial slur directed at Harrison?
References:
Strachan, M. (2015, April 5). Andrew Harrison says his 'f**k that n***a' remark about Frank Kaminsky was just a joke. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/05/andrew-harrison-frank-kaminsky_n_7006632.html.
Obviously, Harrison’s words have offended lots of people. Maybe he did not mean to offend anybody, maybe he was just mad at losing such an important match, there is no doubt that Harrison should apologize for his vulgar language. Harrison is well educated, he should not have said those words in any circumstance, especially in front of the media. Just like professional players should watch their mouths, so do collegiate players. The final four attracts numerous attentions in the United States, any behavior of any player or coach will be focused in front of medias.
ReplyDeleteI watched the game between Kentucky and Wisconsin, I think Kentucky already tried their best to get what they want, however, it is not easy for any team to get a ticket to the final four. All four teams have qualifications to win the championship. In my opinion, I think Kentucky has made huge progress in this season with 38 wins, so the first lose, especially in the final four, brought great pain to them. But it is still impolite for Kentucky players to leave without shaking hands, no matter win or lose, it always happens. Harrison said he respects Kaminsky, but his behavior did not show that.
If Kaminsky used a racial slur toward at Harrison, I think the situation would be totally different, his words may be magnified into a big issue.
Veeco Zheng