One unlucky fan took a shot at emotional Loyola players after their loss to Michigan, and the team hit back hard on Twitter Sunday night.
A Twitter user tweeted, “It’s only basketball. You 2 will be ok.” in response to a picture of two Loyola players crying after the Final Four Loss.
Raw Emotion in the Moment: Friends since youth, high school and @RamblersMBB teammates Clayton Custer and Ben Richardson share an emotional moment as they leave the floor after a #FinalFour National Semifinal loss to Michigan. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/93VtTEOjCU
— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) April 1, 2018
It’s only basketball. You 2 will be ok.
— RoadDog (@PerfectTrev) April 1, 2018
Loyola hit back and they hit back hard. They tweeted in response:
That image isn’t “only basketball”
That is brotherhood
It’s for a coaching staff
It’s for 18 years of blood & sweat
It’s for everyone who worked countless hours
It’s for a city
It’s for 2 best friends who have played together forever
It’s more than a game for them
That image isn’t “only basketball”
That is brotherhood
It’s for a coaching staff
It’s for 18 years of blood & sweat
It’s for everyone who worked countless hours
It’s for a city
It’s for 2 best friends who have played together forever
It’s more than a game for them#OnwardLU https://t.co/oCZwdNSxEB— Loyola Basketball (@RamblersMBB) April 2, 2018
I couldn’t agree more with the team’s response here. They’re correct on every single point. People forget how much heart, time and effort these young men put into their sports. There is a bond between these players that few people will ever understand and even fewer people will ever experience.
This fan clearly doesn’t get that at all. I even felt a bit of sadness watching Michigan beat Loyola, and the players leaving the court. They got so close to winning a championship, but just couldn’t pull it out. That’s going to hurt and it’s going to hurt for a very long time.
However, like all athletes, they’ll eventually get older and be able to reflect on just how incredible this season was. It will take time and it won’t be easy. Losing is never easy, and it never should be. People who take it lightly probably don’t care as much as they should. That can’t be said about these Loyola players.