Iowa State basketball player Rasir Bolton says he left Penn State because of a noose comment from head coach Patrick Chambers.
Bolton, who is one of the best players the Cyclones have, left the Penn State basketball program after the 2019 season, and we now know why. It’s because Chambers “referenced a ‘noose’ around” his neck during a conversation. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
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Bolton tweeted the following in part about the incident:
A ‘noose’ around my neck is why I left Penn State. Head Coach Patrick Chambers, the day after his one-game suspension in January 2019, in talking to me referenced a ‘noose’ around my neck. A noose: symbolic of lynching, slavery and racial terrorism. Due to other interactions with [Chambers], I knew this was no slip of the tongue. I reported this immediately to my academic advisor. I confronted Coach Chambers. I spoke directly with the [athletic director’s] office myself.
You can read his full statement below.
Why I chose to leave Penn State. pic.twitter.com/uszEPPJZPM
— ???? (@rasir_9) July 6, 2020
Chambers released an apology Monday after Bolton’s claim became public. He stated in part, “I cannot apologize enough for what I said, and I will carry that forever.”
You can read the full apology from Chambers below.
— Patrick Chambers (@Coach_Chambers) July 6, 2020
While it certainly doesn’t sound like Chambers meant his noose comment in a racist manner or in a manner about lynching, it was still insanely stupid.
As Bolton claimed in his statement, Chambers’ excuse was that he was “from the north and wasn’t aware” of how bad the comment was.
I can’t speak to what is in Chambers’ heart, but I can say that it’s very hard to climb the ladder as a coach in sports if you’re a racist.
More than likely, it was just an incredibly stupid comment that Chambers made without thinking it through. It cost him one of his best players, and it’s a reminder that our words can have consequences.
Bolton has now gone on the record, Chambers has apologized and it might be time to move forward. Chambers needs to use his brain before speaking. You simply can’t tell a black athlete he has a noose on his neck no matter what the context is.