Minnesota basketball coach Richard Pitino tore into one of his fans late Wednesday.
Following Minnesota upsetting Purdue Tuesday night, a fan rushed the court and flipped the double birds to Boilermakers star Matt Haas, who is a massive human being. (RELATED: Wisconsin Beats Penn State 61-57)
Imagine thinking it’s a good idea to get in the face of 7-3, 250-pound Division I athlete who just lost a game.
Credit to Matt Haarms for not escalating the situation.pic.twitter.com/nveJf0ZSXA
— Andy Wittry (@AndyWittry) March 6, 2019
Pitino wasn’t impressed at all. He called the behavior “ludicrous” and said people need to learn how to have a “sense of humanity and decency,” when talking to the media Wednesday, according to Marcus Fuller.
On Minnesota student confronting Purdue player during court storming, Pitino said: “Haarms seems like a good kid and plays hard. It’s ludicrous you have that type of behavior … Have a sense of humanity & decency than to walk up to a guy and give him the middle finger.”
— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) March 6, 2019
First off, if you’re dumb enough to rush the court and flip up your middle fingers to a massive college athlete, then that athlete should have every right to engage you. This is just another example of why storming the court is so incredibly stupid.
Not only is it embarrassing, but idiot kids at times behave like morons around opposing players. It’s so stupid.
Secondly, I agree with Pitino 100 percent. There’s no excuse for this kind of behavior. There’s literally none at all.
Imagine being such a clown that you run onto a court after a game and try to instigate a situation with a guy a foot taller than you. It’s honestly one of the dumbest situations imaginable. (RELATED: Duke Star Zion Williamson Suffers Sprained Knee In Loss To North Carolina)
I’m stunned by Haarms’ restraint. I’m not sure how many people in his shoes would be so calm.
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I hope this idiot was identified and dealt with in the appropriate fashion. Props to Pitino for calling out his own fanbase when they deserve to be. Not many coaches would do the same.