Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Texas Tech baksetball classics: Red Raiders upset OSU, controversy ensues

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 08: Jaye Crockett #30 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is interviewed after the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on February 08, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 60-54 (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 08: Jaye Crockett #30 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is interviewed after the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on February 08, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 60-54 (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Marcus Smart #33 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Texas Tech fan Jeff Orr (black shirt,elbow extended).(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
Marcus Smart #33 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Texas Tech fan Jeff Orr (black shirt,elbow extended).(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

Jeff Orr was wronged by the national media

What I hate the most about the way this game ended was that the good name of one of the most dedicated Texas Tech basketball fans in the world, Jeff Orr, was sullied.  And though I don’t know Orr personally, I would guarantee that he hates that he became a bigger part of the story than the victory.

More from Wreck'Em Red

Sitting under the Oklahoma State basket at the end of the second half, Orr was involved in an altercation in which Smart shoved him.  The incident came with just six seconds to play and followed a breakaway dunk attempt by Crockett following an OSU turnover that essentially sealed the win for the home team.

As Smart fouled Crockett on his dunk attempt, the OSU guard landed near the first row of fans, right at Orr’s feet.  Smart got up and appeared to exchange words with Orr before shoving the Red Raider fan.  The play resulted in a technical foul for Smart thus ending any hopes OSU might have had of pulling the game out.

But the greatest damage was done to Orr, who was later accused by Smart of using a racial slur.  Of course, the national media was quick to run with that narrative and before a full investigation was concluded, Orr was essentially convicted by the talking heads.

However, the below video from the official Texas Tech athletics Youtube Channel has fantastic audio of the incident and while you can hear Orr call Smart “a piece of crap” (which Orr admitted to), there are no racial slurs thrown about.

Yet, even this wasn’t enough to satisfy many media members around the country who vilified Orr for even calling Smart what he did.  If Smart were not mentally and emotionally tough enough to handle such a vile insult (sarcasm implied), then he is about as soft as any player to ever play Division I college basketball.  People the age of Smart at the time of this incident are serving in the military around the world or are working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.  So spare us all the righteous indignation over Smart having to fight through being called a “piece of crap”.

In the end, Smart was suspended just three games while Orr offered to sit out the rest of Tech’s games that season.  So the man who shoved another, much older man, was suspended for less than half of the games that the victim of his actions was essentially suspended.  That makes no sense.

Next. Advanced stats explain 2019-20's regression. dark

It’s a shame that this incident happened for a number of reasons.  But most of all because when anyone thinks back on this game, we think about the ugly actions of Smart and not the fantastic win Tubby Smith’s team managed to pull out.  Hopefully, by reliving this game again today, we all can remember just how special of a performance this was for the Red Raiders and how thrilling this game was before it was sullied by controversy.

Home/Texas Tech Basketball