Kevin O’Neill lays the smackdown

February 29th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

Basketball purists and old people get really pissy about the chants and cheers a home crowd administers against opponents in college basketball. I suppose this is not without warrant; sometimes the cheering gets borderline embarrassing and lacks tact. But on the same accord, these are drunk 19-year-olds in college. They are not at the Lyric Opera House or viewing the latest exhibition at an art house, they are at a college basketball game. A certain level of immaturity is going to occur and it’s well within reason.

But throwing a water bottle at an opposing coach is not within reason. That’s just dumb. And the only way to make sure it doesn’t happen again is for the home team’s coach to get on the mic and embarrass the kid and apologize to the opposition, (Bobby Knight style) as Kevin O’Neill did last night in the waning minute of Arizona’s loss to USC. Step up, say your piece and that should be that.

O’Niell handled it like a professional. Three cheers for discipline!

{Video HT: SbB}