December 10th 2023.
Norfolk State's men's basketball team had been having a stellar season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. On Dec. 9, they achieved a 64-58 upset win against VCU. Unfortunately, the victory was overshadowed by an ugly incident that occurred during the game. According to HBCU Sports, at the 8:15 mark of the second half, Norfolk State guard Jamarii Thomas exchanged words with some Illinois State fans while the ball was out of play.
The officials determined that the fans had crossed a line, and ejected them. Thomas finished the game leading all scorers with 31 points. On the broadcast, the commentary team said that the fans made comments of a “racial nature”. The altercation between the head coaches, Robert Jones of Norfolk State and Ryan Pedon of Illinois State, was sparked when Jones came onto the hardwood during the stoppage in play. The two had to be separated as their respective benches were cleared.
Jones took to Twitter afterwards to express his stance on the incident, writing, “I’m not letting anybody call my players a racial slur. Those are my kids and I will fight for them. We have come too far in society to be called the N word at a college basketball game.” Pedon, however, gave a different explanation for why he was so upset with Jones coming onto the floor, citing his Italian ethnicity as a factor. He said, “I’m a competitor, man. I’m an Italian, so sometimes my emotions can get the best of me at times, but I don’t apologize for my competitive edge and that’s how I want our teams to play.”
As of yet, Illinois State University has not condemned the alleged actions of the fans at the game. This incident serves as a reminder that racism is still a pervasive issue in society, and that it is still necessary to call out hate speech when we hear it.
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