I have no idea to the veracity of the South Carolina fan who claims he was hit by DeMarcus Cousins when the fans stormed the floor after the Gamecocks’ upset win over No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday night. I doubt that, if it were true, UK would have brought Cousins to the post-game press conference, as was the case. He was the only Kentucky player made available to the media.
But the story did remind me of the greatest sports episode ever involving a fan running out onto the playing field. It was 1971. The Baltimore Colts vs. the Miami Dolphins. A drunken fan runs onto the field to grab the ball, and he’s popped by Colts’ linebacker Mike “Mad Dog” Curtis. You can see at the 2:25 mark of this video on Curtis’ career. Now this is crowd control.
Mike Curtis was my hero as a kid and a Baltimore Colt fan. I still remember watching the Miami game when he drilled that drunk stealing the football.
This story brings to light just what is the proper etiquette for a player dealing with fans that are breaking SEC rules ($25,000 fine for USC). Considering some fans who may have partaken in sudsy beverages are part of the celebration, just what is a player supposed to do. I guess the coach can call a timeout with 30 seconds to go and indicated, “If we score, call a time out; if we don’t, be polite to the fans storming the court.”
I have not seen any video on this alleged incident. However, if I were a SC fan, DeMarcus Cousins is the LAST person I’d want to saddle up to right after a UK loss. If he did “slug” the fan, then that does call for some type of punishment. However, I also agree that I don’t believe Cousins would have been the one accompanying Cal to the press conference if this had indeed happened.
Is there any video? If it happened, there would be video.
Much more likely is that the fan ran into Big Cuz and bounced off.
I didn’t know McNaulty was a NFL linebacker before he was a cop on “The Wire.”
I was about 4 rows off the floor in the corner, right by where the team exited, so I figured I had as good of look as any in this situation (I visually pointed you out John to a few UK fans around me). I did make note of it (to my dad and brother), that if there was video Cuz may be in trouble.
Here is what I saw: Cousins was on the far end of the court after making the heave when the buzzer sounded, so he had the longest journey of any player. Before the ball even lands the court is being rushed and he is trying to exit. He gets just past the UK bench (right in my zone) and is literally surrounded by rushing SC fans. At this point he does what just about anyone who is uncomfortable in a group does, pushes his way out. The first push (and possibly where this kid is a part of) literally pushes back 8 or more people, I mean Cuz created some right of way on this one. Subsequently UK assistants finally managed to corral him and pull him in and down the hall. If he hit a kid at that point I, nor anyone else, would of seen it. I can only think the kid was over-reacting to Cousins pushing back the crowd. It still was awful close to LeGarrette Blount (Oregon running back) and thankfully the assistants we’re on top of it after the initial go.