Tom Izzo gets into altercation with Ohio fan

Submitted by ThadMattasagoblin on

https://twitter.com/joerexrode

"Tom Izzo just had to be pulled away from an OSU fan taunting him. He didn't lunge but there were words and he was yanked away."

Most of the stuff that Ohio fans say is pretty vulgar but you have to restrain yourself as a coach. I'm sure that Beilein has had stuff twice as bad said to him being Michigan's coach but he just walks away.

LSAClassOf2000

March 9th, 2014 at 8:30 PM ^

I suppose you could even go one step further and some work the "sassy and assy" line in their somehow, assuming someone has bothered to come up with such a line. I swear it was not me, in any case. 

As for Izzo's outburst, I think that you really do have to try to pretend the fans aren't there sometimes, especially if you're the opposing coach on the road and in a place like Value City Arena (where you know class is the last thing you might encounter in the stands). I assume nothing comes of this, but it simply makes it seem that the season and everything associated with it has worn on him to a point where he is having difficulties even being out there. 

bluewave720

March 9th, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^

I think this season has totally worn on Izzo.  Not just whats wrong with MSU, but what's going well for Michigan.  Izzo is still an excellent coach, and I will never look at MSU's tourney draw and say "well, we know they won't get past ____."  

But this season, he keeps hearing how great Coach Beilein is and how good (and young) our hoops program is.  I'm sure he's not too excited to think about next year either when he looks down his bench trying to guess which "weird kid" is going to start next year. 

He isn't #1 in our state any more.  He knows this.  It's killing him.  

alum96

March 9th, 2014 at 8:13 PM ^

Ah this explains the loss*....

*we're the only team that has injuries in the country so doesn't count in the standings.

So another game that doesn't count.  A parade of McDonald's All Americans + 5 stars bested by 2 players from Ohio including none who can shoot foul shots.  But there were injuries and weird guys were seen.

1h

Tom Izzo says Harris "sprained his ankle a little."

ThadMattasagoblin

March 9th, 2014 at 8:24 PM ^

It's all about winning unfortunately. Brady Hoke harbors rapists, Izzo is squeaky clean even though he has the same allegations going on at his bball program. Dantonio is squeaky clean because he won the Rose Bowl and Rather Hall is forgotten. This is what the media's talking heads say. It's not even about Michigan and MSU. We should be teaching our youngsters that if they mess up that there are consequences and not that it's pushed aside if they are winning.

GoBluePhil

March 9th, 2014 at 8:24 PM ^

At some point you can't stay atop the mountain any longer. When your slid starts you can't stop it. Izzo's act is getting old and after this year is over what will he do. This was his best team in years. Next year will be horrible for him. He can't rebuild after losing Paine and Harris like Michigan did after losing Burke and Hardaway. Izzo will self implode next year. Can't wait to watch it. He is not as classy as people say because he hasn't suffered in years until this year and look how he acted. Like I said, his act is getting old.

bacon1431

March 9th, 2014 at 9:00 PM ^

You would think that a grown ass adult would realize that people who make personal insults to strangers that are celebrity figures aren't worth the time of day to interact with. I find it hard to believe that this woman went farther than any other fan in the history of Izzo's interactions with opposing fans and it warrented his reaction.

The guy is either sick or the unmet expectations of this season are causing him alot of anxiety.

wolf blitzer

March 9th, 2014 at 9:16 PM ^

Reporter: "Tom, you like to talk a lot about injuries and how they affect your team. Regarding your 2000 NCAA run, Kenyon Martin would like to have a word with you."

T. Tantrum: "Kenyon who? Sounds like a wierdo; and I know a wierdo when I see one. If you're talking about 2000, God Bless the first of you media people who are ever to write about the paper cut Mateen suffered in the off-season. If that wasn't a devastating injury, I guess I don't know what is. Anything Else? If not, Thanks, you people wanted me up on a Werner ladder so you could actually see me, you got it."

grmilton

March 9th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^

by naming him the next coach of the Pistons.  Can you imagine Isiah being the next GM and Izzo as the next coach...  thank god the did not draft Burke!

I am pretty sure any support of the Pistons from this board will cease to exist.

TruBluMich

March 9th, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^

Wait am I supposed to be mad at Izzo for yelling at an OSU fan.  Sorry I can't do it, I will never be mad at someone who tells a Buckeye off or puts their arrogant asses in their place.  Izzo may be a prick but he only did exactly what I would have done in his position.  Which might be why I watch basketball instead of being a NCAA head coach.  Either way, this only goes to move him, from #1 to #2 behind Crean, on my list of coaches I'd like to see fail in the worst imaginable way possible.

bronxblue

March 9th, 2014 at 9:26 PM ^

I'm always a bit amazed when coaches tussle with fans, but it does seem like there has been an uptick recently just because fans are, frankly, getting way more aggresive.

bacon1431

March 9th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^

I think it's because of the internet. You can get away with saying almost anything online because of anonymity. And people forget that there are usually repercussions to your words and actions in real life. So they get a bit more bolder and aggressive because their asshattery isn't punished online. Just a theory.

bronxblue

March 9th, 2014 at 10:52 PM ^

I absolutely agree it has something to do with the unfiltered behavior you see online bleeding into everyday life.  That said, I remember being at some Pistons playoff games in the late 80's/90's against the Bulls and hearing some pretty horrible things said then as well.  It just seems like coaches and fans both think they are "better" than each other, leading to a bunch of altercations where everybody loses.

Don

March 9th, 2014 at 10:10 PM ^

but I'm not going to begrudge him or any other coach—obviously including Beilein—the right to get angry with the shit that a small number of fans say and do, nor would I get upset if they simply cold-cocked the asshole. There are few of us here would be able to restrain ourselves in these situations. That assclown student who got in the face of the Hawaii coach and then started motioning like he wanted to get it on is lucky he didn't get the beatdown he thoroughly and richly deserved.

bacon1431

March 9th, 2014 at 10:37 PM ^

JMO, but anybody insulting a stranger (in this case, a crazy fan talking ish to a basketball coach of an opposing team) isn't worth the time of day to fret over. They could say the most awful things, but in the end, it's inconsequential because they're either

a) Unstable

b) Just trying to get a rise out of you.

c) Just an idiot

In any of these cases, confronting the person does no good. If you want to end the behavior of fans like that, talk to the steward and have that fan removed and make a call to the OSU athletic department and see if they'll do anything about that particular fan (if they were crossing lines). Reacting emotionally just empowers the fools.

webbertucky

March 9th, 2014 at 10:35 PM ^

What are you talking about? I live in Lansing and NOBODY is talking about Izzo being on the way out. Who are they going to bring in better than Izzo? You're insane

Ty Butterfield

March 9th, 2014 at 11:22 PM ^

Watching Izzo this year sort of reminds me of the early seasons of "The Real World". There was always that one person who would slowly lose their mind over the course of the season. It was interesting at first but just bizarre by the end.