I agree with everything except being sure it should continue. It was a bad incident but the level of hypocrisy is ridiculous. Anyone who has ever watched a hockey game and enjoyed the fights in it or anyone who never called for two baseball teams to end the careers or the seasons of players involved in fights is a hypocrite if they believe this was as bad as they were making it out to be or that Gates or others should have been kicked out of school. What gets me is all the high morals everyone seems to have when something like this happens. It was a fight, emotions got too high and players reacted poorly. Was it wrong? Yes. Would anyone of us if on that UC bench that day have reacted the same way? Probably. Not everyone reacted with fists and not everyone of us would, but some of us would and some of the analysts would have also. What gets me is nobody outside of Cronin gave any blame to the officials in this incident. Tu Holloway was chirping all the way up the court before the incident, so much so the announcers commented on it and yet it seems to slide in the eyes of these high moral analysts. I've never seen such a display of taunting in my life be allowed. Ever. The officials were a joke and no one got reprimanded for it. The issue is plain and simple "black kids fighting black kids and that's how thugs act and how can we as good high moral white folk allow such a display." If these were white players and this were baseball we aren't having this discussion. If this were hockey, Gates would have gotten five minutes in the penalty box, then labeled as a good enforcer for his team.
As far as the series continuing I see no reason it won't. And yeah ESPN will have it on at a very prime time next year for sure. This was a bad incident. Get better officials who won't allow this kind of thing to happen and get the universities to contol the student sections and there will be no issues. I used to complain about the close calls in the years past in this game, but now it all makes sense, you can't let players get out of control. College basketball is about making money and this game is a gold mine. Neither university has any interest in cancelling it. Nor does Mick Cronin. Mick wants Xavier to address the issues of the student section and Mack to control his team's behavior. When he says "I don't know if the series should continue," this is what he means. He wants the game because it's good for both schools. It's a free game vs. a good opponent and it makes money. And it brings together a fanbase which only helps a program.
