Last week when there was a large amount of hub-hub about Utah Jazz fans being classless, I understood why a lot of people were upset. The guy holding up one eye? Yeah, that guy is pretty clearly a waste of human space. And if the fans were actually chanting "Cancer" at Derek Fisher? Well, then, they've won "Classless Fans of the Year 2008", hands down. But for rooting against a guy who left their team to go to a rival, when there's not a lot of information (nor should there be) about which hospital his daughter spends more time in, Los Angeles or New York? I'm not a fan of it, but fans are going to boo just about anything. And the LA Times' one-sided over-dramatization of it was a little much. But if we're going to talk about "Classless Fans of the Year 2008", we have a late contender! Last night, after Robert Horry's "completely clean, incidental, and admirably 'playoff-level'" whack to the injured back of David West, which sent the New Orleans star to the locker room and may affect his appearance in Game 7, a funny little sound started to come from the arena. Slowly it grew louder and louder.
"Horry! Horry! Horry!"
That's right. After a player delivered a forearm that knocked an opponent out of the game with what was obviously a pretty painful back injury, the San Antonio fans decided to chant Cheap Shot Bob's name.
Now that's class.
But then, maybe we should chant his name! I'll tell you why after the jump.
After all, if we're going to rationalize and excuse an injury-causing play made by a player with a history of unnecessary fouls by claiming it was "good playoff basketball," maybe we should excuse this behavior by the fans, too. Can we really applaud the offender and then condemn his supporters? After all, if it was just an accidental hard foul wherein Horry went down and then back up into the back of a player that he had prior knowledge of as having a back injury, what's wrong with celebrating the man for such a daring and gutsy "playoff" performance?
We say we have no reason to think that the Horry hit was intentional in any way, so how are we to say that the fans were cheering Horry for the hit? Perhaps they just chose that exact moment to show their appreciation for the 4 year Spur who averaged 13 minutes this year, and has little ability to defend, score or rebound at this point in his career. I mean, if we're going to stay above the muck of calling Horry a dirty player, why should we stand in judgment of the fans that celebrate him?
Regardless of how Chris Paul may feel, weren't the San Antonio fans just supporting a player who may have accidentally given them the edge in the series? Aren't we supposed to applaud players for doing what it takes to win? Doesn't injuring the other team's player give you the best chance to win? Shouldn't we applaud the fans for "good, playoff fan support?"
Right?
No. Of course we shouldn't. Those specific fans (note: not all Spurs fans, some were just as disgusted by the chant as anyone) chanted for a player who had just injured another player, and in doing so, have placed themselves among the elite in the running for "Classless Fans of the Year 2008." But in the end, we'll rationalize it however we feel is most comfortable. Horry will play in Game 7, West may not, and it's possible that as a result, the fans in San Antonio may have a chance to chant the name of a player that injures a Los Angeles Laker or Utah Jazz player instead. Wouldn't that be fitting? Utah versus San Antonio. Clash of the titans.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 4)
1. Shame on the Spurs fans;
That is not the way that you win games;
Horry went into the game in one purpose , only;
The order came from Popovich but Horry was the enforcer;
Besides CP the next in line that can hurt the Spurs is D.West;
A criminal investigation should be open ASAP;
Posted at 12:58PM on May 16th 2008 by frank
2. A criminal investigation? Oh, please. Get over it. I don't see NO fans complaining when Tony gets manhandled. At least Rob got called for a foul. If West was that injured, why was he in the game in the first place? I am a Spurs fan but don't like to hear other fans cheering after an injury.
Posted at 2:03PM on May 16th 2008 by mary
3. Only a hand full of people chanted his name. Beacuse you could not hear that on TV. Im a spurs fan and i think there is no call for that. But that was a clean hard playoff play, not a cheap shot. Didn't chandler do the same thing to Parker in an earlier game?
Posted at 2:07PM on May 16th 2008 by DUCKHEAD4154
4. So when Tony got picked by Tyson no one said anything! Tony went straight back into him and fell hard. Do you think that David would have gotten hurt if he was backing into robert? NO! He was in the air reaching for the ball using all his body that is already not a 100%.
Posted at 2:32PM on May 16th 2008 by jj
5. Spurs fans suck!
Posted at 3:19PM on May 16th 2008 by skedman
6. As a long time Spurs fan I also deplore the rare actions of a few fans but Horry (and Bruce Bowen)have lived on the edge playing defensively for years. When a Rocket in the mid-90s Horry manhandled little Avery Johnson in the playoffs without fouls being called; most worse than Parker's abuse in this series. West was simply at the wrong place at that time; Horry was not in the game to try rusty 3's but for his underrated defensive ability and moxy to rebound, absorb fouls and harrass the offense bigs; otherwise you would not have had Matt Bonner MIA for several games, younger and healthier doing that job.
Posted at 3:23PM on May 16th 2008 by Jim
7. Why Skedman? Because we're right?
Posted at 3:39PM on May 16th 2008 by mary
8. More wussification of the league. The fans were cheering a clean, hard foul in a series where the Hornets have been the aggressors. The hard foul on Parker by Chandler, the face rake by Bonzi on Bowen...All the hard fouls have been administered by the Hornets and Horry set a hard screen reminiscent of those previous fouls. They weren't cheering West's injury and most clapped when he came off the court although with the douchey way in which West has been acting and complaining many would have been justified in not responding at all. If cheering a player smart enough to take back the physicality of this series makes us classless then so be it. Now quit crying about the Spurs as is the norm for this site, and get back to felating Chris Paul. He's going to need all the help he can get.
Posted at 4:40PM on May 16th 2008 by Toine
9. I was at that game and from where I was sitting, it looked like West had just fallen over from a spasm or something. I didn't see the replay until after the game, so I didn't understand the chants of Horry. As a Spurs fan who has always been proud of the level of class of fellow Spurs fans, I was completely embarrassed that some of my fellow fans were chanting Horry's name while a player was down on the floor. I don't get it at all and it was classless. At the same time, I don't appreciate people saying we suck and we as a whole are classless because a portion of Spurs fans decided to chant his name. No one in my section chanted and it seemed like it was mostly coming from one section, yet all Spurs fan are being called out on this one. Even Spurs fans not at the game are considered classless. And Frank, do you have some proof that Pop called in a dirty play and that was the only reason he was in the game. If not then do everyone a favor and shut up bc you don't know Jack. If Horry was called in just to hurt a player, he could have done a lot worse then set a back screen. Did any Spurs fans say Scott called in the screen by Chandler on Parker just to hurt him. And lets be honest, the Hornets were already down big at that time and West was not having a great game.
Posted at 4:49PM on May 16th 2008 by Michael
10. Of course, the Hornettes need something to Cry about...but here's the deal.
99% of the hard fouls, nasty elbows and shots to the face in this series have been by the Hornettes, not the Spurs.
The Spurs have been as clean as a whistle.
And that is why they are tied 3-3 instead of being at home getting ready for the Lakers.
No way on Earth you let a jerk like David West who has been cocky, arrogant and played dirty the entire series....go for 38 points and 15 rebounds with a bad back in Game 5.....and never once give him a hard NBA playoff foul. Not once.
So Horry, the savvy Veteran that he is came in and took the opportunity to give West half the shot he should have....a perfectly legal shot.....not even a foul.
The Hornettes had been putting Parker and Ginobli on their backs the whole series.
If the Spurs have any sence....they are going to bend, fold and mutilate West and Paul....every single chance they get on Monday.....and put these silly punks away...and move on to the Laker.
Posted at 5:23PM on May 16th 2008 by catndryer
11. Yeah...and just remember.....West has been chastised on three seperate occaisions in this series by Paul...for losing his head and the punky threatening b.s. that he does and unnecessarily hard fouls. The guy is just a complete jerk.
The Spurs fans weren't applauding West's injury.....they were just elated to see a Spur FINALLY give SOMEONE a hard NBA playoff shot.....just like the Hornettes have been giving throughout the series.
BRING IT ON...HORRY! HORRY! HORRY!!!!!
Posted at 5:29PM on May 16th 2008 by catndryer
12. Spurs fans are as bush as their team. If it had been reversed, if West had delivered that shot to Duncan, the slow-minded Spurs fans would be up in arms. The fans are a classless bunch and Horry is a cheap shot artist. Take off the blinders.
Posted at 6:17PM on May 16th 2008 by skedman
13. "Spurs fans are as bush as their team."
Um, scoreboard? Say what you want about Spurs fans (and I'm sure you will), but four championships in nine years is anything but "bush."
As for Spurs fans yelling "Horry" and Jazz fans taking mean-spirited shots at Derek Fisher's daughter and Hornets fans bringing Eva Longoria into the mix when Tony Parker shoots free throws, I think there's only one conclusion we can all agree on - every team in the NBA has the WORST FANS EVER!
Posted at 6:47PM on May 16th 2008 by Jason
14. So when the Hornets entire arena boos the spurs from start to finish...that is what? Class? Yeah they chanted Horry, which was stupid but not the worst offense to ever occur.
Posted at 7:20PM on May 16th 2008 by Spursfanindallas
15. Shameful behavior! Classless Spurs fans!
Posted at 7:38PM on May 16th 2008 by skedman
16. Look, I get it. The Spurs are the only game in your pathetic town and they get plenty of local love from their slow-minded fans. The behavior in the arena, while West was on floor, is shameful. Admit it. Spurs fans suck!
Posted at 7:40PM on May 16th 2008 by skedman
17. In the last two years, Robert "Big Shot" Horry has turned into Robert "Cheap Shot" Horry. He's tarnishing what was a brilliant career that was built on sleeping throughout the regular season and collecting rings.
Posted at 8:15PM on May 16th 2008 by teammlr1
18. David West had every right to be in that game.Don't forget the real measure of an all-star is being able to play through the pain,not to cause injury when your an aged player who is at the twilight of his career such as cheap shot bob who has compiled a history of acting like a jealous child on a playground.At least we can rest assured that cheap shot bob will probably never,despite his 7 championship rings be considered for the NBA hall of fame due to the fact that he only averaged 7 pts. a game.They look at individual accomplishments not what team you might have been lucky enough to have been a non-contributing member of.I don't think all spurs fans suck,only the ones stupid enough to chant horry's name after such a cheap shot.
Posted at 8:30PM on May 16th 2008 by hornets fan john
19. Actually, it's already been done skedman. Chandler gave an even harder shot to Parker, and we're not bitching and calling him dirty. Seroiously, what the hell do Hornets fans want...to give West special treatment bc his back is hurting. This is the NBA, and if you're back hurts that much, you shouldn't be in the game.
Posted at 11:34PM on May 16th 2008 by Michael
20. Michael, Michael, Michael...unlike Horry, Chandler has no previous history of dirty shots. Horry contributes nothing but fouls to the Spurs. He's washed up. Hanging on just to try for another ring at the end of a decent career is sad. Oh, Spurs fans suck!
Posted at 11:55PM on May 16th 2008 by skedman