While the experience of watching a sporting event can be a relatively anonymous one, as an individual can simply blend into the crowd, that isn’t the case for those with a public profile.
Thursday evening Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford was reportedly ejected from his son’s high school game, with the game official stopping the action to have him escorted from the gym. What led to Ford being ejected? Displeasure with the amount of contact being allowed around the basket, according to The Oklahoman.Ron Holt, longtime journalist and weekly columnist for the Stillwater News Press, told The Oklahoman that Ford said, “Blow your whistle,” in response to physical play underneath the basket, prompting one of the game officials to turn and ask him to leave the gymnasium.
Holt said that Ford again said, “Blow your whistle,” and, “Do your job,” before being escorted out of the gym by Bixby athletic director Mark Chambers.
“There was a possible foul underneath the goal as a Stillwater player went in for a layup,” Holt said, “which caused Stillwater coaches and fans to voice displeasure with the no-call.
“The ref never warned him, he just looked at him and said, ‘You’re gone.’”
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Here's what Stillwater radio's Bill Van Ness had to say on #OKState's Travis Ford getting ejected from a HS game pic.twitter.com/gT7gJvCYxu
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) December 11, 2015
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Nice job Travis Ford getting kicked out of a high school game! pic.twitter.com/KbABaDv1HC
— Chuck Stikl (@chuckstikl) December 11, 2015
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The events that led to Ford’s ejection don’t seem all that serious given the explanation given by Ron Holt. But given Ford’s position, having to be asked to leave the gym isn’t the best look. Next up for Ford is a game against Minnesota in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Saturday, with the Cowboys looking to rebound from losses to Tulsa and Missouri State.