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A Michigan fan went viral this week for an attempt to embarrass Ohio State football coach Ryan Day. St. John’s basketball headman Rick Pitino caught wind of the incident and immediately called the troll out.
In doing so, he unexpectedly complimented rival Georgetown. He says fans in the Big East are more respectful than this particular Wolverine.
The interaction between Day and the fan took place in New York City, where the Red Storm play hoops. A Michigan supporter pretended to want a photo with the Ohio State coach outside a popular steakhouse. He then hit an unsuspecting Day with a four-bomb before running off.
The Wolverines, of course, ended the Buckeyes‘ regular season on a sour note with a 13-10 win in Columbus. It continued a four-game series winning streak.
Michigan then had to watch its football rival go onto win the national championship. They’re now holding onto the upset victory tighter than ever.
Rick Pitino took offense to the act, and he voiced his opinion on X. He gave the fan a lashing before applauding rivals of his own.
Just had a Hoya fan at Equinox come up to me and say “Good luck. I won’t be rooting for you tonight but will be in March.” I said thank you. Class. Can’t buy it, not like that rude a– that approached Ryan Day outside Smith & Wollensky.
Georgetown and St. John’s have a storied past on the basketball court. They’ve faced off 125 times with the series dating back to 1908. As is the case with a number of Big East schools, there’s no love lost between the two sides.
With that being said, there’s often a mutual respect. That was on full display in Pitino’s interaction with the Hoya fan. The same couldn’t be said for the antagonist in the Ryan Day interaction.