Red Responds To Critics

LANCASTER, Pa. -- In the wake of restlessness and internet rumors surrounding the delay of the much anticipated second round matchup between #15 Oklahoma State and #18 LSU (which has kicked off 3 times without a successful conclusion), Red took to the podium late Monday night and issued the following statement:

I’m not going to talk about gaming today. I’m not going to take questions about the game. I’m going to talk about this email right here. Anybody hasn’t read this email — I don’t read it, this was brought to me by a mother with children — think this is worth reading.

Let me tell ya what I want to talk about this email. Three-fourths of this is inaccurate. It’s fiction. And this email embarrasses me to be involved with gaming tremendously. And that email had to have been written by a person that doesn’t have a child. And has never had a child that’s had their heart broken and come home upset! And had to deal with the child when he is upset! And kick a person when he’s down!

Here’s all that kid did. He goes to work. He's respectful to the media! He’s respectful to the public! And he’s a good kid, and he’s not a professional gamer and he doesn’t deserve to be kicked when he’s down.

If you have a child someday, you’ll understand how it feels. But you obviously don’t have a child. I do. If your child goes down the street and somebody makes fun of him because he plays video games, or says he’s fat, and he comes home crying to his mom, you’d understand. But you haven’t had that. But someday you will and when your child comes home, you’ll understand.

If you want to go after a gamer — one of my gamers — you go after one that doesn’t do the right things! You don’t downgrade him because he does everything right and may not play as well on Saturday! And you let us make that decision!

That’s why I don’t read email! Because it’s garbage! And the editor that let it come out is garbage! Attacking an amateur gamer for doing everything right! And then you want to write emails about guys who don’t do things right and downgrade them, the ones that do make plays.

Are you kidding me? Where are we at in society today? Come after me! I’m a young adult! I’m 26! I’m not a kid! Write something about me! Or our coaches. Don’t write about a kid that does everything right, that’s heart's broken, and then say the coaches said he was scared! That ain’t true! And then to say that we made that decision because Green, because he threatened to transfer! That’s not true!

So get your facts straight! And I hope someday you have a child and somebody downgrades them and belittles them and you have to look them in the eye and say, “You know what? It’s OK. They're supposed to be mature adults but they’re really not.” Who’s the kid here? Who’s the kid here? Are you kidding me?

That’s all I’ve got to say. Makes me wanna puke.