Don't Even Think About Not Shaking Tom Izzo's Hand

 

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With the shit hitting the fan in the Juwan Howard/Wisconsin fiasco last weekend, people are starting to question if the handshake line at the end of the game is truly necessary. And when you come up with something as egregious as eliminating sportsmanship from a game, prepare for a guy like legendary Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo to tell you how it is.

His response is so beautiful. A guttural "oh my god how insane can this world possibly be" in response to the question and I couldn't agree more. Why is it in 2022 whenever there is a problem that comes about the response is to eliminate whatever it is in its entirety? That's why we need old, gruff SOB's like Tom Izzo to keep us centered and give us the obvious, "hey guys that idea is insane what are we doing here". And his point is 100% true and accurate. If you lose a game, you should be able to go over to the other side and shake your competitors' hand with class. You both came prepared, and they got the better of you, shake hands and be better going forward. That's the lessons you're supposed to learn in the world of sports. We don't need to adopt the Andy Bernard moniker of "Andy Bernard does not lose contests. He wins them or he quits because they are unfair".

It's so stupid. Because Juwan Howard's team got their asses beat and Michigan stinks as a whole, let's eliminate the handshake line from competition. Think about that for a second...... the handshake line....... the most respectful part of sports. The fact of the matter is Michigan had a ton of expectations this year and they aren't living up to it and that's what pushed Juwan over the edge. But really, we should be talking about how bizarre Juwan Howard's act of aggression was with the Wisconsin assistant coach. (See video below)

(Courtside footage)

(CBS Sports coverage in full)

I'm not shaming him for getting in a little scuffle in the handshake line, in fact it's good for the game. We need a little intensity and shit before we get into the thick of March. I'm more asking the question of literally what was his intent? It was not a punch or a slap, but a hybrid of sorts. He goes for the grab of the assistant coach's head as if he was trying to rip it off entirely and throw it into the 2nd deck. Can you imagine the scene that would've been? Juwan Howard decapitates an assistant coach in conference play and walks off calmly. An altercation of epic proportions. So, I guess if you're the Wisconsin assistant who got slapgrabbed, just be happy Juwan didn't get a firm grip on your scalp and that you still have a head on your shoulders. Makes you wonder how many slapgrabs Juwan has given out in his 49 years of life.

#Slapgrab

-Peanut