Utah Free Press

Big 12 Commissioner Assaulted by Husker Fan!

November 30^th, 2010 – Lincoln NE  – After sighting security concerns last week as the reason why Big 12 Commissioner, Dan Beebe decided to hold off delivering the Big 12 North Trophy to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, it appears the Commissioner’s fears were founded.  During an unpublicized trip to Lincoln, the Commissioner was assaulted by an “angry Husker fan” as he walked back to hotel room following a meeting with Chancellor Perlman and AD, Tom Osborne. 

Commissioner Beebe said that, “the attack came from nowhere, I didn’t see it coming.”  Beebe described his attacker as a white male in his mid thirties wearing a Nebraska hooded sweatshirt.  “He knocked me to the ground then began hitting me in the groin and grabbing my inner thigh.  As I tried to escape the man jumped up, grabbed my head and began twisting it while yelling ‘how do you like it?’”  While Commissioner Beebe only suffered minor injuries the doctors at LGH Medical center told him that, “he was very lucky” and that “his injuries could have been much worse.” 

The Commissioner’s injuries certainly could have been much worse if it had not been for the quick reaction of two businessmen from Texas who happened to be coming out of the hotel were the Commissioner was staying.  Commissioner Beebe said that he was very grateful that these two men grabbed the assailant, wrestled him to the ground and called for police. 

Commissioner Beebe said that after the police arrived, “things really got crazy.”  He described how rather than arresting attacking Husker fan, the police proceeded to release the man and instead charged the two good Samaritans from Texas with assault.  “I asked them why they let the guy go,” said Beebe, “and the officer told me “I asked the Husker Fan about it, and he said there was some extracurricular activity on, so I explained to him that ‘That’s not what we’re about, here at Nebraska’ and he agreed,”  As Commissioner protested his release he claims he was told, “”He’s really remorseful about it, and I said I don’t want to see it again. The results and the consequences of that are between me and him. It’s been addressed.” 

While the names of the two Texan’s charged in the incident have yet to be released, they are expected to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.  When asked about the irony of this event Commissioner Beebe responded by asking, “Irony?  What irony?”

by Richard Okelberry, December 1st, 2010 - By now I hope that most of you reading this understand that this is a satirical (fictional) news report.  No the Big 12 Commissioner was not attacked and no the police did not let the guilty party go in favor of arresting two innocent good Samaritans, Texans.  I imagine though that at least a few readers were taken in for at least a moment.  I also imagine that at least some of those Big 12 fans who have been recently trying to categorize Nebraska fans as a bunch of “crazies” found themselves for just a moment overcome by the same feelings that such overt injustice has caused in so many Nebraskans.  While our individual affections for a specific team or university may cause us to react to calls of injustice with more or less fervor depending on our bias, it is important for us all to step back and recognize when true travesties of justice have occurred. 

To be clear, none of us should ever advocate taking any retaliatory action against the Big 12 Commissioner in the form of neither threats of violence nor actual violence!  Doing so goes against the very principals that so many Nebraskans are standing up for in these dark times.

Still, we must recognize the reality that Dan Beebe has failed in his primary role as Big 12 Commissioner.  That role is to ensure fair and equal enforcement of Big 12 / NCAA rules.  At this point, the only way that the Big 12 can regain its reputation as a conference dedicate to the highest levels of “Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct” is for the Commissioner to step down or be removed by the Board of Directors.  Of course this is unlikely to happen unless fans across the Big 12 (not just in Nebraska) are willing to stand up and demand it from their Presidents/Chancellors that make up the Big 12 Board or Directors.

“Principles of Sportsmanship and Standards for Conduct. The essential elements of character-building and ethics in sports are embodied in the concept of sportsmanship and six core principles: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and good citizenship. The member institutions of the Big 12 Conference place great importance on the principles of sportsmanship and the ideal of pursuing victory with honor in intercollegiate athletics. Participation in athletics, including as a spectator, is a privilege and not a right.” – Big 12 Rules (12.1)