After his team overcame a 15-point deficit for a gritty, one-point road victory over West Virginia, Marquette coach Buzz Williams had every reason to dance. Even more reason: the No. 10 Golden Eagles pulled it off with four of his top players suspended for parts of the game.
So as John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” flowed from WVU Coliseum’s speakers as the arena emptied after the game, Williams did a couple twirls and a two-step as he made his way across the floor for an interview with ESPN right in front of the West Virginia student section. And the student faithful was hardly pleased with Williams’ little shimmy.
By the time he made it to the broadcast booth, a cluster of incensed students had to be held back by security and ESPN analyst Bill Raftery got hit a foamy object undoubtedly meant for Williams.
Here’s a video of the entire episode:
But the fact he did it to that song, which West Virginians hold dear, is what got them so pissed. They saw it as a sign of disrespect. That’s something Williams reflected in his mea culpa after the game.
“That was very unprofessional,” Williams told reporters. “I apologize. … It’s a bad representation of our program and of our institution, so I apologize for that. I was just really excited, that was all. How I grew up, it was really into country, and that was one of my favorite songs growing up. And I realized as the riot was about to occur, John Denver said West Virginia in the song.”
So, I guess we can assume the WVU students wouldn’t have reacted the same if Williams danced to, say, a Kesha song.
