Brandon Miller's 'pat down introduction' called inappropriate by Nate Oats, coach says it won't happen again
Brandon Miller was criticized for part of his pregame introduction Saturday in light of his connection to the slaying of Jamea Jonae Harris.
During Alabama team introductions before, Miller has a teammate do a “pat down” when his name is called. With recent revelations that Miller transported the gun that was used in the fatal shooting of Harris, there was widespread social media criticism of the pat down introduction Saturday before tipoff against Arkansas. Miller is being treated as a witness in the case and has not been charged. He has remained eligible for Alabama basketball.
There is nothing wrong with this ovation imo he is the best player on the team.
The pat down during the intro is a bad look.
— Jake Crain (@JakeCrain_) February 25, 2023
I realize that Brandon Miller has done the "pat down" all year in intros but yeah, time to put the X-nay on it considering the circumstances. https://t.co/qJYyCJObOJ
— Jim Weber (@JimMWeber) February 25, 2023
If you’re Brandon Miller you’ve gotta think about at least ditching the security pat down intro, no? pic.twitter.com/ChpSSnnwfR
— Patrick (@patrickkleary) February 25, 2023
This is honestly baffling: Brandon Miller gets a pat down by a walk-on in the introductions.
You've spent five days as the biggest and most controversial story in sports, and then this happens? There is no more benefit of the doubt.
I cannot believe this is real. https://t.co/sGwMOV6STs
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) February 25, 2023
Doesn't really matter how long Alabama's been doing this or why. Given the situation, maybe drop the "patdown" player intro for Brandon Miller. Good grief, guys. https://t.co/TRTWM6I7Sj
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) February 25, 2023
After the Crimson Tide’s win over Arkansas, Nate Oats told reporters that Miller will not do the pat down intro for the rest of the year. Per AL.com’s Mike Rodak, Oats said that he was not previously aware of player introductions, but the pat-down has been addressed.
“Regardless it’s not appropriate. It’s been addressed. … I can assure you it will not happen again for the remainder of the year.”
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) February 25, 2023
Miller was Alabama’s leading scorer with 24 points in the 86-83 win over the Razorbacks.
Thinks he’s bullet proof and why wouldn’t he?
Just plain dumb. Dumb. You can’t do anything to call attention to yourself.
Pretty poor taste. Maybe they can give him 30 days in the workhouse for stupidity.
Tone deaf and classless.
You just described the state of Alabama Athletics perfectly. That’s exactly why the football program has fallen behind Georgia.
Go away.
I mean technically he didn’t pull the trigger…. and my gosh is he good at sports ball!
Technically he’s such a dumb ass he doesn’t know what guns and death are. After this how does Alabama not assign someone to be with him at all times and just hope he’s turns in his jersey and calls no more attention to himself or the program. There are lots of things a person can’t do with firearms even though they arn’t described in detailed laws. Pretending that you are in a situation where you might get a pat-down is not a PR +,for NCAA basketball, this coach and this player cannot be trusted for another second in college sports. Who else has been allowing this bs to be associated with college basketball? Start running them out of college sports now.
“Them?” Maybe you should clarify which “them” you are referencing.
I’m way ahead of you on this. Them includes but is not limited to anyone who suggests weapons might be brought into college facilities by participants. We had at least one more example of inappropriate behavior in the SEC when a lot of the fans decided to throw things down onto the field, those people don’t belong in college athletics. (or any stadium event). Don’t try to characterize higher education with lower moral, or legal, or ethical behavior, and in some cases even practical behavior. We also recently had a coach incite inappropriate behavior and he is appropriately not coaching, at least for a while. Colleges. leagues, and sport governing bodies will either protect the quality of their player and spectator experience, or they will lose spectators and sponsors. Nobody has a right to put their personal actions ahead of the team, institution league, or sport. The more often standards are reinforced the better off the NCAA is. It has worked very hard for decades to create a quality product and to lose this quality product would be a great loss to society. “Them” defined in some detail and context. “Them”, have all kinds of venues they don’t want to adapt to, so “them” need to choose the venues they know how the behave appropriately in.
Certainly seems like Nate is unaware of a lot of things concerning his team..even things that takes place 5 feet away from him
Good post wolfman.
Well he’s done this all year. It ain’t like he just started this
Is that supposed to make it better?
That makes him even more irresponsible, oblivious, and lacking the simplest intellect.
Clueless, classless and completely tone deaf. And that’s just Nate Oats.
nice
It’s MUCH worse if “he has done this all year”. THEN Oates and everyone involved with the University of Alabama knew this was going to happen, and NO ONE advised him, threatened him, stopped him, chose not to introduce him, etc.? NOTHING? The whole university should be suspended . . .
Sankey is going to have to step in for the other SEC schools, Oats and his players should not be allowed to give the whole conference a black eye with their lack of awareness in this tragedy and behavior.
This needs to be taken out of Oats hands. He can’t handle it.
Agree 100%.
Sankey does need to step in. Drastic action should be taken
It’s too bad the SEC doesn’t have a decent leader at the league office to handle PR disasters like this. Sankey is too busy taking a victory lap for letting TX into the conference. He’s a complete zero.
Sanky is the latest Texas sucker
Miller has been doing this routine for 30 games, and Oats hasn’t 1 time watched or heard about Millers introduction? Bs…. Players and fans in attendance have seen it, but not Oats? But it was the first thing he addressed after the game with his prepared statement. Looks like Miller runs this basketball program. So Oats officially does not know anything his players do period except from tip-off to the final buzzer. You have to wonder besides actually playing basketball if there is anything Miller does that isn’t themed or related to guns. What a embarrassment for the SEC.
Huge embarrassment
Does anyone really know the origin & purpose of the team’s pre-game “pat down routine” ? It surely does not seem to be in the best interest of college basketball. It infers that some team members may be carrying a firearm into a game. A “pat down” exists for security reasons out in the real world.
Yikes!
JUST WIN BABY…
~Nate Oats
What a classless thugster…
I do miss Al Davis
Oats won’t suspend Miller, why would he? He’s one of the few guys on the team Oats can trust to come through in a shoot-out.
Y’all got a lot of good shooters. Typical Bama …. See jeramine Gibson or whatever his name is
It’s really impressive to me how clear and straightforward the path could have been in regards to handling this situation carefully and respectfully, yet Nate Oats and the university have done everything in their power to make themselves look like total tone-deaf fools every step of the way. Why Miller has not been monitored to prevent actions like this is beyond me. Why is he continuing to play without repercussion is beyond me. Is anyone going to take any responsibility? This has been embarrassing to watch from beginning to end.
Exactly, it’s as of lack of legal action against them is making them believe everybody should have handguns and pass them around to anybody
Is that right?
“ pass them around to anybody is the key part there.”
Prudent people would NOT loan their car to anyone they didn’t know for years to have top judgement either.
Blep…Very good post. But as we all know; responsibility for one’s actions seems to have fallen into the column labled “Not in Use”.
Nobody was there to see what happened but everyone is quick to assume he’s guilty, but they don’t know they whole story id wait until all this unfolds before you judge him isn’t it innocent until proven guilty
It’s a possibility Miller and Bradley with their lawyers cut a deal with prosecutors for “immunity” to guarantee a conviction for Miles and Davis. Seems Oats and Alabama put a lot of emphasis on “cooperating witness”. Just a thought…possible I guess… Only way the public would ever find out is if it goes to trial and the lawyers for Miles and Davis bust it out. Miles and Davis take a plea deal you won’t probably. Miller may not be guilty of murder, but his innocence of the situation is far gone.
TIDE89…In today’s world everyone is judged in the court of public opinion first and secondly judged in the court of law.
He’s a coddled athlete and Oats is a blowhard a$&hat college basketball coach – neither are important spokespersons for civilized society. They care about a game and that is their sole imperative.
Maybe our bread and circus culture is finally waking up to the fact that our priorities are backasswards.
That said, their job is to play and coach winning basketball, not make intelligent choices about who they associate with or what they say in public forums. I don’t expect either Miller or Oats to pass any lie detector test about this situation – both pretty scummy IMHO.
And when you didn’t think it could get worse.
man, up until recently, i would have taken up any discussion in that oats was easily a top 5 coach in the country and my 1st choice to lead a team.
oats has earned the recent wave of criticism that he’s received. one statement to his defense, he’s clearly nothing more than a b-ball coach…sometimes we need to be reminded that the majority of coaches certainly have limitations in mental aptitude and the arena of PR and just
Oats should have stepped in and ended this “pat down intro” before the murder incident. It’s not a good look for his program. The fact that he hasn’t done it after that tragic incident is beyond stupid (and I’m not buying his claimed ignorance as to what was happening). Someone at Bama other than Oats needs to step in and put a stop to these statements and actions that seem oblivious of how this negatively represents the university and basketball program.
AU Tville…I agree totally. That “pat down routine” seems to perpetuate an idea of thugs who play basketball. Otherwise why pat-em-down ? This entire situation concerning the murder has been so grossly mishandled by the University of Alabama and Oats is the worst culprit.
Is this coach really that blind?
I wouldn’t be surprised if ole Nate told him to do it. These guys are classless…. Something tells me Miller is going to be involved in more trouble before long.
Well he’s always done this before in his intros… doesn’t make it better tho.
Nate Oats, after a Mizzou fan was kicked out for bringing up the murder: “They got him out of there,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “So for the most part look, coach (Dennis) Gates is great. The administration here is great. Sometimes college students don’t understand the severity of things.”
Bruh you have straight up just let this dude continue to play without even a breath of criticism and NOW he does this. Who’s not taking this serious? Can’t believe our AD did his censoring for him. Oats and Miller oughta be booed the rest of the season on live television.
“After the Crimson Tide’s win over Arkansas, Nate Oats told reporters that Miller will not do the pat down intro for the rest of the year. Per AL.com’s Mike Rodak, Oats said that he was not previously aware of player introductions, but the pat-down has been addressed.”
Way to get your head out of your asse coach.
A child has been left motherless and two young men have had their lives altered forever because of their bad decision – a decision that directly involved the best player in college basketball – yet here we are discussing his player intro… This entire situation is beyond sad and I use to really respect Nate Oates, not just as a coach, but as a man of faith… Great reminder we need to stop putting coaches and athletes on pedestals.
words are cheap, all he gotta do is cry in church and make public statements about jesus and all is well? The guy is accidentally letting you see behind his curtain – cynical, win-at-all-cost, and tactless. Whatever a man of faith is, that doesn’t seem like it.
Also it’s not sad what happened to those kids who killed that woman, that’s called justice for cold blooded murder.
Jayhawk, I think you and I are saying something very similar in that his actions speak louder, correct? His actions are extremely disappointing and do not match the persona he has crafted.
Coach Oats had about as much control of that situation as you or I had, but the response has been blundered, to say the least – I value leaders of faith and that doesn’t appear to be as important to you, and that’s okay.
I think my last point is still valid – I was looking in the mirror when I wrote it – but we need to stop placing these people on pedestals and appreciate their talents.
He seems to be following in the footsteps of a certain other “Coach O”