The Tragedy of Alabama Basketball’s Heel Turn
The past few weeks have brought a tragedy and a heel turn for the University of Alabama’s men’s basketball team. Following the death of Jamea Jonae Harris in Tuscaloosa, the investigation into the shooting revealed that Alabama’s Brandon Miller had brought the gun to the scene, at the request of Darius Miles, another Tide player allegedly present at the scene. Though Miller was not charged with any crime, he was still at the center of the investigation and his involvement was a source of outrage for many.
To make matters worse, during team introductions in the home game following the gun disclosure, Miller ran onto the floor … where a teammate waited and mimed a security pat-down, as if searching for a weapon. It was a shockingly callous and inappropriate act, especially in light of the tragedy that had recently occurred.
Coach Nate Oats indicated that he didn’t watch the Tide’s pregame rituals and didn’t know about the pat-down act, but it is clear that somebody in the Alabama program did. No one thought to say “Hey, maybe now isn’t the time for this bit?”
This is indifference in the face of a tragedy, and it is emblematic of a much larger problem. Alabama has stayed out of the way of the police’s investigation, which is the right step from a due process perspective, but the university has not taken any public action regarding Miller. This, combined with Miller’s continued presence on the team and the continued cheers from the home crowd, sends the message that the university does not take the tragedy as seriously as it should.
Miller has rights, of course, but he does not have the right to play college basketball. Alabama has had the opportunity for weeks now to suspend Miller as punishment for his judgment, but it has chosen to keep him on the team and in the lineup. This sends the message that the university is more focused on its basketball run than it is on the gravity of the situation.
Alabama may well be gambling that this will all blow over soon enough, but now the team is watching its reputation vaporize in real time. The university had the chance to change the narrative around Miller and the program, but it opted not to do so. Now, the Tide is paying the price.
