A story that started with the terribly racist speech of an Oklahoma school basketball announcer has at least managed to find a happy ending.
The Norman High School women’s basketball team, which knelt during the national anthem caused broadcaster Matt Rowan to utter profanity and slander in a live broadcast, won the Oklahoma Class 6A state title on Saturday, according to The Oklahoman.
Tigers, the team with the best ranking in the tournament, defeated No. 6 Bixby by 48-37 to win their second consecutive state title and end a perfect season of 19-0. It can be considered the third consecutive year at the top, as they were the seedlings in the 2020 tournament that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Norman’s biggest challenge came in the semifinal, a 53-50 victory over Union High School in Tulsa. The team won their quarterfinal match against Midwest City 53-40 on Thursday.
And yes, the team remained kneeling during the tournament, and even wore T-shirts that stated the reasons for the protest:
Norman’s victory after Rowan unleashed a firestorm adjacent to the team with what appeared to be a hot microphone moment. While Norman was kneeling during the national anthem before the game against Midwest City, the online broadcast picked up Rowan’s unbalanced speech against the team while he seemed to think his microphone was off:
“Are they on their knees? F *** ing n ***** s. I hope Norman gets kicked in the ass … Damn it. I hope they lose.
“Come in the midwest of the city. Are they going to kneel like that? No way.
“Did they salute the flag? F *** ing n ***** s.”
Rowan currently has much bigger problems on his plate, but Norman’s victory means he didn’t get his wish.
Rowan’s comments have sparked a flurry of criticism, both from social media and figures such as the superintendent of Norman Public Schools, who said the district would stop using Rowan’s NFHS Network for the tournament. The NFHS Network also issued an apology.
Rowan later released a statement apologizing for the comments and partially guilty of the rise in blood sugar.
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