Should postgame handshake lines be abandoned? Here's what Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl says
AUBURN — The biggest topic in college basketball is the tradition of postgame handshake lines after a Sunday scuffle in which Michigan coach Juwan Howard slapped Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft.
Howard was suspended for the rest of the regular season and fined $40,000 by the Big Ten for the incident, which has sparked discussions about sportsmanship, the examples set by coaches for their players and the custom of shaking opponents' hands after a game.
Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl, a 30-year college coaching veteran, was asked Tuesday for his thoughts on the handshake line discourse.
"Yeah, if you look at the players, when the players — forget about the coaches, look at the players," Pearl said. "They're dapping each other. They're hugging each other. If you ever watch boxing, and these guys are in the ring beating the brains out of each other, how in the world can they embrace after they've just been slugging each other? Because they're competitors, because they're warriors, because they respect the opponent.
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"And so for me, when I see that, I think it's great how the kids just dap each other once the game's over. So I don't think there's any reason to do away with a handshake line. Obviously emotions in that situation at Wisconsin got high, and the coaches didn't handle it as well. I've been in those situations. I've made mistakes. And nobody's pointing any fingers. But I think that I'm not in favor of getting rid of those handshake lines. I think it's a good opportunity, once the game's over, to demonstrate sportsmanship."
Pearl was then asked about his own experiences in handshake lines. He has had Division I head coaching jobs at Milwaukee, Tennessee and Auburn. The Tigers (24-3, 12-2 SEC) are currently ranked fourth in the country with a one-game lead in the SEC title race with four games remaining. They play Ole Miss (13-14, 4-10) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network) at Auburn Arena.
"Look, game's over, you go shake hands and go into your locker rooms," Pearl said. "I've been in a lot of situations that aren't perfect, but you just do the best you can. Try to do the right thing."
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: What Auburn's Bruce Pearl said about Michigan-Wisconsin handshake fight
