Men’s Basketball: UL basketball players apologize for ‘thankful’ interview

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, January 26, 2015

 

VIDEO: Shawn Long, Bryce Washington, and Hayward Register say that UL was thankful in blowout win over Arkansas State.

 

Two UL basketball players made statements Monday apologizing to media members for their actions following the Ragin’ Cajuns’ home win over Arkansas State last Thursday night.

Junior big man Shawn Long responded to three questions by saying "I’m thankful’ each time and true freshman forward Bryce Washington said the words "I’m thankful" as part his short answer to the only question he was asked in an abbreviated interview session following the win.

"I’m thankful" is the stock answer Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has used at times when being interviewed but not wanting to actually answer media questions.

"On behalf of me, Bryce (Washington), Hayward (Register, who was a part of same media session) … we apologize for the misunderstanding," Long said. "It was just a joke. We didn’t really think that, you know, everybody would take it so seriously, you know? We just were trying to make y’all laugh."

"We apologize, you know, for the interview … for joking," Washington added. "We kind of took it too far."

A UL spokesman said Register would have been present Monday as well if it weren’t the fact he was in class.

Some media members publicly criticized the players’ actions and suggested Long’s responses detracted from both the Cajuns’ 96-59 win and from Long’s personal performance in it.

Long scored a season-high 27 points in the victory.