In a recent match-up between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the game took an unexpected turn when Ole Miss Coach Mike Bianco decided to take matters into his own hands.
It all began in the top of the 11th inning when Mississippi State catcher Johnny Long hit a go-ahead home run.
As he ran down the first base line, Long gave his bat a twirl, an act deemed unsportsmanlike by some.
Fresh off his perceived unsporting violation, Scott Cline, the home plate umpire, issued a warning to Long rather than ejecting him.
Not satisfied with the umpire’s lack of stricter action, Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco came forward with an F-bomb-laden tirade of his own.
Hot mic catches Ole Miss coach’s f-bomb tirade over bat flip https://t.co/GNVOpO9P7n pic.twitter.com/N89Aj7Jcb9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 14, 2024
Leaving viewers and listeners taken aback. Outside conduct rules outlined by the NCAA were suddenly in the spotlight.
As a result, what seemed to be a straightforward baseball game morphed into a lesson about sportsmanship and its implications in the sports world.
“You’re supposed to f**king throw him out,” Bianco vented at home plate umpire Scott Cline.
Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco caught on the hot mic telling the umpire "You're supposed to f***ing throw him out" and after being told "we warned him" Bianco gets tossed pic.twitter.com/o4RgHswRkX
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 14, 2024
Bianco wasn’t the only one who thought Long’s bat flip had crossed a line, with Mississippi State coach, Chris Lemonis, agreeing that it may have been a bit over the top.
“That’s all that was,” Lemonis said via The Clarion Ledger. “First home run, I think of his career here, and it was a big one. Like the umpire said, kids are excited and everything else.”
However, as it often happens in sports, the unexpected can lead to the most dramatic outcomes.
The bat flip and Bianco’s NSFW-ejection may have sparked a fire in Ole Miss. With their coach ejected from the dugout, Ole Miss launched into a striking 12-inning victory, walking off the Bulldogs with a 10-9 turnaround.
A comment by Bianco post-game stole everyone’s heart: “Maybe we needed me out of the dugout, maybe that’s it.”
