I read somewhere, and I may have missed it in one of your columns, that you stated that the exchange between Matt Zimmerman and Malik Monk never happened. This has been the crux that Kentucky fans have used to defend what Monk did twice during the game with the throat slash.
Most of what I read, stated that it was Matt Jones from Kentucky that advanced this story. If it didn’t happen, why would Matt Jones say that it did happen?
Zimmerman has known Monk for years and thinks highly of him. The exchange was not at all “heckling.” It was friendly ribbing. The Kentucky people are looking for some excuse to excuse the inexcusable.
Matt Jones - the UK radio guy and not to be confused with Matt Jones the quarterback or Matt Jones of this board - did not write the story.
Kyle Tucker of Kentucky’s SEC Country site wrote the story before the game.
What I wrote - after talking to the two parties involved and the writer who decided it was a story to write - was that it was a good-natured deal and not something that was trash-talking or malicious.
That’s on either side.
I told Kyle - and I remain confident of the fact - that it was a non-story.
Kyle disagreed and has chosen to push that and a narrative that Arkansas’ player and its fans are sore losers.
The guy (Kyle?) tweeted that Monk said AR coaches and players were attacking him before the game and it was not good natured ribbing. Are you saying that you talked to Monk and he said it was ribbing?