Fran Fraschilla Defends Saying ‘I Hate BYU’ During Broadcast
While longtime Big 12 basketball fans know broadcaster Fran Fraschilla’s style, some BYU fans needed help with that on Saturday night.
Fraschilla was accused by one BYU fan of saying he genuinely hated their team during a broadcast between Kansas and Wichita State. The longtime college basketball broadcaster responded by saying, “Go back and listen closely because it was meant as a compliment. When I coached against them in the Mountain West, nobody played harder.”
Fraschilla responded to a tweet from one BYU fan calling for the analyst to be taken off the broadcast and barred from returning to the booth to call games. Fraschilla jokingly mentioned in Saturday’s broadcast that he, “Hates BYU” which prompted an outcry amongst some Cougars fans.
He began his response by saying, “First of all, I have many friends at BYU basketball including the great Jimmer Fredette. Secondly, I’m excited about calling their games in the Big 12 Conference this year. Go back and listen closely because it was meant as a compliment. When I coached against them in the Mountain West nobody played harder. Happy New Year’s, Katrina. Go Cougs.”
Fraschilla was the head coach at New Mexico for three seasons from 1999 to 2002 as a member of the Mountain West, when the Cougars were also in the same league. Needless to say, some of the new Big 12 fan bases are going to have to get used to Fraschilla’s style, dry humor and authenticity, because he is going to remain one of the biggest voices in the league, as he should.
