Why K-State coach Jerome Tang has some regrets over banging drum at Chiefs-Bears game
Earlier this season, the Kansas City Chiefs chose Jerome Tang to fire up a sellout crowd inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium by banging the team’s eight-foot-tall drum before kickoff of a home game against the Chicago Bears.
It was a fun experience for the Kansas State men’s basketball coach. He considered it an honor when the Chiefs asked him to do it, and he enthusiastically participated in the pregame tradition. The Wildcats sent out a press release ahead of time and shared video of Tang banging the drum in Chiefs gear on social media afterward.
Kansas City went on to win that game 41-10. Mission accomplished.
Maybe not.
Several weeks later, Tang now has mixed emotions about the experience.
“I thought it was a huge honor to do something to bring a fan base together,” Tang said on Wednesday at Big 12 Media Day. “I have since learned that there’s some people that may not have been as excited about that. Sometimes we do things for one reason and it can be construed as something else. It was never meant to offend anyone, but to bring a fan base together. I consider it an honor for the reason that they asked me. But moving forward I think I will educate myself a little bit more on everything before making certain decisions.”
Tang shared regret about participating in the Chiefs’ pregame tradition after he spoke with Native American groups on the K-State campus who explained to him that his actions could be considered as offensive to some.
In hindsight, Tang said he should have taken the time to learn about the deep history of Native Americans in the Sunflower State before he agreed to bang the drum.
“I’ve heard from some students and leadership on campus and got to meet with them and they shared their point of view,” Tang said. “I consider myself to be very coachable and I never want to do anything to offend anybody. You can’t make everybody happy. But if there’s a way that me educating myself can help move the cause forward in any direction I want to be a part of it.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2023 at 10:38 AM.