A group of fans at the United Center decided to ruin the Chicago Bulls’ first-ever Ring of Honor ceremony on Friday night.
While long-time broadcaster Neil Funk introduced the 2024 class during a halftime ceremony, he got to the late Jerry Krause. Certain members of the crowd proceeded to boo, bringing his widowed wife, Thelma, to tears. She also waved off the cameras as other members of the Ring of Honor class tried to console her.
I can’t underscore enough how classless and uncomfortable the moment was.
Jerry Krause Booed at United Center
Stacey King’s Reaction:
From that moment on, the rest of the ceremony felt almost tainted. Stacey King made sure to immediately reprimand the response once the second half got underway:
Chicago is a sports town. And what we witnessed today when Jerry Krause’s name was called, and the people that booed Jerry Krause and his widow, who was accepting this honor for him, it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
I hurt for that lady. It brought her to tears. And whoever booed her in this arena should be ashamed of themselves. That’s not Chicago. That’s New York, Philly. Chicago is not like that. We don’t have a reputation for being that way. And whether you like Jerry Krause or not, that man brought six championships here. He didn’t shoot a basket, nor did he get a rebound, but he put six titles up…that was really classless. I was dissapointed in the people that booed. It was a sad day.
You can listen to Kings’ full comments here …
Seriously, what a horrible moment.