Renardo Sidney Fight: Mississippi State Suspends Sidney, Elgin Bailey Indefinitely

Renardo Sidney has issued a statement apologizing for being a part of a fight with a Mississippi State teammate in the stands between games at the Diamond Head Classic on Thursday night. Via Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger:

Sidney and teammate Elgin Bailey have been suspended indefinitely for their actions by the school. Athletic Director Steve Stricklin announced the suspensions on his Twitter account, saying that the length of the suspensions will be determined by their “attitude going forward.” Coach Rick Stansbury released a statement saying he’s never seen something like this happen before.

Considering the tumultuous career Renardo Sidney has had at Mississippi State, it’s easy to see why the blame fell squarely on his shoulders after he was caught by ESPN cameras fighting with teammate Elgin Bailey in the stands at the Diamond Head Classic. Sidney appeared to be the aggressor, swinging wildly after Bailey had fallen to the ground. But what if Sidney didn’t start the fight?

Mississippi State point guard Dee Bost came to Sidney’s defense on Twitter shortly after the fight, lending some insight into what happened in the stands. In an exchange with ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb, Bost had this to say:

Mississippi State has taken less than 24 hours to respond to troubled prospect Renardo Sidney fighting with teammate Elgin Bailey in the stands between games at the Diamond Head Classic on Thursday night. The school has decided to suspend both players indefinitely, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports.

The two players began exchanging blows between games, and were captured on video here. Late last night, Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin called the act “disappointing” and “not how we want our school represented,” but said the school was still gathering information. Coach Rick Stansbury declined to comment when asked because he did not know all the facts.