September is here, bringing with it shorter days, cooler weather, and college football! Not too far behind is the start of the college basketball season. As the 2011-2012 college sports season begins, incivility has already hit headlines. Just three weeks ago, the Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball team played a “goodwill” exhibition game against the Bayi Rockets, a Chinese professional team. The game coincided with Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to China and was supposed to be an example of “sports diplomacy.” Unfortunately, there was little diplomacy on the court. In the middle of the fourth quarter with a tied score, players from both teams began to exchange punches which quickly erupted into a bench-clearing brawl. Fans got in on the action and threw water bottles and other objects at Georgetown players and fans. The game abruptly ended as the security situation deteriorated.
The incivility demonstrated in the Hoyas/Rockets game underscores how passion and enthusiasm can get out of control for both players and fans. While a little smack talking is always appropriate, vulgar and offensive cheering, throwing objects on to the field of play, and rioting after big games is not. However this type of outrageous conduct is nothing new for most college sports fans and occurs occasionally.
Earlier this year, we witnessed a new level of outrageous fan conduct—tree poisoning. A University of Alabama fan poisoned two iconic oak trees located on Toomer’s Corner at Auburn University. Toomer’s Corner is the location on Auburn’s campus where fans traditionally gather to celebrate victories. The trees are estimated to be 130 years old. The tree poisoning was a deliberate act by a fan to attack a symbol of pride associated with Auburn’s athletic program.
The overwhelming majority of college athletes and fans behave responsibly during and after games. However, as witnessed in the Hoyas/Rockets game, athletic competitions can quickly transition to violence between players and spark mayhem in the stands. In the past, such uncivil conduct has resulted in needless attacks on innocent people, criminal charges against fans, and property damage that can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. So go out and passionately support your team, talk a little smack, but remember that it’s just a game and so keep it civil!
Kent M. Weeks
