IN the midst of the XU UC conflagration some interesting fallout from is missed.

www.youtube.com/watch  Gods forbid we should treat visitors like this. Was talking to a friend today and related that I never felt threatened in Oxford but Bloomington reports Cars with KY plates keyed (even IU alumni who live in KY got the same treatment) . Fans in blue spit on including grandmothers and 5 year olds. Pitchers and drinks spilled on folks with UK shirts. Pretty classy stuff. http://kentucky.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1383&tid=167609458&mid=167609458&sid=888&style=2 is one of several threads recounting incedents all over Bloomington..

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=102294  interesting account

this from the IU message board is a voice in the wilderness

To those people who cursed and harassed UK fans this weekend

Reply

---

Shame on you. It's one thing to be amped up for a rivalry game. It's another to verbally and, apparently, physically intimidate fans of other teams. That is not Indiana basketball. I don't care if you are some dumb kid in college or some idiot who is loaded with beer. I don't care if it was at Assembly Hall, an IU bar or on the sidewalk. Those who acted in such a manner should be ashamed of themselves.

I just read the reports about UK fans who were yelled at incessantly, given obscene gestures, etc. That is unacceptable and should never happen again.

That is not Indiana basketball. It was a great game and environment, but these reports are depressing and embarrassing.

Show class people

Reply

---

If this truly went on, it's a disgrace that people associated w/ IU would act this way. Based on the viral posts that some posters put on here, I would not be surprised if some of this crap didn't go on. Hearing about this kind of crap takes a little off of the win, to be honest. Students yelling f* Kentucky in the stands is classless.

Of course, there's always the question of what really went on. Was there provocation (other than wearing blue). If you walk into a student IU bar after the game (as on poster suggested), it's a safe bet that the UK fan was looking for something to start/follow-up on. The fact that the person that wrote the article talked about the SEC being welcoming to all opposing fans flies in the face of the facts and some credibility is lost. I've been to plenty of SEC football games, and it's often not fan-friendly...and I haven't even seen what happens inside the bars.

Nevertheless, all IU fans - regardless of current student, alumni or wannabee status - should take a look at ourselves. The only thing worse than being part of a program that is really down and doesn't have a chance to win many games is being part of a successful program that is arrogant and disrespectful.

What this, and the UC-XU incidents outline is a problem that should cause everyone to take a quick look inward at how they treat the opposing teams and fans.  I'm guilty in my younger years for having said some really ridiculous things to opposing teams from the seats in the arena or stadium.  I got my wake up call when a ref blew a really bad call in a Bengals vs. Browns game around 10-12 years ago.  I was using more profanity that "regular" langauge in that moment.  After I paused for a breath, an older gentleman in front of me called me out for my obnoxious behavior in front of my family and made me feel about two feet tall.  It's made me think before I yell from the stands most of the time since. Fans get into the game passionately, which I think is good, but at the end of the day, it's important to remember that for most of us, this is our fun, our entertainment.  Doing stuff like I did in my example, or the examples borna cites, really ruins the fun for a lot of people.

When I was at Ohio, we had just beaten either Toledo or Miami (forget which one), students stormed the court. I was walking past an opposing player and got in his face.  Kirk Lehman immediately got in my face (we were causal acquaintances) - "don't behave like that" - I immediately apologized to the opposing player.  Stuck with me ever sense.  Class.  Pass it on.

 

My great-grandmother used to always remind me there are two types of class: First and No.  It is a good lesson for daily life, including sporting events where mob mentality can develop.

I wonder if he would be interested in coaching at Ohio someday.