Editor,
I am disappointed with your editorial regarding college basketball fan behavior (Rowdy sports fans enjoy free speech
Feb. 9), particularly regarding the University of Maryland. To read your editorial, one would think the Maryland fans did nothing more than boo, hiss and yell harmless chants, such as We don't care for Duke or JJ Redick is not good at basketball.
Please keep in mind that this was a game shown on national TV. On one occasion students wearing F-- Duke T-shirts were easily visible on the screen for at least four to five seconds. The F-- you JJ chant was clearly audible on television, even above Dick Vitale. Unfortunately, there were T-shirts with much more obscene messages and other chants that were nothing short of sadistic.
Yes, I know, the Supreme Court ruled in 1971 that schools cannot take action against curse words on clothing because students have a right to express themselves. And to tell fans they cannot heckle players would violate the First Amendment. But to defend the actions of these fans as free speech and expression is an insult to everyone.
Please do consider two incidents involving Maryland fans after Duke games in the recent past:
These are not isolated incidents. After Wake Forest won at Maryland, Wake supporters were told by police to duck under their seats while they were being pelted by objects thrown by students. Students rioted following the 2002 Final Four, which Maryland won, doing several thousand dollars' worth of damage, including the looting of two College Park businesses.
And to say the university encourages this conduct because it flashes cheers on a video screen is nothing short of asinine. Unless those images push for turning over cars, throwing debris onto the court or disrupting firefighters, no one in his right mind could possibly link the video board to the previously mentioned improprieties. Surely The Post does not believe that.
If you think for one second that these images did not immediately enter the minds of University of Maryland administrators in the closing seconds of the most recent Duke-Maryland game, I have some real estate that may interest you. The university can and should take actions to curb such barbaric behavior, especially considering the history. If it does not, future episodes could be far worse.
jkeating23@hotmail.com
17
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