Some of you will point out that coaches such as Pitino and Tubby Smith make millions of dollars and get paid to take the heat. Now it brings rage.”Īlas, I agree with nearly all of the above. Once upon a time, losing brought a brief period of sorrow. “The other team is never just allowed to be better, even for a day…,” Ryan says. Tipton also quoted Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe, who is disgusted with rowdy fan conduct. “Rather than support the program, it puts them (fans) in a pro mentality,” Newton remarked. He points to pro-like game operations such as snazzy player introductions and video boards, priority seating – which produces courtside seats for the wealthy – and higher ticket prices across the board. Newton has a theory: the professionalization of college athletics. The article went on to mention Louisville personnel overheard discussing how their fans are tough on Rick Pitino these days, apparently forgetting what he has accomplished.įormer Vanderbilt Coach C.M. I point this out to illustrate what happens much too often in today’s bleachers, not to isolate Kentucky fans as sole offenders. The targeted players admitted hearing the boo-birds and that it stung Kentucky’s President was asked to comment on the fan behavior and a former Cat star was quoted as being “livid” at the shoddy treatment. It seems that Kentucky basketball zealots have been booing specific Wildcat players before they even get into the game, apparently for past sins they committed on the hardwood. I ran across an article written just prior to Christmas by Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader, one of the Southeastern Conference’s veteran writers. We can all find embarrassing examples nearly every week, yet the downward spiral continues. With rare exceptions, Commodore faithful have not jeered the young men and women wearing their colors.”=left> “I am proud of the generally good conduct of VU fans over the years.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t appeared to have done much good – not that I expected it would. That opinion was actually reprinted in a variety of places, including the NCAA News, to my surprise. It was my observation that behavior had really tumbled from the ideals of Vanderbilt graduate and sports writing legend Grantland Rice, who wrote “When the One Great Scorer comes along to write against your name, He writes not if you won or lost but how you played the game.” C and Spirit Squad Appearance RequestsĪ couple of years ago, I wrote a column lamenting the deteriorating state of sportsmanship in athletic events. NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete Prospective student-athlete questionnaire Student-athlete mental health and performance Vanderbilt University Athletics - Official Athletics Website Open Menu

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