Have you ever been walking down the sidewalk, minding your own business, when someone yelled something profane at you? Or even worse, has anyone ever thrown a full bottle of water or other beverage at your head just because the clothes you were wearing displeased them?
If you answered those questions with a “no” and then wondered what kind of maniac would do those sorts of things, you’re not alone. Everyone goes about their day-to-day lives with almost no conflict or projectiles being hurled in their general direction. One could say that it’s socially unacceptable to behave in such a vengeful, hurtful way.
OK. Let’s try a different scenario. Imagine you’re at Autzen Stadium watching the Ducks play the Beavers on Dec. 3. You want the Ducks to win with all your heart. You’ve been thinking about the game for two weeks now and your hopes of the team going to the Rose Bowl depends on how well they play. Some of the students around you are chanting things like “F— the Beavers,” “F— Jacquizz Rodgers,” and other intelligent things. You join in, because you find it funny and you really do have a lot of animosity toward the orange and black. You might even throw a pop bottle at one point at a player because it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.
My question is what makes this right? What makes screaming profanities at football players and a team’s cheerleaders OK to do in the minds of some fans when they wouldn’t dare do it to a stranger passing down the street? Because it’s the same exact thing. The football players and cheerleaders on the sidelines are people you don’t know personally and are playing a game for your enjoyment. They haven’t done a single thing to you besides oppose your team. Why heap profanities and other hurtful things upon them when they are out there playing a game they love?
The reason I bring this up is because of what happened down in Tucson, Ariz. We all heard about Oregon cheerleader Katelynn Johnson getting knocked out by a full water bottle thrown from the stands after the Ducks beat the Wildcats 44-41 in double overtime. We all heard about the batteries, glass bottles and other projectiles being rained down on the Oregon Ducks. It’s a despicable act to throw things at a sporting event to try and hurt someone. It just makes my blood boil when I see it or hear about it.
Numerous Arizona fans have apologized for the incidents at Arizona Stadium. Arizona coach Mike Stoops apologized to Oregon Athletic Director Mike Bellotti. Arizona’s athletic director did as well. I’m not saying that all Arizona fans are rude, hurtful people, I’m just saying the act of what happened was utterly unacceptable and I can’t believe that there are people that would ruin something as fun as a college football game with hate and profanities.
But you’re not out of the woods either, Duck fans. Before you go denouncing Arizona fans and everyone else as the worst fans in the Pac-10, you need to do some soul searching as well. It’s all fine and dandy to paint your face and wear ridiculous clothing to the games and cheer on the Ducks, but you have also been known to take it a little bit too far as well. I’ve personally witnessed a full cup of soda fly from the student section onto the field. I’ve seen drunken students flipping off the opposing team and yelling curse words and everything else under the sun. The Daily Emerald has even received letters from fans around the league saying that they had friends and family treated horribly at Autzen Stadium because they were wearing the colors of the opposition.
This is just sad. Why associate hate, curses and violence with the school you love to cheer for on Saturdays? I completely understand that things get heated when your adrenaline spikes and it’s a close game, but do you really need to ridicule or demean a player as well? Can’t you keep it to something more P.C.?
This is all just a little food for thought as we take a break from school for Thanksgiving. Enjoy your time off. Eat, relax and watch some football. But keep in mind that when Dec. 3 rolls around and the Beavers come to town for perhaps the biggest Civil War in the history of the rivalry, it’s just a game. Plain and simple. No matter if the Ducks win or lose, you will still get up on Friday morning and be a part of a society that doesn’t tolerate projectile-throwing or profanity-laced attacks at complete strangers.
Keep it classy.
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You don’t have to be abusive to be a Duck fan
Daily Emerald
November 23, 2009
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