Oct. 16, 2006

Editor's Note:  This article appears in the Fall 2006 issue of Time-Out

By Joe Dwyer - CollegeInsider.com

It was Jan. 22, 1996. Then Long Beach State head coach Seth Greenberg walked into the visiting team's locker room at New Mexico State where he found these words scribbled on the board: "Seth, we're gonna kick your ass, you Jew bastard."

In the ten years since, things have only gotten worse.

"Society is much more violent today then it was a decade ago," says Greenberg who now works his trade at Virginia Tech. "When you buy a ticket to a game it doesn't give you the right to be a bigot. It doesn't give you the right to be an anti-Semitic. It doesn't give you the right to launch a personal attack, but yet people still do."

It has become an ever growing problem in sports today: fans who cross the line.

Most of the incidents, brought to light by the media, are those occurring at the professional sports level. But that doesn't mean they aren't happening on a frequent basis at the collegiate level. In fact they might be happening often.

College sporting events are often described as being more about the passion for the game. Unfortunately, quite often that passion goes too far.

"Some think that because they are a fan that somehow gives them the right to cross the line. It doesn't, and it can't be tolerated." - Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech head coach

"Rushing the court or the field is part of college athletics," says Greenberg. "But it can be a recipe for bad things. It should be a celebration for your team and not an attack on the opponent."

So where is the line drawn? Should rushing the court be banned because of what it might provoke?

Most coaches err on the side of caution, but most all agree then those in question don't need the excuse of rushing the court to do whatever it is they have planned. There is a small minority that attends games for the sole purpose of letting everyone hear what they have to say.

Booing, whistling and taunting are all part of creating an environment. Without them there wouldn't be a home court or home field advantage. But racially motivated remarks and personal verbal attacks do not contribute to that atmosphere. They detract from it.

But it's gotten worse and not better in the decade since Greenberg's incident at New Mexico State. On some levels it's gotten to the point where it is almost accepted, if not condoned.

Major League Baseball has made it a point to let the public know that it won't tolerate attacks of any kind against Barry Bonds. Yet signs still find their way into ballparks and fans still rain down verbal assaults, also filled with racial overtones, with little or no objection from stadium management.

Forget about the actual remarks for a moment. How about the fans that can't see the game because of that sign or the child who has to listen to the bevy of four-letter expletives and racially charged descriptives?

"As coaches I think we should all take the opportunity to speak to our student bodies about fan behavior," says Greenberg. "We want our fans to enthusiastically support our teams, but not at the expense of insulting the opponent or other fans. We constantly tell our fans to be respectful of the opponent and be respectful of those sitting next to you. Buying a ticket doesn't give you the right to ruin the experience for others."

Greenberg and all the coaches at Virginia Tech are actively involved in `Hokie Respect,' which is a sportsmanship awareness program designed to promote first-class fan conduct at Virginia Tech sporting events.

Similar programs exist at colleges and universities all across the country. Whether it's frequent discussions and interactions between coaches and their fan bases or fans being encouraged to police themselves, the goal is to promote a positive reaction.

Greenberg and others believe it's a start, but acknowledge that the problem will only be resolved by continuing to address it.

"One of the great things about college athletics is how the students and alumni take ownership in the program," says Greenberg. "That's the beauty of collegiate athletics. Unfortunately some take that too far. Some think that because they are a fan that somehow gives them the right to cross the line. It doesn't, and it can't be tolerated."

The line between fan and fanatic is razor thin.