The LA Times’ Steve Springer quotes UCLA atheletic director Dan Guerrero on the complete lack of decorum shown by the home fans when USC visited Pauley Pavillion last month.
“In my opinion, those students exercised bad judgment,” said Guerrero, soon to complete his fourth year at the head of the department. “This is not what we want to be in terms of ethics and sportsmanship. I want our students to be enthusiastic, to have fun, to back our teams to the hilt. Generally, they do a good job, but, in this case, they crossed the line.”
Guerrero got his message of disapproval over in an article in the school paper, the Daily Bruin.
Wrote Guerrero: “More than once at the UCLA/USC men’s basketball game two weeks ago, selected students chanted a two-word insult toward the visiting team. The first of those words starts with an ‘F,’ exactly the grade I would have bestowed upon them for their objectionable judgment.
“Such a cheer, if you can call it that, has no place in Pauley Pavilion. That our own fans [including children], alumni, faculty, coaches and team had to hear it made me feel embarrassed and ashamed. Even worse was seeing the look on Coach [John] Wooden’s face, an icon who abhors profanity.”
I’m with Guerrero on this one. Far too often, my enjoyment of a public sporting event has been spoiled by the loudmouth antics of these tanked-up would-be Robin Fickers. There’s only one way to deal with these boors ; sentence them to an hour listening to this man’s Issues Records spoken word CD (featuring the keyboard stylings of Ray Manzarek) on headphones.