Welcome back Chas. My pleasure to fill in for a few days and I will be doing my best to offer some opinions on a semi-regular basis.
During the Syracuse games a few commenters reacted to the Zoo chanting “You hit girls,” in reference to Eric Defendorf and his incident from last November
Defendorf did his time (short suspension and community service) and returned to the team, but Big East student sections are, and will certainly continue, reminding him of the incident throughout the season. Just like they did with Marcus Williams, the laptop thief, a few years back. But my Pitt fans, a short memory we have. You could argue that Defendorf was just pulling a Yuri –Â Yuri Demetrus that is. Yes, that’s right. Yuri Demetrus hit girls too. Too bad he couldn’t play basketball like Defendorf.
Hitting a girl is wrong. You don’t need me to tell you that. But should the incident be fair game during a basketball … game? Here is what two commenters had to say in the Pitt Syracuse Open Thread.
First from Ira:
Ehh the zoo was kind of annoying, maybe I am just old fashioned, but making fun of hitting a girl chant just seems in poor taste.
And now the other side of the argument from Mike:
i think it was funny when the zoo was chanting “you hit girlsâ€, if he doesnt like it, then dont hit girls. If steeler fans want to chant that at fitz, so be it, but i think the Zoo did an awsome job today, its a great home court.
people need to lighten up
I am on Ira’s side on this one. When I was at Pitt, the Zoo not-so-creatively came up with a “Quinn’s a pussy” chant directed towards Notre Dame’s Chris Quinn who had owned the Panther’s in recent match ups. The chant was so obvious it could be heard on the National television broadcast. I wrote an entry for my old blog condemning the chant and my opinion has not changed.
Unlike Quinn**, Defendorf brought the chant upon himself deservedly through his actions, but to quote an old elementary school adage, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
** Unless Quinn deserved it for raining ridiculous 3-pointers on the Panthers, or for having a scrawny mustache
College athletes represent their Universities and should act accordingly.When students attend a game, and choose to make themselves heard, they are representing the University as well. There are other, classier, ways to support your team.
And yes, I know… everyone else is doing it so why shouldn’t we.
These actions have a trickle-down effect. In both Pittsburgh and in Maine I have covered high school athletics on a semi-regular basis for different newspapers. More and more I am seeing similar student sections and similar vulgar antics at the lower levels of athletics. Is it okay in high school? How about junior high? Actually, I might expect it from junior high kids…
A solution? Conferences should have a Sportsmanship award for each sport. I’ve seen it for high schools. Both the team and the fans should be taken into account for the award. Players and coaches should vote and a banner should be awarded. Maybe it wont solve the whole problem, but it will give a little motivation for fans, teams and schools to clean up their act.
Stay classy Pitt. I’d love to hear some other opinions. Just don’t call me a pussy.
Think Rod Rutherford.
Also, Yuri’s charges were slightly more severe, including burglary because he broke into the girls room to hit her.
We PITT fans don’t have to look any further than our own when it comes to bad behavior. It’s a real problem in sports and while we decry the other schools (and players) for their idiots – we do the same.
I find it odd that the same people that are bitching about how the ‘world has gone to hell in a hand basket” and that “it wasn’t like this when I was a kid” are the same people that scream obscenities in public and take every day actions like cutting off others when they are driving, or talking loudly on a cell phone when in a restaurant. Well, civility doesn’t cost a thing and makes everyone better when it’s exercised.
I know a huge Steeler fan that drove up for the football playoff game last week (from Baltimore) decked out in full Black & Gold. I asked him how the game was and he said that it was ruined for him because the drunken Steeler fans in his section rode some Raven fans (and their families) so hard that the Ravens fans had to leave in the third quarter. He felt embarassed and ashamed, and sorry that it happened when it should have been a great time for everyone.
Great, wow! How much fun is that – ruin an experience another family paid dearly for just to prove your a great hometown fan.
I know others who won’t take their young kids to sporting events for these same reasons. Well, we get what we ask for in the long run.
Let’s not forget the incredible amount of favorable decisions that Devendorf has received. The school initially recommended that he be suspended from school, meaning he would miss the rest of the season at least. Because he’s a player they intervene and get him a slap on the wrist. He misses a couple of weeks over the holidays when they only have 2 games and Boeheim makes him ride the bench. Syracuse should be ashamed of the way they handled this. And I am OK with opposing student sections bringing a little heat when the university folded like a chair.
was pretty good.
oh, and pull the stick out of your ass, pussy.
Does anyone remember in the early 90’s when a Pitt fan would wear a gorilla mask and hold up signs of things to yell when the other team was being announced? Usually it was stuff like “you suck”, “go home” or “loser”. Also, Panther Paul danced behind the benches (with a cape) during timeouts. Maybe I was just drunk unless someone else saw that stuff.
However, I suggest you attend an NFL game. Don’t know what it is like in Foxboro, but I would never take my daughter to Heinz Field or to Cleveland, and my sister who lives in Philly wouldn’t dare wear a Steeler shirt at a game there for fear of her safety. I assure you that compared to many NFL crowds I’ve been around, the Zoo seems quite tame.
Just read on PSI that Dan Mason, 4-star ILB from Pgh Penn Hills, just gave verbal to Pitt .. which is surprising since he was suppsed to visit WVU this weekend.
This is a real good get since this is not one of Wanny’s better classes — but there are a few gems to go along with the current strong sophome and freshmen class.
WVU is crushin Gtown — it won’t be easy on Sunday!
I guess my point is that both cursing and watching sporting events are more fun when you’re drunk.
I sucked it up when Fields got the “Taser” chants last year because Levance was an idiot…still love him though. It doesn’t matter if Fields or the Cop was in the wrong, Levance should have never been there, end of story. Just like Devendorf should never ever do something like that. Where I come from, I am going to let you have it and you’re going to take it like a “Man”. If the culprit is going to miss shots horribly, I, as a fan, will leave my “class” at home where it’s just me and my wife.
“Devendorf Does Some Good”
I’m no model citizen – as a matter of fact I swear like the sailor I am. However, I’m very cognizant of where and when I do it. What passes for appropriate language on the deck of a ship isn’t tolerable at our family dinner table – or, IMO, screaming at the top of my lungs in public.
With that, I totally understand that attending a sporting event isn’t church – although since I haven’t been in church for thirty years it may be, but I just don’t know.
However, attending a sporting event is supposed to be a pleasant experience for ALL involved. Believe it or not – the game does not revolve around a select group of people, no matter how great the Zoo is to have at games. Actually I think the Zoo is rather moderate in its behavior – certainly compared to some other schools student sections.
So my post above was more broadly meant.
Frankly, I don’t care what the zoo chants, but they should never be able to use these 7 words: Sh*t, P*ss, F*ck, C*nt, C*cksucker, Motherf*cker, and T*ts. If they say any of those words.. then my Vchip switches off my set.
I would prefer that the barometer for determining what should be chanted would be “Does it show class?” and not “Is it funny?”
but chant whatever – it’s a bball game!
And I gleefully joined in the “where’s my laptop?” chorus myself . . .