Letter from Tubby Smith regarding the Wisconsin game
by Felix on Feb 24, 2010 12:50 AM CST
Email
PrintDear Barnyard members:
I want to express my sincere appreciation for your tremendous support this season. Our student section has created an electric atmosphere in the Barn all year.
We need to maintain the great home court advantage that you provide and continue to make the Barn one of the toughest arenas for visiting teams. However, we need to make sure that we are cheering with respect. "F--- the Badgers" and the chant directed at Coach Bo Ryan have no place in Williams Arena. Vulgar cheers do little to intimidate an opponent and reflect poorly on us.
We have a huge game on Wednesday night against the Purdue Boilermakers, the #3 team in the country, and we need you to keep us rolling towards the post-season. Your continued enthusiasm for our two remaining home games is vital but let's make sure that families and visiting fans see the way we support our team - with class!
Thank you for your loyal support. We will do our best to keep the momentum going and we hope you will continue to prove that you are the best fans in college basketball.
I know you will get the Barn rocking on Wednesday night!
Coach Tubby Smith
---
I like Tubby, but deal with it. This is expected to happen in the oldest rivalry in college sports and has happened in previous years without people complaining. The only reason they're complaining now is because it was on ESPN.
What's next, a letter yelling at college students for drinking alcohol while underage?
Editors of The Daily Gopher retain the right to remove posts deemed excessively offensive or grossly inappropriate. Keep it clean and don't be mean.
22 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Felix
I went to a womens’ hockey game last Saturday between the Gophers and Badgers. The conference title was on the line.
Do you care to guess how many times anyone complained about ANYTHING in the crowd? You can start and end with zero.
A coordinated chant with expletives has no place in any arena. If you think it does, you’re a dolt and have no idea how to act in a civilized society.
Try using profanity in your workplace. Then understand why Tubby doesn’t want it used in his.
I’ve never been to a women’s hockey game here, but something tells me the types of student sections for women’s hockey and men’s basketball are a bit different. I’ve never been to a Gopher/Badger hockey game, but there’s no doubt in my mind that these types of chants are prevalent there. Hell, I’m sure the same type of chants are around during North Dakota games too.
I’m a senior at the U now, and this is my fourth year of going to games. Every year I’ve gone, people have chanted “fuck the Badgers.” No one has ever complained about it before this year. The only reason they’re bitching about it now is because the game was on ESPN.
College students do college things. It shouldn’t be a surprise at this point.
Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Eat babies! Badger babies!
by Felix on Feb 24, 2010 10:42 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe I'm getting old
but it is surprising to me that it’s not surprising to you that cursing in public is not acceptable.
"they're calling insane hogs???"
I might not be the best person to talk to about language, as I think the outrage over “cursing” is pretty ridiculous in the first place. Words are words and nothing more.
Obviously there are situations where cursing is not acceptable. The workplace would be one of them, although some workplaces more than others. Thankfully, Williams Arena is not where I work, and I’d imagine this is the case for the majority of the students. I’d expect the same exact thing at any other Big 10 arena, and most of the time, that’s exactly what happens.
Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Eat babies! Badger babies!
you call the guy a dolt because you disagree with him?
Way to encourage dialogue.
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on Mar 1, 2010 8:05 PM CST up reply actions
I like the letter
I know that kids will do immature things but I appreciate someone apologizing and encouraging better behavior.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
Tubby
just provided another example of why we hired him, Class with a capital C.
"they're calling insane hogs???"
I agree with Felix.
I don’t have a problem with the letter but this is just overreaction.
Maroon and Gold Headquarters: The Daily Gopher
Counterproductive as well?
I can recall UW doing this a few times RE: the “Eat S**t, F**k You” chant at Camp Randall. My Badger supporting friends said it only made things worse b/c the students were just that much more determined to “show the man”. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the same thing happen here.
I agree with Tubby
There is no reason to do this. Yes, we all know that these things happen, but it doesn’t mean that it should. Honestly, the best chants are the ones that don’t have to be vulgar. I agree that saying Fuck ____ isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it lacks creativity and is old.
"I like Tubby, but deal with it"
C’mon dude, are you serious?
I understand that kids have problems with authority. I know when I went to the U – graduated four years ago, so I’m not old – I wasn’t going to let anybody tell me how to act or what to do. But I also have enough class not to yell profanity in front of little kids. Whether or not you believe it, chanting profanity does make the U look bad.
I’m all for getting on opposing teams and coaches when they come to the Barn. I wish there was more of it. But if yelling “F Bo Ryan” is the best chant the student section can come up with, if you think it’s acceptable, then the student body has really fallen off since I left Dinkytown in both class and ingenuity.
I’m really glad Tubby said something. Somebody needed to slap some sense into the student section.
If people are concerned about the little kids, maybe they shouldn’t be taking their kids to a college basketball game at 8 PM on a school night.
Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Eat babies! Badger babies!
I think your reply speaks volumes.
Hold yourself accountable for making yourself look like a jackass on natinoal TV. Stop laying blame on everybody else.
Let me guess. You’re the type of person that takes a kid to a WWE event and then complains about decency when people are drunk, cursing and watching “wrestlers” get hit over the head with chairs.
Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Eat babies! Badger babies!
So if everybody else does it, that makes it OK, got it.
Even Tubby felt the chanting warranted a letter to the student body. Doesn’t that tell you something?
Not at all. If people had rushed the court (like some were talking about in the student section), I certainly wouldn’t have joined them and I would have encouraged those in my group not to as well.
I understand Tubby sending out a letter to the student section, and I think that it probably has to do with pressure from the department or ESPN. Either way, it’s not going to change anything. Every year against the Badgers, students will chant “fuck the Badgers”. A letter from Tubby won’t change that, and while it looks good to the public (assuming it gets mentioned by the Strib or PP), it’s pretty meaningless.
Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Kill, maim, pillage, burn! Eat babies! Badger babies!
that's right B!%CH don't bring that S*#T around here
what you say here can, and will, be used against you
by GopherNation on Feb 24, 2010 7:24 PM CST up reply actions
hehe
I'm feverished, or the way you want to spell it
by plinytheelder on Mar 1, 2010 8:06 PM CST up reply actions
Tubby can do whatever he wants
If he actually thinks our student section cheering is anything but helpful (which I’m almost positive he doesn’t) then he has every right to make his opinion known. Then again the student section will do whatever it wants as well (everything short of violence, at least), just as every student section has done at every major sporting event since the dawn of time.
Crowd chant and Tubby
Clearly Bo Ryan was seen mouthing the same explitive and acting similarly as he reacted to some of the referee calls. The heat of battle is no excuse for his immature behavior. Crudeness is associated with Iowa. I don’t think Minnesota crowds want to drop to their disgusting level. Minnesota.is classier than that. Tubby is right and is obligated to object to that poor display. People must respect others while out in public or we are doomed to live in a dirt society.
by bobbyspringfield on Feb 25, 2010 9:26 AM CST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
