By Jared Kraham | The Warrior Report
To all those in charge of STAC: Are you serious?
As reported in Wednesday’s Press and Sun-Bulletin, the Southern Tier Athletic Conference “wants more crowd control and a ban on booing” for high school games.
Yes, they want a ban on booing.
* New poll, vote again. Someone ran up the voting – not happening again.*
President Richard Stank stated that STAC is proposing seven pages of changes to its code of conduct having to do with spectators, specifically mentioning a “ban on booing and derogatory comments” during games.
A ban on this type of school spirit display would reek havoc on high school basketball at its most important level: the fans. Think of last year’s epic Class B semi-final pitting the Seton Fan Club and their cheers of “OVERRATED!” (aimed at CV’s #34) against Chenango Valley’s Warrior Nation and their answer – a classic “CHECK THE SCOREBOARD!” and a sign that simply read “IN MULLINS WE TRUST.” The Warriors prevailed in that exciting game 65-59, but one has to wonder if there would have been the same atmosphere in the “neutral” Johnson City gymnasium that frigid February night if these newest STAC rules were in effect last season. The answer is no.
In the days following the story on STAC, many sports fans didn’t hold back their criticism of the recommendation.
Rob Centorani, who covers high school sports for Oneonta’s The Daily Star masterfully captured exactly what this “boo ban” could do, remembering another emotional basketball tale in his bashing of STAC and Stank’s recommendation:
Booing the opposition is a time-honored tradition. When a rival comes into an opponent’s gym, it is supposed to feel uncomfortable _ that’s part of the home-court advantage. That’s why fans make a rivalry as much as the teams. It’s the fans who create the atmosphere.
Ask anyone who attended last season’s OHS-Owego game at Oneonta, where the Yellowjackets’ Dan O’Brien and Owego’s Jack Keough put on a memorable display of offensive basketball. Oneonta’s student section gave Keough grief throughout, but when Keough converted a dunk in transition he turned to the students and gave it back, flashing his jersey in front of the fans.
It was great theater.
But if this measure passes, we can forget about moments like that.
The students will be silenced, other than cheering for their team.
Mr. Stank, you’re only hurting the fans. Will student fan rivalries like those die-hard Oneonta fans vs. the Owego O-Zone, the Vestal Den Men vs. Union-Endicott’s Sea of Orange, and the Seton Fan Club vs. Chenango Valley’s Warrior Nation cease to exist because either side cannot playfully “trash talk” across the gym – all while building team moral and positively rooting on their classmates with no intentions of degrading a fellow student? These fan sections are important and make for great high school games.
John Moriello, President of the New York State Sportwriters Association (those guys in charge of rankings) voiced his opinion in the latest NYSSWA Blog. It was titled “Stupid Adults Alert:”
Hey, I’m all for promoting sportsmanship and stamping out genuinely inappropriate behavior, but a ban on booing ranks as one of the stupidest proposals I’ve ever heard. If the adults in charge took even a moment to consider what they are proposing, they would realize that there is virtually no actual difference between booing and cheering. Each is a reflection of fans’ passion and support of their team; cheers amount to commentary on positive events while boos are an expression of dissatisfaction with certain other developments such as a made basket or a goal scored by the opposition.
With the exception of boos aimed from time to time at officials (who are getting paid for their trouble, by the way), the booing is seldom as passionate as is the cheering.
There seems to be a consensus that this idea of “banning boos” is ridiculous not to mention the First Amendment problems it causes. Does anyone outside of STAC’s control room want this? Is this STAC’s far flung attempt at reclaiming authority after it was dragged through the mud for its handling (or lack thereof) of an alleged racial remark at a JV girls soccer game in October?
The only problem is, we ain’t buying it, STAC.
It’s now up to the school administrators who, by openly opposing this silly measure could keep the tradition and excitement alive at STAC basketball games and also stop STAC from becoming the laughing stock of New York State. CV’s season and home opener is on December 1st vs. Windsor. Chenango Valley and Windsor are both STAC schools. It’s not clear whether or not this recommendation will be
We can’t let STAC hurt the very involved, respectable student groups at all the local high schools who give up valuable time being spectators (that means paying admission) to support fellow students at athletic contests.
Even if new “crowd control” measures are introduced, the chance of students, parents and fans following them and effectively enforced by their respective schools is slim.
Rumors are also swirling that in addition to a “ban on booing,” there may be other changes including a ban on all noise during foul shots and a ban on any other “game disruptions” It’s just silly.
To Mr. Stank and the directors of STAC, I have a simple message:
BOOOO.
And believe me, there’s plenty more where that came from. Just ask the fans.
GO WARRIORS
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Thsi is a beautifully written and clear explanation of just how ridiculous political correctness has become. I agree that there should be limits and levels of decency regarding crowd reaction. This should not be taken to this extreme. The excitement of the Chenango Valley games is driven as much by the fans interaction as by the players on the court. The imagination shown by the 6th man and the creativity of signs and costumes must be experienced. Leave it to STAC to ruin something that actually works.