The Crew Controversy: One bad egg.
This is the You Tube generation… remember the prank students at Hilliard Davidson pulled on the Hilliard Darby students at their football game this year? Remember the “We Suck!” signs? yah… classic stuff. It’s video on YouTube made national headlines.
BTW--That game was played at Crew Stadium.
That’s the scene for this latest You Tube hubbub… As you’ve probably heard, the Crew and MLS are investigating a fan’s tape from a Crew-NE Revolution game where an apparent Crew “fan” dropped the “N” word on an opposing player. That fan has not been identified, and whoever that dude is, he’s lucky for now. The Crew and MLS have both threatened to ban that fan for life if and when he’s identified, which to be fair, will probably never happen. He’s not on camera… it’s a needle in a haystack deal. And then you have to match the voice, and who knows how that’s going to work… basically, it’s all semantics, but I’d love it if this person is identified!
I think the Crew has publicly handled this incredibly well, and I know the team is attempting to better police its rowdy cheering section during home games. Is it embarrasing--absolutely. Of course, this type of thing happens at many pro and college events. Fans who drink too much or think too little drop off-color comments that embarrass themselves and the fans around them. This happens too much, but it is a country founded on the idea of free expression. We can’t make every fan conform to never say anything harsh and critical. But when those comments cross an offensive line (and offensive is wildly different to each person), that’s when we need to take action.
I hate being at a game and sitting next to the angry guy. It’s repulsive. I’m there to chill and enjoy, he’s there to vent his frustration built by his lame life. Thing is, he bought the ticket, and long as he’s not offending and hurting anyone, he’s got a right to cheer and jeer. He’s got a right to stand up and temporarily block the view of the person behind him. In elementary parlance, for the rest of us it’s “tough noogies.”
But I have no problem politely asking a person who’s acting rudely or offensive to turn it down a notch. If you’ve got kids with you, you gotta step up for them. Or if possible, just move seats. I’m glad to hear in the case of this Crew “fan” he was confronted immediately by other fans for the comment. Confront does not mean berate and stooping to their level. But even the most polite request can be interpreted like a personal attack, so tread lightly grasshopper.
I’m thankful for You Tube that events like these are brought to life nowadays. I think this Crew story is a great reminder that it’s all our responsibility to police each other and behave at games. No, you don’t have to kiss up to the opponent. You can treat with respect, while sneaking in a few “boo’s!” here and there. Good fans make good events.
