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Yes, there are classless fans everywhere. Here is a letter I sent to the Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (hereinafter in my mind the University of No Class Goobers). I never received a response.

Ms. Sullivan,

I, as well as large number of other parents attended the Lafayette/UNC-G mens’ soccer game this past Sunday. I have to say that it was an exciting game. However, over many, many years of attending outdoor competitive sporting events, I have never, ever been ‘treated’ to a display of such continued and absolute classless and distasteful behavior as I did from your student “fans”.

For some reason, someone in your organization found it appropriate to locate your student section (”Blue Zone”?) directly behind the section designated for the visiting team’s fans. I can see how there really may not have been much anaylsis of that decision, and, in a normal world, probably seemed fine. Your student “fans” are very far from normal. It was a very bad decision, as your so-called student fans desperately need a lesson in basic civil behavior and social respect.

We were treated to obscenity after obscenity, directed solely at us, simply for being the visiting team’s fans. Furthermore, in one instance, when one of our players went down with what appeared to be a slight groin pull (directly in front of our section and on our side of the field) your excellent and class-filled student fans shouted all sorts of hateful comments - this was my favorite - “get him off the field, we don’t want anyone like that reproducing anyway”.....the player happened to be black. Nice...... Finally, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie, your “wonderful students” (I estimate about 25 strong) began showering our section (mostly parents of athletes) with water bottles and other debris, and then shouted for us all to get “the hell” out of “their stadium”. Your security personnel did nothing.

I guess that sort of classlessness is typical at UNC-Greensboro. You have little to be proud of in that regard.

This email would be volumous in length would I take the time to list each and every occurrence of the utter hate-filled and classless behavior of your “students”, but I feel it would be a complete waste of my time. You have some serious problems to address. I hope you see fit to investigate these allegations further and actually take some action so as to avoid any future displays of this type that only very badly tarnish your university. Your fans represent your institution rather poorly.

Regards,

XXXXXXXXXXX

Finally, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie, your “wonderful students” (I estimate about 25 strong) began showering our section (mostly parents of athletes) with water bottles and other debris, and then shouted for us all to get “the hell” out of “their stadium”. Your security personnel did nothing.

At that point, the little monsters should have been arrested. Vulgar taunting is one thing; throwing objects is another. (Personally, I would have favored ejecting them from the stadium long before then, but that is just me.)

For some reason, someone in your organization found it appropriate to locate your student section (”Blue Zone”?) directly behind the section designated for the visiting team’s fans. I can see how there really may not have been much anaylsis of that decision, and, in a normal world, probably seemed fine.

Good letter. Next time, send it to the newspapers as well. Colleges won't ever admit to a problem until the community is aware of it.

A few years ago, Tennessee football fans attending the game at Florida were, year after year, seated in front of the student section, where they were spit on, hit by debris, and generally harassed. Fans were physically roughed up within clear view of security personnel. We're not talking teenaged fans. Middle aged women were subjected to the taunts, shoves, spitting, bottle throwing, etc., and a mob rule was in place in the stands and leaving the stadium.

Years of complaints went unheeded until UT Athletic Director Doug Dickey sent a letter to the Fla AD telling him that unless Fla made some changes and enforced security for UT fans, he would not return to the Swamp and would cancel the game. The prospect of losing 95,000 ticket sales and the scandal that would be associated with a public review of safety at UF was apparently enough to cause UF to beef up security and relocate the visitors' seats so that they were not sitting in front of students. Bottom line is that when they were forced to react, they found all kinds of things they could do to make the game safer for the fans.

I don't resent anyone being a fan of their team, and I don't understand people who hate opposing teams or fans. We're all there to have fun.