Jayhawk basketball fans should accord their team the kind of honor it deserves: celebrations with common sense.

Kansas University’s basketball fans owe coach Roy Williams and his outstanding team something special: jubilant and exuberant but sane and reasonable responses whether the Jayhawks win or lose in the NCAA Final Four. The team has been delivering thrills all year; it’s time for the fans to honor it with a little dignity along with all the understandable hullaballoo.

All season, the KU team and coaches have conducted themselves in a manner of which their friends and followers can be proud. Now this very special team deserves similar class and dignity from its followers.

In recent times, there has been a troubling tendency for crowds and alleged “fans” in various communities to use athletic victories as an excuse to cause damage and injury. While some have described such antics as “letting off steam,” most regard it as unacceptable. Let’s not let celebrations in Lawrence be tarnished by such behavior.

No good purpose is to be served by any Kansas fan becoming drunk, causing traffic injuries or destroying property, such as KU campus trees that were damaged in 1991 and 1993 when foolish people climbed into them.

There are many, many ways for people to enjoy themselves, express their devotion to these talented and dedicated Jayhawks and “let off steam,” so to speak. Not one of them should involve vandalism of any sort, against property or people. If Kansas should defeat Maryland in the national semifinal game this Saturday night, let’s live it up and enjoy it to the fullest as we look to a national title game on Monday.

Then if KU should happen to win the national championship, let there be more of the same, maybe even more so  but with controlled effervescence rather than damaging rampages.

Coaches, players, university officials, community leaders and a large majority of KU faithful have been issuing a call for good behavior by fans in the aftermath of events this weekend and perhaps next Monday. The university is setting up a Jumbotron viewing session in Memorial Stadium where people can gather, cheer and celebrate. There will be countless other chances for fans to rally and rejoice. Let’s keep it clean and wholesome, nondrunken and within reasonable limits.