Violent outbreaks last weekend at an NBA basketball game and a college football game should provide some food for thought for Kansas University athletic officials — and Jayhawk fans.

Some members of the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons basketball teams are paying a high price — as they should — for jumping into the stands and punching fans during a melee last weekend. But most observers also can see that fans who throw cups of beer and other objects at players on the court are hardly blameless. It was a bad situation all the way around.

What possesses someone in the stands to think it would be OK to toss a cup of beer in a player’s face? The presence, and perhaps overuse, of beer at the game offers one possible explanation, but it’s hardly an excuse for such behavior.

Some observers have opined that the high prices charged to attend sporting events these days may make some fans a bit more impatient with a team they think isn’t performing as well as it should. Hopefully, the KU athletic department’s new emphasis on raising money won’t have a negative effect on fan behavior at KU games.

Jayhawk basketball fans are known as astute observers of the game. They are intense and knowledgeable but usually well-behaved. That’s not to say that some fans don’t go too far in expressing their opinions at players or officials who don’t measure up to their expectations.

KU officials need to make sure that KU fans set an example for positive fan behavior. Former KU basketball coach Roy Williams didn’t hesitate to scold the student section when its cheers crossed the line or to admonish the entire crowd if something was thrown on the court. He was right in saying such actions don’t represent “Kansas basketball.” Hopefully, Coach Bill Self won’t have to step in to quell bad fan behavior, but he also should be quick to address such issues if it becomes necessary.

Many Jayhawk fans have fond memories of trips they made to the fieldhouse or stadium as youngsters, and it’s important to preserve an atmosphere at those events that is suitable for children. It’s also important to remember, especially at the college level, that the players on the court or the field are people who have not only great athletic talent but also very human weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

Players have a responsibility to maintain their composure and refrain from reacting to fan comments, but fans and, if necessary, athletic officials also have a responsibility to make sure the behavior of those in the stands doesn’t become part of the problem.