To the editor:
As a KU graduate and football season ticket holder, I believe KU owes K-State and the NCAA a huge apology for their use of the speaker system during play at their recent game. Whoever the person is that decided blaring music during KU kickoffs was the answer to the student section's chant is sadly mistaken. That was in my opinion much more childish, obnoxious and uncalled for than 5 to 10 seconds of a chant that contains one swear word. The music is way too loud during pregame warm-ups in itself without having to also try to endure it during actual game plays. I believe it was also rude to use the same to drown out the K-state band, which took time and expense to attend the game.
It might not be against NCAA rules, but I do know it has always been an unofficial rule of etiquette that there is no playing of any kind of disruption during actual plays, either in football or basketball. Our former basketball coach liked to say KU fans just sit on their hands and do nothing. At least the students are attending games and showing some spirit. I guess the people that suggested KU kick out the ones that yell the chant would rather see the whole east side of the stadium empty? Let the students enjoy themselves for a couple of hours on Saturday.
John Gibson,
Topeka
Comments
mom_of_three 9 years, 7 months ago
KU fans are complaining about the chanting, the students are too stubborn to stop the chant, and so the school came up with a solution, and now people are complaining about it. It was effective, no one on tv heard it, and perhaps no one on the other side of the stadium. The Tv stations may have also called for a solution, because the solution on their end didn't always work (which was doing something to the volume or sound during kickoffs, which sounded odd and didn't take care of the problem). Aww, the music was too loud during pregame warmups. Well, it's not your school or your team. You chose to come, and you have to endure what the other team does. If the KSU band was drowned out, then too bad for them playing at the wrong time.
haywire 9 years, 7 months ago
Perhaps there is way too much concern over the chant.....life could be worse.
coolmarv 9 years, 7 months ago
My twelve years old son turned to me after KU's first kickoff and said " they didn't say that word". Blasting the music worked as far as I am concerned. and before someone points out that my son is twelve, in Junior High and has heard the 'word', I realize that. If he didn't hear that then neither would have my younger child who happened not to be at the game that day. Blast away I say.
natas 9 years, 7 months ago
If its too loud .... Your too old.
XEPCT 9 years, 7 months ago
Sounds like the students need some strategically placed megaphones.
gsxr600 9 years, 7 months ago
"I think the solution to the problem of the offensive chant is to remove the chanters from the game permanantly."-Are you serious? How would you go about doing that? Good effing luck.
VTHawk 9 years, 7 months ago
I think that it is a perfect, if inelegant, solution to the problem. Since a large minority of the KU student body choose to exhibit no class and disrespect the KU coach, covering up the chant with music does the job well (temporarily, I assume).I am sure that the school got special permission to continue playing the music during play.The KSU band repeatedly played OVER the KU band when they were already playing, so the PA overplaying them doesn't bother me. More worrisome is that KSU can field a much larger and louder band than KU at this point.Nice job Lew & Co coming up with a way around our "offensive line" problem.
BigDog 9 years, 7 months ago
First it sounds like the writer of the letter has not been to too many football games ...... I have been to games across the state and various areas of the country ...... both college and professional. The loud music is not unusual .... it is their attempt to pump up the fans a bit but also most players like the music.The writer of the letter was probably one of those fans at the Kansas - Kansas State game who would get up and make noise for the team on third downs either.
David Omar 9 years, 7 months ago
I disagree with VT Hawk, two wrongs don't make a right and I think the solution to the problem of the offensive chant is to remove the chanters from the game permanantly. If they are caught chanting this awful disgraceful harang, they should be barred from attending the games for the rest of the season and removed. Period. Loud music in a bar, restaurant or anywhere is in its self offensive and disturbing,
Tony Kisner 9 years, 7 months ago
Hold on Bob. The game needs canned muzak I would also like to see dry ice effects and lasers. I love the rave muzak when we kick off, I always feel like I'm at a cool rave party when we kick off, like I've been transported to Berlin for 45-60 seconds at a time.
Jason Bailey 9 years, 7 months ago
@Mimis_friend: Couldn't agree with you more. Accountability is the key here, not replacing one wrong with another wrong.In my mind, KU's Athletic dept doesn't have the cajones to do what's needed.
S0uPnAzi 9 years, 7 months ago
I don't feel it was as bad a thing to play music through the kick-off as the letter says. The chant is a problem, and it's unfortunate that the students won't give it up, that totally lacks class on their part, but then again, they are 18, 19, 20 year olds, so some lack of judgement is to be expected. As far as ejecting the students making the cheer, I understand where some might be coming from to "make them accountable", but keep in mind these same students are the most vocal and strident supporters of our football team by their spirit, so ... "don't cut off the nose to spite the face".I have to agree with one other comment...with so many things in the world that are worth getting into a stew about, this one ranks about .8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Get over it.
mom_of_three 9 years, 7 months ago
"our former basketball coach said KU fans liked to sit on their hands and do nothing." Basketball fans have nothing to do with football fans, and secondly, basketball fans do not sit on their hands and do nothing. Maybe if the K-state basketball coach had paid more attention during the game, which he didn't if he missed all the noise at Allen Fieldhouse, then maybe K-State might have one here more often.
Confrontation 9 years, 7 months ago
Seriously, I don't care about the K-State band or how far they travelled.
Mike Blur 9 years, 7 months ago
The student section sure showed a lot of spirit today in the third quarter. The didn't do the obscene chant at all! Curiously, most all of them were disguised as empty bleachers.Yes fans, the bandwagon has officially emptied on this year's Fighting Manginos. No more home games...will have to wait until next year.
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