To the editor:

Those who support the tradition and harmless fun of storming the court need to read this. In 2003, high school basketball player Joe Kay in Tucson was dropped by his fans and classmates when they swarmed around him in celebration of a win. He was instantly trampled, his carotid artery was torn and he suffered a paralyzing stroke. Seventy-three fans were nearly crushed to death at a University of Wisconsin football game in a rush to get on the field in 1993. Ninety-eight people, including many children, were crushed to death at a soccer game in England in 1989.

Don’t say it can’t happen these days. All it takes is one person to trip in the narrow opening as thousands rush to get on the court. If they were lucky they would only suffer tissue damage and probable broken bones, but the possibility of death is very real. If Jamari Traylor had pushed the K-State fan back, an all-out brawl could have happened, and you know it. Thankfully he showed restraint.

Don’t think for a moment that a tragedy like those I cited won’t happen again. It is a matter of time before people are hurt or killed when storming the court. The NCAA needs to institute a total ban on storming the court of field, and enforce it by hitting the school with a $100,000 fine and automatic forfeiture of the win. Why? What is more important, continuing a tradition of mobbing the court, or the safety of the fans and players?