LETTER: ‘Overrated’ chants not bad

Editor,

I am writing in response to John Zsiray’s editorial about the “overrated” comments at the most recent basketball game. (Opinion & Analysis, Feb. 14) My, aren’t you a sore loser?

Perhaps if Pak had made one of his free throws or if John Neil hadn’t fouled Marko on the 3-point line, it wouldn’t have come to this. You said “Spencer Nelson talked about the loss chalking it up to the team losing the game. Neither of these could be further from the truth.” Of course the players are responsible for what happens. Sure the fans can sometimes impact a game, but they aren’t playing.

Several mistakes were made in the end. We have won about 95 percent of our home games and surely we have taunted the players or coaches in most or all of those games. The fans shouted “overrated” against Utah and the team still beat them by double digits.

If you hate the fans so much why do you go to the games? I did find it ironic that the team lost after the chanting. The last game I went to was on Thursday and I thought the M.C. Hammer chants were sickeningly racist. I agree with you that fans should not have thrown things on the court that is really sad.

If Pacific’s coach said he doesn’t want to play us because of the “overrated” comment, then I think he should step down. He is going to face chants anywhere he goes, so maybe he can’t handle the job. Stew Morrill said “the students started chanting too early.” If he meant this as irony that is fine, but if I found out his point was to lay blame on the fans for the loss then I will have lost all respect for the man and will never attend a USU basketball game again.

Cory Hamblin