Administration apologizes to BYU for taunts
USU President Stan Albrecht and Athletics Director Scott Barnes recently issued a personal apology to Brigham Young University Administration for insults directed toward basketball players — particularly Brandon Davies — during the men’s basketball game Nov. 11.
Davies, a junior forward on the BYU team, was suspended from the team in the middle of the 2010-11 season for violating the university’s Honor Code. He confessed to having had premarital sex with his girlfriend, which always results in the student being removed from the university.
“For me, personally, there is nothing like a basketball event in the Spectrum,” Albrecht said. “Yet, I also believe that we can retain and encourage all that is good with the Spectrum experience without resorting to very personal attacks on individual student-athletes. That was the primary message of our letter.”
Albrecht and Barnes met with the president and athletics director of BYU and also posted a letter on the USU website stating they were “disappointed and disturbed” at seeing the conduct of some USU basketball fans.
“(They) chose to conduct themselves in ways that went far beyond mere school rivalry, fair play and — most importantly — basic human decency,” the letter stated.
The letter also states it is inappropriate for students to invite a guest to our home court and then expose him to derogatory language and personal insults.
Rick Baxter, a BYU alumnus and a member of the BYU research faculty, said, “I have no problem with a student section getting crazy and having fun, but when you take it to personal attacks, I think it takes it too far.”
Megan Blume, a freshman majoring in elementary education said, ” The Aggies acted a little out of hand at the game. Davies’ personal life is none of their business, and they ought not to have pushed it so far.”
Baxter said, in speculation, one cause of so much animosity could have been because there are students at USU who didn’t get accepted to BYU.
“It’s unfortunate, because all too often BYU students use that to belittle USU students and that shouldn’t happen,” Baxter said. “If anything, especially at BYU, it should absolutely not be like that. We should never put ourselves above anyone else. It does happen, however, on a case-by-case basis. Not on a university level.”
Blume said she considers BYU a rival because the teams are equally matched and there is a stereotypical type of student associated with each college.
Baxter said he thinks the majority of USU students are good kids and some are considered “edgy” by those in Provo, Utah, and this game unfortunately put USU in a bad light.
“There is the perception that they like to be different,” Baxter said, “They don’t want to be associated with a religious school.”
Early childhood education major and freshman Marissa Martin said she thinks Aggie fans acted the way they did because BYU is a rival.
“Many Aggies carry a chip on their shoulder and can’t stand BYU fans, plus it’s the heat of the moment type of thing,” Martin said.
Scott Bakowski, a senior majoring in history at BYU, said the apology was necessary.
“It was a commendable act on behalf of USU,” Bakowski said, “It is something we’re always made fun of for — living religious principles. I think everybody has their own choice, and not everyone has given their apology in the past, but it’s obviously something that USU stands for.”
Baxter said the apology was the right thing to do.
“I think it was very classy on USU’s part, for the president to come out and apologize, even though it wasn’t necessarily his fault,” Baxter said.
He also said the atmosphere at the Spectrum is one of the things he thinks is great at USU.
“It’s awesome that (USU students) are so passionate about that program. The Spectrum is an unbelievably difficult place to play. It’s fun,” Baxter said.
Albrecht said he loves to entertain guests at basketball games in the Spectrum, especially if it’s their first time there.
“They go away having experienced what is one of the truly unique athletic atmospheres in our country,” Albrecht said, “I love to have potential recruits, donors, legislators and others come and share that special experience with us. It helps them understand what is unique about USU in ways that nothing else even comes close.”
Blume said she was excited to witness a game in the Spectrum, especially after having camped out the three nights prior to the game.
“The energy around it just made me more excited,” Blume said. “Although some signs and comments were out of hand, I still enjoyed the game. The high energy and the team spirit are the motivators for me. I go because I love screaming with the crowd and supporting the team.”
The apology letter also stated, “We have to be able to find some way to display incomparable enthusiasm and school spirit without resorting to crude language, outright vulgarity and deeply personal insults chanted at an opposing player.”
Martin said, “Because I come from a huge high school rivalry, I personally didn’t think too much of how Aggie fans acted at the time. Looking back on it and thinking from a different perspective, some of it was taken a little too far.”
From BYU’s perspective it was necessary to apologize, Martin added, but it may not seem that way from a USU student’s perspective.
“I love our crowd,” Martin said. “Each Aggie fan just feeds off each other and the players. We’re unique and crazy and fun. Just being in the Spectrum gets you pumped up.”
Albrecht said he has absolutely no interest in changing the atmosphere of the Spectrum or limiting the enthusiasm of students, but the crude chants and rude signs need to stop.
“Chants directed at individual players really have no place in intercollegiate athletics,” Albrecht said. “Some who have criticized our letter have observed that ‘It happens in other places,’ but I do not believe that excuses us for behaving badly. I simply believe that we can and should do better. Our request is simple: Make the Spectrum the most difficult away game in the country, but do it in a way that does not include crude personal attacks on individual members of the visiting team.”
– amber.murdoch@aggiemail.usu.edu