Unkind words not part of being an Aggie

What does it feel like to have the entire student section of the Spectrum screaming a fierce chant of “Ugly Duckling!” right at you each time you have possession of the basketball? I’m not entirely sure. I hope I never have to find out. However, this type of heckling was directed to former Boise State Broncos point guard Colby Karl this past January in the Spectrum. Scenes like this have been frequent of late in the Spectrum by masses of fans generally made up of students. Many will say it’s all part of the game. Ironically, it’s true. It’s also the problem. There is a distinct line between giving somebody a hard time for the way they shoot their free throws and throwing daggers of personal insult for their looks or even their race. These no doubt pierce them worse than anything else could. There is a clear distinction between cruelty and class-the latter of which is lacking in some Aggie fans. Did you know before the game against USU in the Spectrum, Karl found out he had cancerous lymph nodes? He decided to wait until the end of the season to tell his teammates. According to Boise State’s athletic department Web site, Karl underwent a seven-hour surgery on April 2 of this year to remove the cancerous lymph nodes. It was his second operation in 13 months. Karl was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma, a form of treatable cancer, in January 2006, and had his thyroid removed three months later. Also, the Web site states, he underwent chemotherapy to kill off any remaining cells, but the cancer returned. “He’s feeling better,” an AP story dated April 27 stated. “He’s slowly getting back into basketball shape and the 3-inch scar below his chin from where the doctors performed the operation is starting to fade. ‘I’m not in the shape I have been in the past,’ Karl said. ‘But I’m feeling good and that’s big.'” Wow. What a great definition of toughness and endurance Karl is. Luckily, things are coming together for him. He graduated in May with a degree in mass communications and was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers over the summer. One can only imagine the impression George Karl, who was seated behind the Boise State bench, took from that game. He is Colby’s father and current coach of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. This incident is unfortunate, but not uncommon, at the Spectrum. It’s a problem just about everywhere sports are taken seriously. It would seem as though this is a virtually uncontrollable thing. Really, how much power can you really have at putting a stop to what thousands of fans yell? Some have tried, though in vain. Reggie Theus, who was the glamorous and well-dressed head coach of the New Mexico State Aggies until joining the Sacramento Kings over the summer, started the “Bigger Man Project” at New Mexico State in his two years there. The point of it was to get fans to stop a profane chant when opponents shot free throws. One Web site reported that instead of stopping, the chant was still repeated, but with a minor difference: The profane word was said in Spanish. Given these facts, it is surprising there has been no public rebuke from USU leadership or the athletic department. Isn’t this a responsibility leaders are entrusted with? Let’s assume the reason nothing has been done by the university or the athletic department is because they know nothing about it-though that’s hard to believe for anybody who was at the game with ears to hear. Over the years, the Spectrum has easily proven to be the gold standard of home-court advantage among Utah’s colleges. The university of Utah’s Huntsman Center, BYU’s Marriott Center and Weber State’s Dee Events Center are each boring, pathetic and, in the case of Weber State’s home, purple. The atmosphere of these venues is generally changed for the better when the Aggies visit. The Spectrum also is among the loudest college basketball venues in the United States. Why is this? Sure, the team is talented, but the fans at times have literally carried them to victory. After being outplayed for most the game and finally beating the Broncos in that January game, an amazed Aggie Head Coach Stew Morrill credited “Spectrum Magic” as the catalyst for the win. He made the same comment after USU took down the ninth-ranked Nevada Wolf Pack later on in the season. Case in point: Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to be loud and proud without being rude and crude. May it be so this season in the Spectrum.