Crowd Control (WIHAWIHI Part 2)

When was it ok to storm the court?

There was a time in my life as a sports fan when I remember seeing fans stream a court after something memorable occurring.  It must not have been that memorable because I can't even give you an example.  But I seem to recall it was only when something unbelievable happened and added to the moment.  As a fan, it made you want to be there--to be one of them, excited to be at that kind of finish for your favorite team.

But at no point in sports history has it been "ok" for a fan to go on to the field of play.  Sure, there are times where it was not exactly frowned upon.  I remember as a young Reg watching in 1974 when the two young guys slapped Hank Aaron on the back as he circled the bases after his record breaking (and non-steroid induced) 715th home run.  It was harmless.  It was a celebration.  And both guys were arrested.

The more heinous examples, including the stabbing of Monica Seles and the father/son duo who assaulted Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa in the middle of a game, showed the danger inherent in such encounters between fan and player.  And just so you don't think I'm singling out the men, everyone's favorite kissing bandit, Morganna, went on various sporting fields on numerous occasions and planted big wet ones on a number of sporting luminaries, right in the middle of the game.  No one was safe.  It was amusing.  And she was arrested several times.

The fans can incite the players as well.  This year, Marcus Smart was involved in an altercation with an older fan at an Oklahoma State-Texas Tech game when he thought he overheard a racial slur.  Smart was suspended.  The fan was ridiculed and became a negative YouTube sensation for his offensive gesture at a previous Texas Tech game.  History is littered with the clever (and sometimes extremely demeaning and offensive) ways college fans have used to heckle, disrupt, or distract players from the opposing team (as a result of one of the cleaner examples, I secretly hope to see my "big fat head" behind one of the baskets at an Iowa game--but it might cause a rash of vomiting for the at-home viewer).

Running onto the court after a game is simply an excuse to be part of the action.  How many of the court-rushing fans after the Maryland upset of Virginia on Saturday were actually aware of Maryland's history in the ACC and the meaningfulness of that final home game?  Zero.  They were simply looking to get on television and slap a jock on the back (and had the liquid courage to back it up).

The problem is, no one in authority is doing anything to prevent it.  In the Smart incident, he was not ejected because "we don't have a rule covering that."  Great--you can blow a whistle and take ten minutes to analyze whether a foul is a Flagrant 1 or 2 but you got nothing to cover a minor assault in the stands.  Earlier this year, the fans prematurely rushed the court at the end of the Arizona-Arizona State game when there was still 1 second left.  Five minutes later, once the court had been cleared (that is, the fans literally moved just behind the baseline for the final play), no T was assessed and the home team had no ramifications (and Arizona just missed sending it to a third OT with a 45-foot shot that hit the front of the rim).  The NCAA has 637 rules to cover how to receive a stick of chewing gum from a booster--God forbid they would add another one to prevent a riot.

And in that final case, the fans became a part of the game.  They inserted themselves in the game and almost dictated the end.  That should never happen.  Do we really have to wait until someone is seriously injured or some drunk fan goes after players from the opposing team before this gets legislated?  Celebrations can occur just as easily in the stands as on the court.  Go stalk your favorite player after the game and slap him on the back as he walks along the quad.  "Kids being kids" in this case isn't enough justification because these aren't kids they are college students.

I was a college student--I am frighteningly aware of what is possible.

Peace,
Reg