Fans should practice class
Touching All Bases
By Bobby Moore
[email protected]
Sports Columnist
 Sometimes sports fans embarrass me.
Every year we hear about the major cities in our country breaking out into riots after the World Series or the NBA finals.
Sadly, if we heard about all the behavior that happens at Southeastern Conference (SEC) football games, we would know that Los Angeles and New York have nothing on Athens, Baton Rouge, Knoxville, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and Gainesville.
For example, when Georgia traveled to LSU on September 20, one man suffered pain and embarrassment at the hands of another unruly fan. After the poor, unsuspecting Georgia fan went into a porta-toilet, a drunken LSU fan tipped over the toilet causing injury (as well as insult).
In 2001, LSU fans burned down the Tiger Van, which had for years been a fixture at Auburn University on game days. This act of arson took place at the state capitol of Louisiana. I'm sure that makes their governor feel proud.
Last season, a Georgia fan was beaten severely by Alabama students in front of a fraternity house. I am not sure if this was done in honor of �the Bear� or the beer.
Before Georgia fans start pointing fingers, let us not forget 1986. For those of you who are too young to remember, some Georgia fans ran onto the field after a 20-16 upset win against eighth-ranked Auburn and began to tear up the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium. However, it was not long until the hoses were brought out, and we all know what they say about wet dogs.
There are several other examples of unacceptable behavior and it seems to get worse every year. If we hear about fans of our team running around destroying cars and tossing beer bottles, we often say �every school has bad fans� or �it happens everywhere�. I see no need to make excuses.
I assume that when fans destroy an opposing fan's property, it is supposed to prove their love for their team. If they truly loved their team, they would not go out of their way to embarrass the university they represent.
A word that fans of every school in the SEC like to throw around is �class�. To achieve class, fans must behave off the field.
In fact, what happens on the field does not actually determine anything in a fan's life. If your team wins this weekend, it will not make you a better person.
The media likes to say that the fans of certain teams have an inferiority complex. If you do feel inferior because your team has lost to their rival four straight years, please do us all a favor and come to your senses.
If games that no one will remember a year from now dictate your happiness to the fact that you cannot control your actions, then you should get a job, a spouse, a car payment, kids, or something with meaning that will actually benefit your life.
A lot of people, including myself, enjoy attending college football games. I just wish that those who cannot co-exist with the other 85,000 fans in attendance would stay at home.
The late Joe Strummer once said, �There is no tenderness or humanity in fanaticism.� Too bad college football fans do not share his perspective.
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