It only took one home game after being ranked in the Top 25 for the debate to begin: should fans boo at collegiate athletic events? It was apparent against UVA Saturday that several folks had no moral issue with the question as the offense was booed from the first possession (regardless of which side of this issue you're on, that's a bit early). The debate was brought to a climax in our section late in the fourth quarter when an otherwise low-key gentleman sitting a few seats to our left stood up and yelled at some folks behind us who had been espousing negativity throughout the game - he had had enough hearing about how terrible all the players were and expressed that to the aforementioned screamers.
Fans can get hostile to their teams, coaches and players - in addition to their opposing fans, coaches or players - because of their emotional involvement in the outcome of the contest. Some people would undoubtedly say that this involvement is not healthy at any level; "it's just a game." However, as long as this involvement ends (or at least subsides) after a reasonable amount of time following the event, I would argue that placing one's faith and hopes in an athletic team is not unhealthy but can provide an outlet to emotions that could otherwise harm relationships in one's life that matter much more than an athletic contest. As my credentials in psychology are somewhat suspect, I will simply address the booing issue here. (Though I will mention that there is a difference between college and professional school/team loyalty, significantly that folks largely cheer for schools that share somewhat in their personal values, which can be rooted in geography, religion, personal attachment (alumni) - you will not generally back a school for which you wish not to be identified as a fan. Professional rooting interests are almost purely geographically based.)
Back to the issue - should a fan boo a college athlete? Their are two main arguments here: First, at UNC fans have paid at least $50 for their ticket, probably $10-20 for parking and some have donated money to the Rams Club (money that they see going directly to Coach Davis - we'll get to that in a minute) and they feel they have the right to express their opinions loudly whenever they want. The most often heard opposing view is that you should never boo college athletes because they are not being paid and that "amateur" athletics should be purely for the spirit of competition.
The differences here are that, yes, you have a right to express displeasure and boo if you want -but you do not have the right to unreasonably impinge on other fans' enjoyment of the game. This is the tipping point of the argument - what is unreasonable. Obviously the gentleman on Saturday felt that his point had been reached. He was assailed, of course, with the "wine and cheese" argument from the louder fans. I can personally log an opinion here - three years ago I realized that my language at games was out of line at times, finally noticing young children around us that shouldn't be exposed to that behavior (this epiphany probably catalyzed by the birth of my own daughter). This is also where professional and collegiate sports diverge for me - if you go to a pro game you need to expect a different level of decorum; at a college sports event, you cannot complain about it being too loud (or folks standing up in front of you, UNC fans) but you do have the right to not have to listen to repeated profanity.
This gets me to my final point - yes, one has a right to boo at a college game - but only directly at participants who are paid to perform at that game. This includes coaches (whose salary is paid directly by a large number of fans) and, of course, officials. There is no reason why a coach paid in the top tier of his profession should deliver a product similar to that of a predecessor paid in the lowest tier; unfortunately at this point in 2009 that is exactly what is happening in Chapel Hill. So, feel free to boo the inevitable first play in each possession - the ubiquitous off-tackle run for 1 yard - but do not boo Mr. Yates for throwing an interception on 3rd and 21 after he's been sacked twice.
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