Ever since the inception of athletic competition, some form of organized, professional sports and spectatorship of those sports, have forever served as a cornerstone in the American way of life. From football to basketball to baseball and a variety of others, sports have been able to create a bond between gifted athletes, as well as provide fans with a great source of entertainment. Coming with the territory of being a die-hard fan comes the entitlement of being able to passionately cheer for your team, while also being able to heckle a rival team as much as you desire. But nowadays, with the sneaky censorship of spectators all across the country, this privilege is being wrestled from the clutches of the fans. I’ve even heard of fans being kicked out for yelling “don’t miss” at a college basketball game during a player’s shot. This trend is particularly worrisome to athletes and spectators alike in the arenas of the Ivy League.

Based on an event that took place at the Dartmouth lacrosse game this past weekend (and several other previous incidents at several schools in the Ivy League), it has become apparent that certain fans, mostly parents, have become overly, overly uptight about the bantering that takes place at games. If you weren’t aware of what happened this Saturday, all you need to know is that a group of Dartmouth fans began “trash-talking” to one specific player on the opposing team and the player’s parents, who unknowingly happened to be right in front of this group of fans, created quite an uproar over the heckling directed toward their son.


Now, while I unequivocally believe that there should be certain types of heckling that aren’t allowed, such as racist, anti-Semitic, or blatantly homophobic comments, I truly believe that certain fans, like these parents, need to seriously relax. People need to realize that when you’re in a college arena, even more so than in a professional one, students have a strong allegiance to their school and can and will do anything in their power to help their team win. If that includes continuously heckling one player with profanity-filled language (although not while surrounded by young children) or telling that player how much he “sucks,” then so be it. This banter is what comes with the territory of being proud of your team and trying to rattle your opponents as if you were on the field or court yourself; and if you can’t handle it, then you shouldn’t be attending the event in the first place. There’s a reason they call the crowd the sixth man in many basketball games, and it’s not just architecture that bestows a team with the widely acclaimed “home-field advantage.”


I mean, I don’t think that a Yankees fan is going to go to Fenway Park and call over a police officer because Boston fans are showering him with a barrage of insults, or even popcorn. No, you suck it up, and realize that that is what sports are all about. Fans love their teams and love to hate other teams, and that’s just the way it is. As an athlete myself, nothing fuels my desire to want to win or play well more than an opposing teams’ fans talking serious trash. It’s not only motivation, but it adds to the overall excitement and importance of the game. So, to the parents of the son who the Dartmouth fans were chirping, all I have to say is get a grip, stop crying, and realize that what they were saying was nothing personal to your son; it was merely part of the game. And to be honest, you probably got so mad because he actually did suck.