A pledge from a Jayhawk

[Orlando Bull]

Hello Bulls fans,

Let me start by saying congratulations on your big win.  You beat my Jayhawks fair and square.  I didn't like losing the game, but you have a great team.  I wish you well with the rest of your season.  This, however, isn't the reason I joined your message board and am posting what will probably be my only message.

I'm usually a lurker on other team's message boards.  I usually look, but I rarely join and butt my nose in.  This time I felt compelled to speak out. 

One of my best friends is retired.  He and his wonderful wife experienced a frightful experience at Friday's game.  It got to the point where they feared for their safety so much that he tried to call 911 in hopes that he could get a police escort out of the stadium to their rental car.  He was unable to get a phone connection.  (probably too many USF fans calling friends to celebrate the win.)  Thankfully they both were able to make it back to their rental car safely.

Let me be very clear.  I realize that most of the fans in the stadium were not causing the problems.  For those of you that weren't, thank you.  How many of you TRIED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION?

I'm not wanting to lump everyone together.  I will say that when my friend told me his story, I wanted to punch someone.  Thankfully, both he and his wonderful wife made it back to their car safely.  Their clothes smelled of beer, even though neither of them drink.  (Thanks to a shower from a Bulls fan.)  It was a relief for them just to get away.  What they experienced was not just a few drunk fans being idiots.  It was systematic abuse.  It was repeated constantly from the moment they got out of their rental car, through the entire game, and didn't stop until they drove away.

This incident has caused me to look at KU fans and games in a new light.  I NEVER want any visiting fan to come to a KU game and be treated like my friends were at Tampa.   While KU's fan culture is mostly one of respect, I'm very aware that we always will have a few idiots.

I encourage USF fans to ask yourselves a few questions:

1.  Do you want to have future games against quality opponents?

2.  How many athletic departments around the country will want to subject their most loyal travelling fans (who usually are the biggest donors) to contant abuse at your stadium?

3.  What will USF's strength of schedule look like as quality opponents dry up?

4.  Which of YOU is going to be part of the solution?

Your athletic department, school administration, and officials can only do so much.  If USF fan culture is going to improve THE FANS MUST MAKE IT HAPPEN. 

This incident has inspired me to take a pledge to make certain that I'm doing my part to prevent visitors from being mistreated at KU games.  I invite every USF fan to join me and take the same pledge.

I pledge that every time I go to a game, that I will go out of my way to find visiting team's fans.  I will find them as they get out of their car and greet them warmly.  I will walk with them to the Stadium/Fieldhouse and show them the kind of respect that I would want to be shown.  I will try to talk about the game with them and share a few laughs.  I will still cheer for my team as loudly and as passionately as possible, but win or lose, I will respect the visiting fans.  After the game I will go out of my way to walk visiting fans to their car and give them a positive send-off.  Whenever possible, I will invite a group of polite fans to join me in my walks with vistors. 

It's not enough for me to feel bad for a visiting fan that had a bad experience.  It's not enough to report bad behaviour.  I must go out of my way to MAKE the visitors feel welcome and prevent bad incidents from happening to begin with.

Once again, you played a great game.  Congratulations on your win.  I hope you can create a fan culture that is deserving of the great team that you have.

Who would like to join me in my pledge?  Is there anything that should be added to it?

going to sporting events isnt for everyone

it is a big cruel world out there

smazza's best post...ever.

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

Hello Bulls fans,

Let me start by saying congratulations on your big win.  You beat my Jayhawks fair and square.  I didn't like losing the game, but you have a great team.  I wish you well with the rest of your season.  This, however, isn't the reason I joined your message board and am posting what will probably be my only message.

I'm usually a lurker on other team's message boards.  I usually look, but I rarely join and butt my nose in.  This time I felt compelled to speak out. 

One of my best friends is retired.  He and his wonderful wife experienced a frightful experience at Friday's game.  It got to the point where they feared for their safety so much that he tried to call 911 in hopes that he could get a police escort out of the stadium to their rental car.  He was unable to get a phone connection.  (probably too many USF fans calling friends to celebrate the win.)  Thankfully they both were able to make it back to their rental car safely.

Let me be very clear.  I realize that most of the fans in the stadium were not causing the problems.  For those of you that weren't, thank you.  How many of you TRIED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION?

I'm not wanting to lump everyone together.  I will say that when my friend told me his story, I wanted to punch someone.  Thankfully, both he and his wonderful wife made it back to their car safely.  Their clothes smelled of beer, even though neither of them drink.  (Thanks to a shower from a Bulls fan.)  It was a relief for them just to get away.  What they experienced was not just a few drunk fans being idiots.  It was systematic abuse.  It was repeated constantly from the moment they got out of their rental car, through the entire game, and didn't stop until they drove away.

This incident has caused me to look at KU fans and games in a new light.  I NEVER want any visiting fan to come to a KU game and be treated like my friends were at Tampa.   While KU's fan culture is mostly one of respect, I'm very aware that we always will have a few idiots.

I encourage USF fans to ask yourselves a few questions:

1.  Do you want to have future games against quality opponents?

2.  How many athletic departments around the country will want to subject their most loyal travelling fans (who usually are the biggest donors) to contant abuse at your stadium?

3.  What will USF's strength of schedule look like as quality opponents dry up?

4.  Which of YOU is going to be part of the solution?

Your athletic department, school administration, and officials can only do so much.  If USF fan culture is going to improve THE FANS MUST MAKE IT HAPPEN. 

This incident has inspired me to take a pledge to make certain that I'm doing my part to prevent visitors from being mistreated at KU games.  I invite every USF fan to join me and take the same pledge.

I pledge that every time I go to a game, that I will go out of my way to find visiting team's fans.  I will find them as they get out of their car and greet them warmly.  I will walk with them to the Stadium/Fieldhouse and show them the kind of respect that I would want to be shown.  I will try to talk about the game with them and share a few laughs.  I will still cheer for my team as loudly and as passionately as possible, but win or lose, I will respect the visiting fans.  After the game I will go out of my way to walk visiting fans to their car and give them a positive send-off.  Whenever possible, I will invite a group of polite fans to join me in my walks with vistors. 

It's not enough for me to feel bad for a visiting fan that had a bad experience.  It's not enough to report bad behaviour.  I must go out of my way to MAKE the visitors feel welcome and prevent bad incidents from happening to begin with.

Once again, you played a great game.  Congratulations on your win.  I hope you can create a fan culture that is deserving of the great team that you have.

Who would like to join me in my pledge?  Is there anything that should be added to it?

going to sporting events isnt for everyone

it is a big cruel world out there

smazza's best post...ever.

the sun even shines on a dog's ass once in a while.

[theman123]

Hello Bulls fans,

Let me start by saying congratulations on your big win.  You beat my Jayhawks fair and square.  I didn't like losing the game, but you have a great team.  I wish you well with the rest of your season.  This, however, isn't the reason I joined your message board and am posting what will probably be my only message.

I'm usually a lurker on other team's message boards.  I usually look, but I rarely join and butt my nose in.  This time I felt compelled to speak out. 

One of my best friends is retired.  He and his wonderful wife experienced a frightful experience at Friday's game.  It got to the point where they feared for their safety so much that he tried to call 911 in hopes that he could get a police escort out of the stadium to their rental car.  He was unable to get a phone connection.  (probably too many USF fans calling friends to celebrate the win.)  Thankfully they both were able to make it back to their rental car safely.

Let me be very clear.  I realize that most of the fans in the stadium were not causing the problems.  For those of you that weren't, thank you.  How many of you TRIED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION?

I'm not wanting to lump everyone together.  I will say that when my friend told me his story, I wanted to punch someone.  Thankfully, both he and his wonderful wife made it back to their car safely.  Their clothes smelled of beer, even though neither of them drink.  (Thanks to a shower from a Bulls fan.)  It was a relief for them just to get away.  What they experienced was not just a few drunk fans being idiots.  It was systematic abuse.  It was repeated constantly from the moment they got out of their rental car, through the entire game, and didn't stop until they drove away.

This incident has caused me to look at KU fans and games in a new light.  I NEVER want any visiting fan to come to a KU game and be treated like my friends were at Tampa.   While KU's fan culture is mostly one of respect, I'm very aware that we always will have a few idiots.

I encourage USF fans to ask yourselves a few questions:

1.  Do you want to have future games against quality opponents?

2.  How many athletic departments around the country will want to subject their most loyal travelling fans (who usually are the biggest donors) to contant abuse at your stadium?

3.  What will USF's strength of schedule look like as quality opponents dry up?

4.  Which of YOU is going to be part of the solution?

Your athletic department, school administration, and officials can only do so much.  If USF fan culture is going to improve THE FANS MUST MAKE IT HAPPEN. 

This incident has inspired me to take a pledge to make certain that I'm doing my part to prevent visitors from being mistreated at KU games.  I invite every USF fan to join me and take the same pledge.

I pledge that every time I go to a game, that I will go out of my way to find visiting team's fans.  I will find them as they get out of their car and greet them warmly.  I will walk with them to the Stadium/Fieldhouse and show them the kind of respect that I would want to be shown.  I will try to talk about the game with them and share a few laughs.  I will still cheer for my team as loudly and as passionately as possible, but win or lose, I will respect the visiting fans.  After the game I will go out of my way to walk visiting fans to their car and give them a positive send-off.  Whenever possible, I will invite a group of polite fans to join me in my walks with vistors. 

It's not enough for me to feel bad for a visiting fan that had a bad experience.  It's not enough to report bad behaviour.  I must go out of my way to MAKE the visitors feel welcome and prevent bad incidents from happening to begin with.

Once again, you played a great game.  Congratulations on your win.  I hope you can create a fan culture that is deserving of the great team that you have.

Who would like to join me in my pledge?  Is there anything that should be added to it?

going to sporting events isnt for everyone

it is a big cruel world out there

smazza's best post...ever.

the sun even shines on a dog's ass once in a while.

Once every 52,933 posts.

[lenbulls]

The horse is dead and beaten to a pulp, but what the heck.  Like I said in a different thread, I was sitting in the apparently deadly anarchic 300s (329, with all the Kansas fans) and had gone to the  game with some work friends who were Kansas fans.  I didn't see anything while tailgating (on the student side), during the game (though I did see some sheriff deputies in 328 once), or on the way out, and my kansas friends said everyone was respectful to them, save the occassional "Kansas sucks!"  (if a drunk guy yelling "Kansas sucks" at you makes you afraid for your life, never go to a sporting event again).

[Matt]

i did not see anything like this in my section.

[Velcro]

apparently some of this stuff mentioned by the jayhawk fan DID in fact happen... (from a very good and reliable source).

I didn't believe it until I heard it from this person... (I will not mention names).

We do need to, as the good responsible fans, speak up if we see anyone from either team acting stupid.  It is very important for the perception of our team.  Do we want to be looked at as poorly as UCF is?  I highly doubt it, but we are starting to get that reputation.

Its going to be that much tougher to schedule good home games if we get that reputation.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, as the problem people aren't us (more than likely)... but we can be part of the solution.  That doesn't mean walking opponents fans to the game like secret service... just speak up about things that you know are wrong.  Do the right thing. 

Be Respect-A-Bull

[Who'sYourData?]

After mulling over my thoughts, my recollections of things I saw at the game, gathering more info from those in the know...

I now fully support 5decadehawk and appreciate his post.  We are getting a reputation, and it isn't a good one.  There have been lots of complaints on here about the terrible visits to other schools.  I don't want to be one of "those" schools.  We are a big time school, and we should start acting like one.  

The profanity chants needs to stop.

The drunken stupidity needs to stop.

Getting in the faces of opponents fans needs to stop.

Welcoming opponents into our stadium needs to start.

Cheering for our school, not against another school needs to start.

Like Bret said, "We aren't from UCF, we are from USF".  Our standards should be much, much higher.  From now on, that's what I'm going to promote.

[bullsmania]

Hopefully the University will pay for uniformed police to patrol the upper deck and remove/arrest those who are crossing the line.  

There are police in the upper deck when it is open.

[jg]

Welcome to Philly South

[crambone]

Welcome to Philly South

As long as our fans don't start peeing on opposing fans...