Jeff Allen should not be alone in his suspension
If Jeff Allen has to sit out tonight's game against the University of Virginia, he should not be alone.
He should be joined by the fans who disregard civility when they enter an arena.
Allen should have the company of coaches who express their displeasure with players and referees by spewing profanity-laced diatribes.
Allen, a forward for Virginia Tech's basketball team, fouled out Saturday at the University of Maryland. He flashed an obscene gesture at the Maryland fans as he headed to the bench.
When you see a player do that, you wince. It's ugly. It also was Allen's second offense.
Last year, Allen bumped an official after fouling out against Georgia Tech. The ACC suspended him for two games.
And since Allen's gesture at Maryland was caught on television -- further proof that television is a blessing and a curse for college basketball -- somebody had to do something.
Virginia Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver suspended Allen for tonight's game.
Anyone who thinks this is the first step toward restoring courtesy between fans and players is mistaken.
College basketball games are incubators for profanity.
Fans express their dismay with referees, opposing players and coaches with a familiar one-word chant.
And you do not have to be an accomplished lip reader to understand what coaches are saying to players and referees. The words are neither pleasant nor complimentary.
If you attended practices or sat through film-review sessions of many teams, your hair might curl at the words coaches sometimes use to make their points.
During the Virginia Tech game against N.C. State on Feb. 8, Hokies coach Seth Greenberg became furious with what he saw as the officials' lack of competence.
He offered a blistering rebuke and earned a technical foul. He deserved it. In contrast to Allen, Greenberg was not suspended for the next game.
Greenberg's words were plain to television viewers, and some were upset.
I know because several people called to complain about the coach's language.
Allen is responsible for his actions against Maryland. But it is difficult to imagine the Terps fans sat quietly during the game, offering only occasional constructive criticism to the 21-year-old sophomore.
If Allen is to be punished, fans and coaches deserve to be punished as well.
If Virginia Tech wants to take the lead in this and make everyone proud of its Hokies Respect Campaign, Weaver and Greenberg have an option.
During home games, they can instruct the referees to call a technical foul on the Hokies if their fans begin the customary one-word chant.
The chant would stop quickly.
Athletic directors everywhere can tell coaches that overt -- what a person says under his breath is between him and his conscience -- profanity-filled tirades toward players and officials will result in a one-game suspension.
Allen made a mistake. Similar mistakes are made by fans and coaches every night.
Unless everyone accepts responsibility for the atmosphere at college games, Allen's punishment does not shout, "Discipline."
It reeks of hypocrisy.
Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444
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Reader Reactions
Unfortunately this is not new or unique. There are tales of fist fights between players and fans in the 50s during Duke/ Carolina and Carolina/ Wake games. There is the relatively recent fight in the locker room between Xavier and UR. Anyone who has ever sat near Coach K. or John Chaney have heard profanity laced tirades towards anyone in their respective sights. There was a time when this was viewed as part of the game, but that time has passed. Allen handled himself badly and was unfortunate enough to have his actions caught on camera, but Paul Woody is right, it is ongoing every night problem for college hoops
Why did the VT players look so “thuggish” during the game? I just dont understand how every single on of them looked as if they had spent hard time in jail with all of the tattoos. It was pretty easy to tell which team was which just by that alone. I think I would have to vote VT as the most thugged out athletic program…..even over a team like Memphis
hjackson and tamster = UVA fans
I’m not sure where this bile about VT players being thugs comes from. Marcus Vick? He was one guy. Other than him, I can’t think of anyone else in the past 20 years who’s had major attitude problems. UVA has had just as many difficult players in the past, so claiming all VT players are thugs and all UVA players are saints is absolutely ridiculous. And to claim that the coach should be fired for swearing is just as ludicrous. How many professional coaches get caught doing the exact same thing? And guess what, they’re on the sideline the very next game.
What most people fail to remember is that these players are kids, yet are held to much higher standards than most adults simply because of their level of exposure. They’re going to slip up, and flipping someone the bird for all to see is pretty minor.
It’s just typical Virginia Tech Athletic program behavior. The coaches are no better than the thug players. The whole VT athletic setup is to win at all costs, bring in the exposure, money and don’t worry about anti-social negative behavior. “We will protect and shield you”.
Only in college sports do you see an employee that behaves in such a gutter manor. Any professional manager would throw them out the door.
The coach in this case is a fine example of someone who should be out on his butt. Then again Frank Beamer is still there.
Mr. Woody is spot-on, I would add that VT is not alone. Major college basketball and college football games all across the country are incubators for incivility, drunkedness, and profanity. As a football season ticket holder of a major out of state university, I am constantly appalled at the crude, drunken, disrespectful behavior of fans. In many cases, despite the presence of both state, local, and university police, I have observed situations in which public safety officials were severely limited in their ability to more assertively enforce the law because of the risk of inciting rioting among large numbers of intoxicated and crude fans. It also saddens me to have observed one first year head football coach having been publicly, viciously, and loudly criticized for insisting that his players display the traits of good character. It seems the most critical and vociferous fans would prefer to win at any cost and ignore poor character, disrespect, illegal behavior, and incivility in the players so long as they produce winning seasons.
I’m neither a VT nor a UVA grad, but I think this is a joke. And tamster, I have to agree with VTCC07…what were you thinking?? Do you have facts to back up that lame comment?
Give me a break. This is a poor article. Fans are not and should not be held to the same standard of conduct.
Pretty good article. Useless comments. Give me a break tamster.
You can try to blame the fans all you like, but the fact is that VT has a history of incivility, disregard for the law, and of coaches putting up with it from the good players for the sake of the almighty win. It’s a disgrace.
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