Anthony Nunez, a 21 year old NMSU student, was put in timeout during Saturday's NMSU victory over Seattle at the Pan American Center.
I talked to Nunez on Sunday. The only reason I am writing about this is the fact that I can't remember a student being removed before. I've seen fans taken from their seats, but never students.
"After I was sent to the Blue section, they were still chanting it. I wasn't the only one but I guess my voice carries," Nunez said. "I was surprised. It's our job to get into their head and that's what we were doing. He was responding to us."
The chant that got Esparza removed was "Trent's a bitch" going after Seattle's Clarence Trent.
Think about "Nice shot asshole" that lasted years after made free throws. Certainly not flattering but I've heard and seen worse, for example in San Antonio the UTSA students had a poster that had photos from the victim in the Tyrone Watson case. UTSA staff made them take the pictures off the poster, but the students went on riding the Aggies through the entire game. It's college basketball and it's supposed to be the NMSU home court.
Nunez doesn't expect the Pan Am to change after one ejection.
"It will be the same. The students are a home court advantage. There were still people chanting and they didn't do anything."
Nunez suggested to friends sitting around him that it would be funny if everyone started chanting.
"I didn't think they would do it," Nunez said. "He hit a 3 and put 3 fingers up or whatever and pointed at us. Right before that, event staff told us not to shout stuff when it was quiet during free throws or something."
Nunez will be back in the South stands against UTEP.
"I'm not going away."
10 comments:
Bravo it's about time.Throw all of those clowns out.
I don't see anything wrong with what the NMSU students were saying.
Duke fans were yelling "how's your grandma?" to an NC St. player on Saturday...a day after she passed away.
Now that's pretty low life!
The announcement prior to the game about sportsmanship and directing chants towards players or officials seems pretty clear. "Trent's a bitch" would be a violation of conference/NCAA rules. To say that we've heard worse in the Pan Am (nice shot Ahole) or in other venues is a juvenile excuse for poor sportsmanship. Nunez took his chances. He paid the price.
I, for one, don't care to hear profane chants directed against players, theirs or ours. It's part of the pervasive culture of disrespect that I find disturbing. You intimate that it's a sporting event and that it's okay because it's part of the home court. I disagree. I find it distasteful and don't believe it belongs in the game.
You need only look at what happens in football (soccer) overseas to see the results of the extreme with fans who have so little regard for sportsmanship that the game is secondary to their desire to denigrate and abuse other fans, players, and officials.
I think it's great that our fans make as much noise as possible during the game. I just hope they do it without the kinds of chants that have necessitated a pre-game reminder about sportsmanship.
I'm all for cheering against any opposing coach, player, and, yes, even referees. We hear complaints that the crowd is dead, but when students and fans get into the game, something as petty as this gets acted on. Look at other bigger schools and what they do and our behavior doesn't even come close. The referees were pathetic at both of last week's games. If they had paid more attention to the game instead of concentrating on fans riding the sensitive coaches, we might have had some actual fouls called. As terrible as the refs were, I'm surprised they didn't call a technical on the crowd, as they've threatened to before. If that had happened, the game might have ended up differently. It seemed like that was the only call they didn't make against the Aggies.
I often wonder how brave people like Mr.Nunez would be if they had they had to confront the individuals they attack one on one in a dark ally.
Fans are brave when they are sitting in the stands but I'm betting Mr Nunez is a coward and would avoid a one on one confrontation.
Yeah, this fan Was obviously crossing the line and shouting profanitys at the other team. Be loud, be annoying, jaw in the opposing teams ear. But be more original about it.. Trent's a bitch is not an original or novel chant. Anthony need to quit crying about his ejection and be more attentive to the rules next time. I'm not asking him to grow up all at once but take this little step and be a man.
I take my 5 year old son to games. Its one thing to heckle and cheer, and another to have to be profane.
Great to see some spark in the crowd, but not thrilled about the vulgar display of power that is home court in any arena.
Let students be students. We can worry about kicking students out when we have enough butts in the seats to get rid of the trash bads in the upper bowl.
I have kids as well, and all it takes is short talk to explain to them what type of language is acceptable and what isn't. Besides, they hear worse at elementary school, I'm sure. Sad but true.
I don't condone obscenity, but as Groves said, this behavior is "par for the course" as far crowd etiquette nationwide is concerned. Maybe that's more of a reflection of society, but it's silly to single out one kid when this is going on everywhere.
Keep representing the Panamaniacs, Anthony. This parent/respectable human being has your back.
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When I was a little kid. I attended the games. When the fans were worse. The student section was loud and crazy. Maniacs. PANAMANIACS! My dad was aware of what I would hear and maybe even see. He explained to me, very well of what goes on. If you cant stomach it, then grab some headphones and listen to Jack during the game. Oh, you would end up hearing it on there too. Sorry. Suck it up and go be a maniac.. a PANAMANIAC!
Trent's a bitch is not horribly obscene or inappropriate.. The problem with a lot NMSU fans is that they are sheltered from what real D-1 athletic events are like.. I am a young NMSU alum now living in Florida and have had the opportunity to attend multiple Gator games.. Chanting that a player is a bitch is the norm, like it or not.. How about NMSU fans actually wear NMSU gear when they go to the games, pay attention and cheer at the appropriate times, and quit worrying about the one student who is passionate about his team.. That being said I will be in Vegas this year for the WAC Tourney cheering for the Aggies, I will not be vulgar but I will be using profanity, so I would suggest if your virgin ears can't handle it you wear ear plugs..
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