HOW aBOU'S SOOINC?

George 2. idwards i
University of l.issouri,

At the 1933 meetins of the National association of Basket Ball Coaches
the members were asked to resister a disapvroval of the growing practice of spec-
tators to boo. The response, at first, indicated that the coaches were wary 2bout
_ expressing an opinion, but a little urging resulted in a vote to condemn the

practice.

Since then little has been said or done and the practice is still common
in many sections. Evidently there ure many coaches who either feel that booing is
not the evil it has been nainted, or that it is not their job to control it. Soon,
however, we will be called upon for some decisive action, and it might be well to
analyze our feelings before we act one way or another.

Under Rule 6, section 7, the National Rules Committee has covered the
matter by the following answer to, "who is responsible for the behavior of the
snectuators ?”

"The home manageaent or committee in charge of the game, insofar

as they can reasonably be expected to control the syectators. The
Referee or Umpire may call fouls on either team if its supvorters act
in such a way as to interfere with the nvroner conduct of the game.
Discretion must be used in calling such fouls, however, lest a tean
be unjustly venclized."

Wherever crowds have been very large we ull know that this ruling mostly
has been ignored by-gane officials and athletic authorities. Formerly this wis
not true and many teats were fouled because of spectator misbehavior. why the
change? Some of the more common excuses siven are:

1. ‘With many non-students attending the games any regulation

to prohibit booing, or to penalize a tean for it, is either unfair or
impéssible to enforce.

2. Some insist that booing is not a serious menace to the game.

They say it does not ordinsurily bother the oroner conduct of the contest
nor hinder the players.

5S. «a few extremists take the attitude that 4 noisy, critical crowd

adds color, keeps officials more alert, results in faster oluying, and: gives
the snectators more thrills.

In sane moments most coaches, officials, and pluyers adnit that it is .
more satisfactory if a crowd clininates tse hoots, and confines its voeal action
to legitimate cheering. J‘iowever, the canouigns to educate the oublic to this
ideal situation have been few und snoradic.

The temporary effect of such campaigns has been due largely to question-~ |
able actions of some membexs of our own vrofession. In- other words, the missionary
orogran failed because it did not start at home. Fair olay should demand that
coaches hang out clean linen of their own before criticism of others. i whole
season's snortsmanshin cannuicn fails in five minutes when some coach gives vent
publicly to his displeasure.

ivery section of the country hes its coaches who are instrumental in
starting the boos. They violate tne code by coaching fron the sidelines; sonetines
adroitly, but often in sore obvious ways. They hecile with the crowd, In tense
nonents, or when decisions are mude against their players, they juap un and down,
yell at the official, hold their noses, wave their arns, make fuces, adcress remarks
to oovonents, or even run out.on the floor. ‘areustic or critical statenents to
reporters after the loss of & gane do not encourage gooe crowd beravior. .ith
such leadershio how can we exvxect the spectators to remember any harangue on
fine soortsnanshin?

Players, too, have been guilty of leadershio in booing. When a com-
petitor is fouled snd then shows disgust, anger, or feigns innocence; or should
he fake injury after.a collision; or 'rub it in' to embarrass ea menber of the
hone tean tie crovd ianediately stares the usual‘yoeal denonstration.

Like all arrurents this one has two sides. chat does the averure spece~
tator have to. sai?

Wis first woint is a food one. «at baseball, football, hotkey, or at any
other sport whith has some degree of sdersonal contact the crowds feel free to root,
cheer, or boo. Is basket bull, ask they, to be an exception?

: Challange tzeir | snofts1anshin : in booing, and. what is the reply? With
reasonable satisfaction. t: ey o0int to the uctions of certain coaches and players
as to orececents for their own rowdy. conduct.

opectators den; the justice of fouling @ tean for crowd misbehavior, and
d@efy authorities t> exclude then from the hall. .hile suc extreme meusures have
been advocated few athletic nanasers have srovm any willingness to make any move
to antagonize those who oay the freip nt.

Three possible e»urses, then are oven to couches.

1. we can adoot a nolicy of ‘hands off' and rove that booing will

become no worse.

2. We can adait that it has a place in the game. If: we do it might -

be wise to gocl our stunts and start soae 'bigrer and better’ booing ¢ ecanpairns.

oO. ifter some checkines of our own a¢tious we might inau, urate sports-
nansnip camvairns to refice oocing, and keeo 5? tot the oractice until it is under
control.

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