It has been recently brought to our attention in a letter to the editor that good sportsmanship has never been the legacy for the University of Wyoming. In fact, the Branding Iron has a long history of reporting on said poor sportsmanship dating as far back as 1925. Such articles included an excerpt describing a behaviors from the UW basketball team at the 1943 UWyo NCAA championship:
“Razzing opposing players or the referee, advising dirty tactics by Wyoming regardless of the type of play of the other team, hissing a player who is removed because of personal fouls, making a noise while an opponent is attempting a free throw, are all infractions of the Wyoming code of sportsmanship,” according to the Branding Iron.
“It is enough of a stigma for a player to be removed from a game for fouling, without having the insult of hissing imposed.”
In addition, there was an editorial released in the Spring 1987 edition of the Star-Tribune, Casper, sourcing a letter to the editor from the Branding Iron, describing the concerns of two Wyoming Legislators, Dennis Tippets and Charles Scott, who attended a University of Wyoming basketball finale game:
“. . . complained that he and his family “were subjected to unconscionably rude behavior” and “an almost constant stream of obscenities” by members of the student body. . .” and “It was disgraceful,” he said. “It exceeded the bounds of common decency and I certainly would not recommend that anybody take a family to one of those games.” . . .”
This conduct would not be far off from what was experienced more recently to some fans.
During the UW vs. Texas Tech football game, the student section could be seen yelling profanities at the Raider fans, even yelling insults directly to the opposing fans as they walked past, including “fuck Texas” and “attention whore.”
The Tech fans brushed it off, ignoring comments and continuing past.
The obscenities didn’t stop at the fans, but also spread to the other team and game officials.
If a play was called against the Cowboys, the student section would begin chanting profanities such as “bullshit” and “ref beats his wife” over and over again.
After the game, in reference to a letter to the editor to the Laramie Boomerang, a visiting Texas Tech fan from Colorado Springs commented on her concerns about safety for the visiting team’s fans and their families, detailing their experience of having to scale a fence to keep her family away from the storming crowd.
“In our family, we have attended various college and NFL games, and while passionate rivalry is expected, there are certain social norms and standards of behavior that should be upheld that we have always seen until this game,” she noted.
She also mentioned the spectacle created by one student toward the opposing coach.
“The situation escalated as one Wyoming student continued to direct offensive language and gestures at head Tech coach Joey McGuire, necessitating his hurried removal from the field by security personnel amid concerns for his safety.”
In my own experience at the UT vs. UW game, the UT crowd was more than accepting of its visiting fans.
Obviously wearing yellow and representing the Cowboys, we were having friendly conversations with Longhorn fans throughout the entire game.
Although there were occasional chants throughout the night such as “Give em hell, give em hell, make em eat shit” during the Texas Fight song, it was only in small pockets throughout sections.
Others were either chanting “go, Horns, go” or “OU sucks.”
I can’t speak firsthand to the experience of walking directly in front of the student section, but after walking through downtown and crowds of people headed to the game, I can say that my safety was not threatened at any point by UT fans.
Even sitting in a majority UT section, I was able to cheer for the Cowboys without fearing obscenities or dirty looks.
Students need to realize the effect they have on other fans and their families, and the influence they can create on younger fans.
President Ed Seidel should realize the portrayal of UW to visiting fans relies heavily on sportsmanship and that it should be addressed.
Hopefully, sooner than later, visiting fans will feel welcomed, rather than threatened, when they visit the home of the Cowboys.
