Fans for the love of basketball

In the years I've spent at IU, this year has been one of the best in terms of the IU basketball season. The games have been exciting, the team is at the top of the Big Ten, and I've only been in the balcony seats three times. With seven minutes left in the game, the William Tell Overture still gets my blood pumping, and even the wave seems to be making a huge comeback. I don't want this season to end.\nEven though I've loved every last second of each game, I still wonder why chanting "Recker sucks" and "bullshit" are such poor form, according to some of the head honchos of the IU administration. Who cares if our peaceful, passive crowd is starting to resemble the Cameron Crazies of Duke; I think it's about time we show such enthusiasm. Throwing water bottles at Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan after IU's loss to the Badgers isn't the end of the world. And is holding up posters and signs in Assembly Hall really that big of a deal?\nApparently, the crowd's behavior is a big concern when it comes to IU and its image. But avoiding mass chaos is one thing; treating us like kindergartners is another.\nI was lucky enough to have court seats for last week's victory over Ohio State. The students around me were full of IU spirit in the form of red paint, wigs, and t-shirts spelling "Hoosiers." Down in the court seats, we all stood up on the bleachers, cheering for IU and occasionally trying to get the attention of Payton Manning and his fellow Colts teammates. And of course, we had to harass the Buckeyes, chanting remarks such as "overrated" and, in reference to OSU's Brian Darby's generous posterior, "Darby's fat." The whole section was into it, until the scary men in the red vests marched up and down the aisles.\nI'm not sure who these people are, or what rule states "no IU student is to stand on top of the bleachers at any time," but these guys were on our case the entire game. The red-vested Assembly Hall employees must think that bleacher-standing is a federal offense.\nEven worse, some guy a few rows behind me had put together a rather nice-looking poster, which he kept holding up off and on throughout the game. I guess this really pissed off the red vests, and one of them told the dangerous sign-displaying student: "If I see that poster again, I'll kick your sorry ass out of the game." Such harsh words for such a trivial offense.\nAnd of course, the unavoidable yellow ropes were stationed directly in front of the courtside crowd, in fear that the uncontrollable students would rush the floor. What's so bad about showing some excitement for the team after a huge win? Are the yellow ropes that necessary? It's not the ropes that kept me from rushing the floor; it's more like the Schwarzenegger-like cop who was standing up front.\nAll this student protection might be serving the IU image, but I think the IU image could use some work, especially in the basketball arena. Chanting and signs aren't disrespectful; they're only a part of the collegiate basketball experience. If Mike Davis doesn't mind a few four-letter words and some supportive signs, then why should anyone else? With only one home game left this season, maybe IU can cut us some slack, let us be college basketball fans. We paid for the tickets, now let us have our fun.