Student-led chants at officials draw Greenspan’s ire

IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan was disappointed Saturday afternoon.\nIt wasn’t just that the No. 7 IU men’s basketball team lost its first home game in its past 30 tries. It was the student body’s conduct during IU’s 68-63 loss to Connecticut that really upset Greenspan.\nThe students began chanting “Fuck you, ref” in response to a series of officiating calls that went against the Hoosiers in the waning moments of Saturday’s nationally televised game.\nGreenspan told the Indiana Daily Student following Saturday’s game that vulgarity and obscenities are “unacceptable.”\n“We want to have a great atmosphere,” Greenspan said. “I don’t think that lack of sportsmanship is what we want the officials and visiting teams to remember.”\nAt various points throughout the game, students also protested the officiating by yelling “bullshit,” a popular chant at most collegiate sporting events that is no stranger to Assembly Hall. As he has throughout the season, IU’s public address announcer Chuck Crabb reminded fans Saturday that foul language can result in a technical foul against the home team, though such a penalty is rare.\nGreenspan said his intent was “not to scold” the students, and he hopes they can police themselves. \n“I think that obscenities and vulgarities are below us as an institution,” Greenspan said. \nFor Greenspan, it’s a double-edged sword. He said he appreciates the students’ support, and he wants them to be passionate. But he wants them to do it with class.\nSophomore Erica Feldscher, who changed her Facebook status to “Fuck the refs” about half an hour after the game, said she regretted participating in the chants. \nShe was sitting in section L, row 14 at Assembly Hall and admitted she got caught up in the heat of the moment. \n“I did it, and then I realized it probably wasn’t appropriate,” said Feldscher, adding she was upset about the officiating. During the game IU committed 21 fouls while the Huskies were only whistled for 11. The Hoosiers shot eight free throws in the contest, though they averaged 24.8 free throw attempts per game heading into Saturday’s game.\nFeldscher said she believes the officials should hear it from the fans when they make a bad call. She just hopes to voice her frustration in a different manner next game. \n“It reflects poorly on us,” she said. “I don’t want to be that person or that group of people who represent our school in a negative way.”\nJunior Brian Bulgatz, who was sitting in the second row of the bleachers behind the basket during Saturday’s game, was embarrassed by the cussing. \nBulgatz said the chants might have been a way for students to take out their frustration about the game. \n“That was one of the worst officiated games,” he said. “And we’re not used to losing at home. For some freshmen and sophomores, that was the first loss they’ve ever seen at home.” \n“Regardless, it was completely uncalled for,” he said.\nBulgatz said he hopes the next time IU hosts a basketball game the students use better judgment. \n“We could be playing Purdue or we could be playing UConn,” he said. “It doesn’t matter.”\nBulgatz said this situation illustrates the need for a structured student section at men’s basketball games – one that could implement rules and punish violators. \n“There’s no one organization that controls the student body at the games,” he said.\nBulgatz, proprieter of the now-defunct TakeBackAH.com, started a Facebook group called “The Hall Monitors” to try to strengthen student support at basketball games.\nBarring the creation of a student section, Bulgatz said there is likely just one person who could solve the problem: IU coach Kelvin Sampson. \n“Without a student section, the only way this can get fixed is if coach Sampson made a public statement to the student body,” he said. \nFormer IU coach Bob Knight used to take the microphone during home games and scold the crowd, specifically the students, if they were tasteless with their cheers.\nBulgatz thinks a similar message from the new Hoosier coach could have the same effect. \n“Coming from coach Sampson,” he said, “it might be a little profound.”