At a recent college basketball game, Maryland fans waited all game for Michigan freshman Ignas Brazdeikis to get to the free throw so they could chant, “You are ugly…You are ugly…” During his first free throw, it was just a few students in the student section. By the time it was the second free throw, the chant had spread throughout most of the section.
Hearing this chant, Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon darted to the public announcer and directed him to say, “Stop the chant.” After Ignas hit his second attempt, he blew a kiss toward the student section. Ignas finished the day with a game high 21 points en-route to a 69-62 Michigan victory.
Pro: Maryland Head Coach Mark Turgeon believed that the Maryland student section had crossed the line of good sportsmanship. He does not think comments/chants should get personal. He did what he thought was right and asked the fans to stop the chant. Turgeon stands by his decision.
Con: After the game, Ignas Brazdeikis said, “It was a lot of fun. Even before the game started, they were on me, so I just embrace that kind of intensity. I love crowds like that. It motivates me, makes me more hungry. I embrace that, every second of it.” Clearly, Ignas has no issue with the chant. He sees it as part of the game. In his opinion, it’s just good clean fun.
Your Turn: Did the fans cross the line by getting personal or is this just part of the game?
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
The fans crossed the line because being ugly isn’t really something you can fix, its genetics. If the crowd cheered your trash then it would be different cause you can prove them that you are not trash by making it a motivator.
Chanting “You are ugly” is just plain wrong in general. The students who initiated the chant definitely crossed the line. The students who joined in afterwards, whether they meant it or not, also crossed the line. The students should have had the initiative to stop the instigators rather than joining them. Just because one student states that another student is ugly, doesn’t make it a true statement, and it’s disrespectful to bully/harass someone simply because of the way they look. Good on Ignas for continuing the game unhindered, but he should still acknowledge that letting it continue can only make it get worse.
I think the students went to far by chanting and the coach did the right thing and showed his support to his team member for not losing hope and get discouraged by this.
The fans crossed the line even though the player took the harsh comments well
I think this was disrespectful of the students and that a punishment should be served, this is bullying .
I think the coach did everything right. He knew that, crossed the line by saying that and is not by any means what should be chatted at a player.
The fans crossed the line.
I believe that the fans did cross the line because they got personal with their insults. If the student section would have kept their chants related to basketball I would not have seen a problem with it. In a sense Coach Turgeon is his parent or guardian in this moment. I believe it is his responsibility to protect his players as much as he can. I believe he just wanted to protect Brazdeikis. Even if a player is bothered by a chant I highly doubt they would admit it. Athletes are taught from a young age to have thick-skin. At the end of the day chants could be hurtful to athletes when they become personal.
I feel as the student section went way to far and it got out of hand and should have kept the chants something to do with basketball and not being rude and kept the chants more personal.
I also feel as the student section go way to far and it got out of hand and should have kept the chants something to do with basketball and not being rude and kept the chants more personal.
The fans definitely crossed the line, whoever initiated the chant (and the students who joined in) were in the wrong. That isn’t something you chant a game, its bullying, ‘He see’s it as a part of the game’ its not and its painful to see humans alike chanting something like that over and over again, bullying solves nothing and it only leaves people silently hurting because no one has the decency to apologize. I’m glad the coach signals to stop the chant, I think the students should be punished or suspended, they should learn from their mistakes so that they don’t repeat this.
I think that even though he was 100% ok with it that it still wasn’t the right thing for the fans to do. There are so many other chants that they could have used to try and get in his head while taking those shots.
I think that wasn’t right for what they chanted. It should never get that personal at a game. But it is also part of the game. people gone hate and mess with you to get in your head. They will say things that they think will make you upset or they think that will get in your head.
the students didnt have to do that and the coach is loyal do his player for having his back and stopping the chant.
the coach is loyal do his player for having his back and stopping the chant.