Obscene ISU cheers banned by administration

[Da Coach]

http://redbirdfan.com/msgforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8846

My question is why now? And what took them so long?

Obviously this reaction by the adminstration now is in response to the negative publicity given this matter by Kirk Wessler and the Peoria Journal Star. But the thanks really goes to the Bradley fans who pointed it out here and in emails and letters to Kirk Wessler.
But these vulgar chants and cheers by the immature ISU fans have been going on for years. This is nothing new. And the ISU athletic department and administration has sat back and done nothing about it for many years, allowing things to escalate and get out of hand. Why hasn't the administration reacted before now? And why hasn't the hometown paper, the Bloomington Pantagraph, raised this issue before now? Why does it take the Peoria Journal Star to teach the people at ISU civility?

From the thread on the redbird board, it sounds like many ISU fans are unhappy about this, but at least there are some who realize what an embarrassment it has become for ISU.

[Beninator]

http://redbirdfan.com/msgforum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8846

My question is why now? And what took them so long?

Good question DC especially when Wessler pointed out in his original blog that the ISU fans were worse when Drake played there recently.

[Da Coach]

When students in the early 1990's in the Molinarmy started doing the BS chant, Jim Molinari immediately went to the student section and asked them to stop. He later met with leaders of the student group to insist that all cheers be kept civil and clean. And it has remained that way since then.

But the obscene cheers have been going on at ISU since the early 1980's, and nobody there has ever tried to change it before now. I was at several games at old Horton Fieldhouse when the ISU cheerleaders would stand in formation along the side of the court and lead the students in cheers of "You s**k, d**k", and "Versace is a d**k". And the improptu stuff that the students came up with was much worse, then and now.
Baqck then, the coach and AD sat quitely and enjoyed it, and never did anything to stop that behavior. So it's no surprise that after generations of ISU fans have come top believe that this is allowable and OK behavior, that now they are upset that it's been banned.

I wonder where is Tim Jankovich? His voice would be the most effective in cleaning up the obscene cheers. But maybe he thinks it gives him additional home court advantage? He has been strangely silent. There is no other college that I know of that condones that kind of behavior, except at ISU. I am gald to see someone there finally take a stand.

Does anyone have a copy of the email that was sent out to the students? Who authored it? Why not just take a public stand and post something on their website, or issuing a public statement by the AD or coach instead of just covertly emailing students?

[Chico]

It about time. I quit going to Normal years ago because of the stuff that went on there. Even the ushers back then were obnoxious. All of our fans aren't saints for sure, but the chants they used to use back in the 80's were way out of line, like ---- you Versace. I still remember the game at Drake when the students started harrassing Versace as he came on the court. He just went over to their section and started shaking hands and they all got a kick out of that. He was really a class act that day. Then Hersey hit the miracle shot off the pass from Jim.

[Scouter]

I guess this means the media can do good things.

[Murph]

Is this our revenge for losing last week?

[Phantom]

There has been talk of them trying to ban the "you you you...yooouuu....SUCK" chant for several years. That chant after a foul has been around since the mid-80's at least. At first it was just the cheerleaders doing the "you you you" part. Then in the mid-late 90s the students started yelling "SUCK" at the end of it. The chant was of course never encouraged, but it was just sort of ignored.

More recently, moron (and most assuredly drunk) students of ours started adding obscenities at the very end of the chant, and now it is being banned, or at least an attempt is being made to do so. Beginning tonight vs. MSU, the band/cheerleaders/dancers are no longer allowed to start the "you, you, you..." portion of the cheer. The students however, probably will continue it. In many ways, the cheer is almost like an automatic reaction to a foul. So while the chant may be around for a tad longer from the student section, it will eventually dissapear altogether. I can about gurantee whatever efforts were made to deter the students from doing that cheer in the past will be increased tenfold starting tonight.

I certainly dont condone the vulgar/obscene words at the end, but the "you...suck!" chant was really just for laughs...it is/was immature and silly, but that's pretty much the whole point of it. However, now that it is being phased out at ISU, I wonder if other schools will try and ban the cheer as well. UNI does the cheer almost to the letter, and Indiana State (at least they did...not sure if they still do), North Texas and UCONN to name a few all do variations of it.

[BUBrave28]

I see that some people have commented on how even beyond the fans, people were outta control. This was my first trip to Bloomington and had no idea where to park. We went to a pass only lot to ask where the closest public parking was to the stadium. The parking attendant saw the Bradley University sticker in the window, asked us who we were cheering for, and then gave us directions to a parking lot that didnt exist! Luckily we found the student center before halftime

[tornado]

I know nobody at ISU would listen to me or care what I say, but I have asked this very exact same question for 20 years,
and have started numerous threads and posts about it....for at least 7-8 years.
"why won't someone do something about the offensive and even obscene chants and fan behavior...and it MIGHT just even help get more fans to the games"

But all it really took was for Mr. Wessler to go public with it...and bingo, something gets done!
I applaud the ISU people who have decided enough is enough, and I applaud Mr. Wessler in helping this to come about.
But I am left wondering...why has it taken so long......?
I agree completely with Da Coach's story as I also stopped going to ISU games in the mid-80's and hadn't gone back until the last few years because of this hooliganism and unruly behavior.
Surely they have to know it DOES hurt their image and their attendance.
Well....better late than never.

[Scouter]

Are the ISU fans angry that KW brought about this change by shouting from his self-imposed "pedestal?" They should be outraged...

There is no doubt that Kirk Wessler is the sole reason for this change...

[Phantom]

Are the ISU fans angry that KW brought about this change by shouting from his self-imposed "pedestal?" They should be outraged...

There is no doubt that Kirk Wessler is the sole reason for this change...

I'm not sure if your post was sarcasm or not Scouter...but it's tough to say that Wessler was the sole reason for the change, since like I said above our administration has been trying to get rid of this cheer for a few years now. It was on thin ice last year and this year as several games the cheerleaders wouldnt partake in the cheer, it was all students. Now apprently it will be a big no-no to have anyone do the cheer. So by and large it is/was a decision made by our administration. However, it would seem that Wessler at least stirred the pot somewhat.

In that regard, I do have a question, and I'm not trying to bash or accuse here, I'm just curious: Of the countless reporters, beat writers, media people, etc. who have been to games at Redbird Arena over the years (and thereby no doubt heard the infamous "You...Suck" cheer,) why is it that Wessler was the only one to not only write about it, but to also personally call our administration about it? Is it coincidence, or was he taking personal offense to it? I dont know, but I just find it a bit odd.

[numbr_9]

Phantom, i dont know exactly, but my impression was it was reactionary to the feedback he got from his blog.

could it be that, after calling BU to the mat for their handling of the recent player drinking situation, he felt the need to go after ISU to "appease" some of his local Bradley fan readership?

Regardless of the reasons, i would think most ISU fans would be happy that vulgar and obscene chants will be phased out. Props to ISU for trying to take back some control.

[Beninator]

Phantom, i dont know exactly, but my impression was it was reactionary to the feedback he got from his blog.

My impression on this is that Wessler's reaction is a result of the comments from his blog and from personal observations from the Drake-ISU game.

This quote from Wesslers blog concerning the Drake-ISU game is where this originated.imo


"I was reminded of the dark side Tuesday night, while covering the ISU-Drake game there. It’s all well and good to get excited and blow the roof off the place with noise. But ISU’s students need a lesson in sportsmanship. Though the basketball team there hasn’t given them much reason to cheer, or even show up, for at least half a dozen years, it seems there must be something in the student gene pool that forces these kids to misbehave, cuss en masse and generally embarrass themselves and their institution."

http://www2.pjstar.com/index.php?/wessler

[Braves4Life]

............why is it that Wessler was the only one to not only write about it, but to also personally call our administration about it? Is it coincidence, or was he taking personal offense to it? I dont know, but I just find it a bit odd.

Rather than find it odd you and the rest of the ISU Alumni should be so embarrassed that it took a lowly reporter to have the brass ones to bring it to the Administration. This garbage has been going on so long that it finally took an outsider to say "Hey, look in the mirror!

[shaunguth]

My impression on this is that Wessler's reaction is a result of the comments from his blog and from personal observations from the Drake-ISU game.

This quote from Wesslers blog concerning the Drake-ISU game is where this originated.imo


"I was reminded of the dark side Tuesday night, while covering the ISU-Drake game there. It??™s all well and good to get excited and blow the roof off the place with noise. But ISU??™s students need a lesson in sportsmanship. Though the basketball team there hasn??™t given them much reason to cheer, or even show up, for at least half a dozen years, it seems there must be something in the student gene pool that forces these kids to misbehave, cuss en masse and generally embarrass themselves and their institution."

http://www2.pjstar.com/index.php?/wessler

Guess that answered the "coincidence" theory.

Is it coincidence, or was he taking personal offense to it? I dont know, but I just find it a bit odd.