F --- You, Songaila"
Not exactly the best phrase to start a column with, is it?
But it's even worse for it to be blurted out during the silence of the national anthem in University Hall at a Virginia men's basketball game. That was the case on Tuesday night before Virginia tipped off against Wake Forest.
"I don't think that any objective person would think this was anything less than unacceptable and uncalled for," Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage said. "Since 9-11, our students as a whole have shown tremendous respect for our national anthem, flag and other calls for patriotism. That is why this incident does stick out so badly."
The object of the outburst was Darius Songaila, the 6-foot-9 forward who is a principal component of the Demon Deacons' attack. In his last five games against Virginia before Tuesday, Songaila averaged 20 points. And, though there are other ACC foes who fare well against the Cavaliers, Songaila does his damage with little elegance. He's a banger who plays tough and, sometimes, rough. That has apparently branded him as public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of some Cavaliers fans.
It's obvious that this deviant fan wanted to take advantage of the whisper-quiet University Hall to make such a disgusting statement. But fans need to realize that standing for the national anthem these days means standing united. Chris Williams and Travis Watson stood just as proud and just as tall as Josh Howard and Antwan Scott. The two minutes before each game when sport honors America must remain tasteful. No rivalry can or should stand in the way of that.
As the hard-fought game unfolded,
Cavaliers' student fans took another black eye late in the second half.
As Wake Forest mounted a second-half comeback, every possession became crucial on both sides of the court. The student crowd did their part stirring intensity out of the Cavaliers while trying anything they could do to stop Wake Forest. And it came to this: Whenever Songaila went to the free throw line, chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A" came from the student fans. The chant started off slow but eventually grew to the point where about half of the students chanted every time Songaila, who immigrated to the United States four years ago, prepared to take a free throw.
"Nothing like this has ever happened in the 18 years I have been attending various athletic events at the University of Virginia," History Professor Herbert Tico Braun said.
"They've been after Darius for what, three years now? Not very many people like him. He fouls a lot, he uses his elbows a lot. They have chided him before but never something of a political nature.
"Blind emotions are the most dangerous in a civil society."
Fans likely believed that yelling "U-S-A" would get into Songaila's head and take his concentration away from his free throws. That intention in itself is an accepted form of sportsmanship these days. There's not a player in Division I college basketball who get to take his free throws in silence during road games. At most schools, fans will wave their hands - sometimes in unison - and scream and yell distracting things. But the chanting of "U-S-A, U-S-A" to taunt an eastern European immigrant can be interpreted as crossing the line of suitable fan behavior.
"It was just an extension of what happens in many college facilities," Littlepage said. "I understand that it may have not been done consciously from a political standpoint, and it may have been without malice. Had they yelled the typical "BS, BS, BS" I doubt it would have gotten this type of reaction. It was just wrong timing for the current political climate."
Many times Virginia men's basketball head coach Pete Gillen has proclaimed the student fans here at U.Va. as the best fans in the country. He commonly refers to the students as the team's "6th man" because the emotion and enthusiasm that we as students show has a significant effect on the way that the Cavaliers perform.
More incidents like those that took place on Tuesday could go a long way toward destroying the reputation that Cavaliers' fans have. The fans should want to be feverish, not vulgar.
Gillen and Littlepage both agree that Tuesday's incidents were regrettable and should not happen again.
It is crucial for fans to realize that they have a dual responsibility. Although cheering for the Cavaliers and heckling the opponents is a duty for any loyal Hooville denizen, fans must be cognizant of what they say and realize the possible implications of their words.
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