March Madness and the Code

We were at a tournament game recently and saw a great game by two very evenly matched teams. What we noticed more than the great play, however, was the negativity of the home crowd. They booed every call the officials made. What does the Code have to say about this? The Code says “I will respect the dignity of every human being and will not be abusive or dehumanizing of another either as an athlete or as a fan.” This is why “booing” is bad sportsmanship: it does not reflect respect for the person, in this case the official. It demeans the game. What some people must not realize is that to boo a person is the same thing as calling them a name. March Madness is now underway. What kind of fan will you be? What can you do to encourage good sportsmanship by all fans?