Player comments show lack of class

How joyful and proud I was on April 1 to see the new NCAA NATIONAL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM, The University of Arizona Wildcats, arrive into the football stadium for a homecoming of their great achievement winning the championship game the night before.

And then one of the basketball players said, "Go to hell," to those fans who did not believe that this team could go all the way to become champions. A little while later, coaxed by another player, the next team member who spoke said the same thing.

This was a tremendous embarrassment to me! The joy that I had disappeared very quickly as I became sick with contempt and embarrassment.

Here were two young men who truly displayed their ignorance by speaking a cocky and bold determination of bad behavior.

When a team becomes a champion there is absolutely no reason to criticize any fan. After all, looking at the regular season play by the UA team winning only 19 games while losing nine, one does not think the team to be championship quality. Especially since the team never won six consecutive games during the season or winning two games over a power team which the Wildcats had to do in order to win the NCAA National Basketball Championship. After beating Kansas I had hopes that the Wildcats might pull it off.

It was appalling and very embarrassing to say the least to hear the two young men representing all the teams of the nation lower themselves down into the pit of dung.

Not only do I feel embarrassed, but also ashamed. That here are two young men who should be gentlemen and scholars put themselves into a new category of stupidity.

Freedom of speech is one thing, stupidity of speech is another. Never condemn anyone who thinks differently from you!

You should have been extremely happy over your achievement and been happy over the people who came to support you at the games.

By (letter)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 16, 1997