Back when I covered Kansas State women’s basketball, it often was more fun for the reporters at the game to listen to the fans in the stands behind the media seats rather than watch the actual game.
That’s because Kansas State women’s basketball fans, at least the ones seated behind press row, were notorious for complaining about every... single... call the referees made, and it was downright hilarious listening to their heckling shouts.
Of course, they routinely brought out the classic one-liners: “Why don’t you get some glasses?” or “Are you even watching the same game?”
One old guy even came down out of his seat and held out his glasses for a referee one time, red in the face from yelling so much about a traveling call.
The fans genuinely seemed more interested in criticizing the referees than they did about the actual game.
Lately, I’ve noticed the same happening here, and it’s not funny anymore.
It’s annoying.
Too many fans are so consumed with hassling the referees that they forget that the players on the court actually do make mistakes themselves.
Take, for instance, last Tuesday’s boys basketball game between Olpe and Madison.
I’m going to tread lightly here because these are just high school kids, after all, but some of the things said in the stands by the students, fans and parents were ridiculous.
When Olpe was in the process of coming back from a 24-point deficit, the Madison cheering — er, jeering — section was more consumed by the officiating rather than the fact that the Bulldogs were in the process of committing 14 turnovers — in the fourth quarter alone.
Madison coach Alan Brown even admitted afterward that his team made too many mistakes with the basketball to win that game. The officiating did not doom Madison. Mistakes did.
Then there’s the recent hubbub about Emporia State coach David Moe’s suspension after his double technical and subsequent ejection during Wednesday’s game against Newman.
Some fans are actually blaming the officials for the ruckus, and even suggesting writing the MIAA.
I realize complaining about the officiating is something that will always happen, and referees are by no means above criticism.
The technical fouls called at the Northern Heights-Lyndon boys basketball game earlier this month, and the technical called on Emporia State’s DeAndre Townsend in the game against Newman probably — probably — should not have been called. Those calls seemed to take the outcome of the game out of the hands of the players and coaches and put it on the referees’ shoulders.
Verbal warnings in both instances were most likely the more reasonable course of action.
Regardless, the fans in the stands need to follow their own advice and open their eyes to the game being played. More often that not, the calls made are the correct ones.
Back off the refs and do what you came to the game to do, and that’s cheer for your team.
Because the heckling’s just not funny anymore.