Booing the athletes ““ it’s one of my pet peeves at
collegiate sporting events, but it always happens a few times a
year.
Drew Olson might pass the ball to someone in a red uniform.
Cedric Bozeman might pass it to the cameraman.
But please, don’t boo them ““ or any collegiate
athlete ““ unless they do something unrelated to sports that
warrants it (like throwing bottles or chairs into the stands like
everyone’s favorite players Milton Bradley and Frankie
Francisco). Then you can berate the hell out of them.
Remember, college athletes are not professionals. They’re
not allowed to make money.
Sure, many of them get their entire educations paid for. But
those are a select few who help their schools earn money and sell
tickets.
I don’t care if you boo the coaches or boo the referees
““ they’re getting paid for what they do.
But don’t boo the athletes.
Like the rest of us college students, they have to go to class,
write papers, and take midterms and finals.
On top of that, they have to play a sport. And not just play the
games, but train for it. And not just any sort of training. UCLA
athletes train in their sports at an elite level, practicing for
countless hours and spending plenty of time in the weight room or
on the track.
Many athletes have to prepare for finals and midterms at the
same time as their sport goes into the playoffs.
I’ve seen and heard a lot of amazing stories in my three
years as a sports writer for this paper.
I talked with men’s tennis player Lassi Ketola two years
ago when he was taking 20 units in one quarter during the season.
I’ve talked to athletes who have had very uncooperative
professors ““ one softball player had to take a red-eye flight
for an early afternoon Women’s College World Series game
because a professor wouldn’t let her take a midterm
early.
UCLA’s most recent champions, the women’s track and
field team, won its championship on the Saturday before finals week
last June. In December 2002, the UCLA men’s soccer team had
to play a Final Four match the same day many of the players had to
take finals.
Then there’s everything that is commonplace during a
season ““ 8 a.m. midterms the day after a night road game that
goes into overtime and a class schedule from hell because you have
a four-hour block per day where all you do is train.
It’s not all glamour and glory for college athletes. Sure,
they get some benefits. But most of them are playing because they
have a passion for the sport.
Which is why I hate it when fans overly boo or heckle
athletes.
I have no problem when fans get rowdy at professional games.
Those guys are getting paid big bucks.
But the student-athletes you boo might be sitting next to you in
your next class.
By no means am I asking you to root unconditionally for these
athletes either. Those of you who have read me over the years know
I’m not exactly a homer. Who you root for is your choice as a
fan.
But be careful who you boo because student-athletes are giving
up a lot to play their sport.
Gilbert is extremely sad that his Montreal Expos are moving
to Washington, D.C. Console him (or make fun of him) at
gquinonez@media.ucla.edu.