Washington has earned a reputation as being a tough place to
play, and not only because the Huskies currently rank among the top
15 in the polls.
When UCLA travels to the Hec Edmundson Pavilion to face
Washington Saturday, the Bruins know they’ll be in an
extremely hostile environment.
“The Hec” is the only venue in the Pac-10 conference
that features the student section directly behind the opposing
team’s bench, and at least two coaches have taken exception
to some of the colorful banter coming from the group known as the
“Dawg Pack.”
UCLA coach Ben Howland said he has discussed the matter with
other coaches, and that there’s a consensus that the current
location of the Dawg Pack probably isn’t the best idea.
“I don’t know if it’s prudent, because of the
possibilities of something happening,” Howland said.
When the Pac-10 athletic directors meet later this month, the
position of Washington’s student section will be one of the
items discussed on the agenda. Oregon State used to have its
student section directly behind the visitor’s bench, but
encountered problems when students stormed the floor after a
victory, preventing the opposing players from leaving the
court.
But aside from security concerns, the sheer audacity and
proximity of the Dawg Pack has drawn complaints from some Pac-10
coaches.
“When verbal stuff is right in your ear, five rows behind
you, that is a problem and an embarrassment to the Pac-10 waiting
to happen,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said.
Kent should know a thing or two about unruly fans. The Pit Crew,
Oregon’s student section, is renowned as one of the most
boisterous in the country, but that section is kept a safe distance
away from the visitor’s bench.
“Imagine if Washington sat in front of the Pit Crew. If
that happened, I’d think there’d be fights over
there,” Kent said.
Washington State coach Dick Bennett recently apologized
profusely after he made an inappropriate hand gesture toward
Washington’s student section, which he said was more out of
frustration than anger over anything the fans had said.
“When I’m coaching a game I’m not focused on
anything that someone is saying to me,” Bennett said.
“But it’s a little more difficult for an 18 year-old
kid. That’s not the spirit of the game.”
For Bruin center Michael Fey, an Olympia, Wash. native, the Dawg
Pack has always been especially vocal. Despite the student section
constantly screaming at him, Fey said he enjoys the atmosphere.
“I love playing on the road, it’s something I thrive
on,” he said. “They could move the students closer,
that’s fine with me.”