Can we end the ‘Classless’ talk about MD fans?

As a fan of the University of Maryland, I often read the message boards of their fellow Atlantic Coast Conference teams, particularly those of Duke. In those forums, you regularly read disparaging descriptions of Terp fans, and the State of Maryland as a whole.

I find the argument just infuriating. I understand that those comments are by a fringe-minority. Still, I just find it unbelievably ironic to be reading about how ‘classless and trashy’ Maryland is, by the same people saying Maryland is a ghetto cess-pool that should fall into the Potomac.

There are a number of fine Academic institutions in the ACC, with Duke as the obvious standard-bearer. Annually heralded as one of the premier higher-education centers in the Country; it is easy to respect the University as a whole, and their students who had the academic aptitude to be enrolled there.

The double-standards of some of their students, and fans is just puzzling though. Over the years, I have regularly read The Duke Chronicle, or the Herald Sun (Durham), or the main Duke message-boards, and seen an abundance of vitriol from their fans towards the University of Maryland, their fans, and the State MD itself. Some of it is just ‘message-board tough guy / machismo,’ type talk. The majority of it is just a loud, obnoxious extremely limited fringe minority; but the sentiments expressed are consistent enough to not be ignored either.

What I mean by that, is that I am tired of the Duke fan-base claiming a moral high-ground on Maryland, when members of their fan-base have chanted ‘HIV’ to Dixon in reference to his parents, ‘Crackhead’ to Strawberry, in reference to his Dad, or the constant racist references to Vasquez that are easily found.

Again, I am not intending to paint with a broad-brush here. I recognize those comments are the actions of a very small minority, and not indicative of the Duke fan-base as a whole. What I question is, why is it seemingly so hard for Duke fans to understand the actions of an extremely limited-minority of Maryland fans, is not an accurate representation of Maryland fans as a whole?

Wednesday night, when the game ended in College Park, 27 people were arrested. The great majority of which were not UMCP students. EDIT: I was wrong about this, 23 of the 27 arrested were students.

What you had, was 1,500 kids emptying out onto Route 1 to celebrate. Due to previous dumb actions by MD ‘fans’ nearly a decade-ago, the Police felt the need to take the precautionary steps they took to avoid anything larger potentially happening.

I will agree with anyone, and everyone that it is pathetic that those steps had to be taken. I will disagree with anyone that says it was appropriate action by the Police, or typical reaction of MD fans and students. The idea that ‘win or lose’ MD fans will riot is just illogical. 40 dumb people were arrested nearly a decade ago for their actions during/after the two Terps Final Fours. None were MD students. Those were stupid acts, by stupid people, and for some reason it happens across the country after major sporting events. My guess has always been that those actions are just people looking to drink, and act-out and are using the sporting event as an excuse. Branding it a consistent action, or implying it is a common trait among MD fans is just wrong.

It is not about condoning the actions of a few dumb-people, again it is about questioning that air of self-righteous. The idea that MD fans are classless thugs because a very limited % of their fan-base acted out poorly. Is it really any different than what you see in the links below?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gOAyK9AqEQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovc3mc0ZDL0

Those were links to Duke students gathering, celebrating, and burning stuff after beating UNC. Adjust for the population differences, and you are seeing basically identical situations. I know, I get it… it is somehow more sophisticated when the Duke fans do it.

There are dumb fans in every fan-base, Maryland’s included, but the talk about MD’s fans being classless have always been overstated. Or perhaps you want to make the argument that the Duke chants mentioned above are somehow different than the Maryland crowd chanting ‘FU JJ, or FU Scheyer’?

A better argument would be that two-wrongs do not make a right. An even better argument would be that these are all examples of extremes taken by a very small minority.

Let me finish this diatribe with a couple of last discussion points.

First, Jon Scheyer’s Father stating that Jon would never allow his mother to attend a game in College Park, is just sad. It is not sad because Scheyer feels uncomfortable, it is sad because obviously there is no physical danger being risked. The environment is safe enough for his Father to come to, but apparently the empty water-bottle that hit Mrs. Boozer years ago, put the Fear of God into Scheyer that his Mom would be at-risk. I have always thought the Scheyerfaces and FU chants were lame, but not as lame as the crying about it.

A home environment that makes opposing players uncomfortable is ideal. If it crossed into physical violence, that would be too far.

I personally think MD’s crowd talking about JJ’s sister, or calling Duke’s hotel were examples of going to far as well though. When the Terp fans talked about Shelden Williams… well, I think he had that coming to him.

Same way, as when Duke taunts MD players… I often think the cheers (and cheer sheets) are lame, but they are effective.

I am just so tired of hearing how offensive the FU chants are, but Duke fans get no admonishment about the over-the-top chants they have had.

Secondly, while Duke students can be rightfully be proud of their University and personal accomplishments; the unfounded ranting about UMCP, and the state of Maryland should cease. That is, the comments should cease if those making the comments, want Duke (and their fans) to be seen as ‘classy’ in comparison.

Is College Park equal to Duke in-terms of overall Academic quality? No, of course not (though there are departments at Maryland that are of the equal or better than Duke). It should also be pointed out that US News & World Report recently ranked UMCP as the 122nd best University in the World, and 53rd best in the US.

I bring this up, only because it refutes the charge that Maryland is comprised of a bunch of classless thugs. It illustrates that College Park is obviously filled with some of the best and brightest. Clearly, that is no surprise for a school that can boast of the following achievements, and Alums such as:

Kevin Plank – Under Armour
Larry David – Seinfeld
3 Astronauts
Invented Doppler Radar
Invented Linear Programming
Invented the Jumbotron
Invented Artificial Organs
Invented the Barcode
Launched SIRIUS satellite radio – Robert D. Briskman
Sergey Brin – Google
Four Nobel Prize laureates
Carl Bernstein
Bonnie Bernstein
Connie Chung
Carley Fiorna(Hewlett Packard CEO)
Don Himmelfard(Thrifty Rental Car CEO)
Harold Khan (Macys CEO)
Paul Mullen(Wham-O CEO),
Preston Padden (Disney VP),
Harvy Sanders -Nautica
Robert Basham – Outback Steakhouse
Jime Walton (CEO of CNN)
Jim Henson
Aaron Mcgruder(Boondocks Comic)
David Simon (The Wire creator)

Seeing David Simon’s name and The Wire, again triggers for me all the stero-typical comments you hear from some Duke fans regarding Baltimore, College Park, and Maryland in-general. The world Simon depicted in The Wire is an accurate representation of the daily-drama that exists in heroin ravaged areas of Baltimore.

One thing I disliked about the show, is that it did not illustrate the gains that have been made it the city itself, nor the actualities of life in the surrounding metro. The reality is that Baltimore has changed… the image of Baltimore as the lunch-pail blue collar city does not hold up… the Baltimore Metro (Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, County, Carroll, Harford, Howard Counties) is one of the most affluent areas of the country in terms of education and wealth.

Baltimore has much more in common with Seattle, Denver, and Atlanta then it does with Detroit.The big drivers of the Baltimore economy (outside of Federal jobs) are the huge investment in BioSciences, and all the Financial jobs… (T.Rowe, Legg Mason – even after their recent cuts)

A) The Balt region ranked first in income growth between 2000 and 2005 among the nation’s top metropolitan areas, with a 24.1 percent increase.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea…-59865947.html

B) The Baltimore area’s per capita income of $41,320 in 2005 came in eighth among top metro regions.

C) Among the region’s residents, 13.8% have advanced education degrees, ranking Baltimore fifth in the nation behind Washington with 21.3 %.

D) There is currently $5.16 billion (City, State, Private) in ongoing development projects within Baltimore City.

As far as crime goes…

Baltimore ended 2007 with 282 murders.
Baltimore ended 2008 with 234 murders. (Decrease of 17%)

Being a Baltimore boy, I am well-versed in everything about this City, and Metro area as a whole. Enough so, that it catches a raw nerve when negative and trite comments are made from people sitting in North Carolina, that have zero-understanding, or knowledge about the Baltimore Metro as a whole.

I would imagine my Washingtonian Terrapins friends would have similar disdain for the inflammatory comments they read about DC; with clearly no insight into PG, Montgomery, and Northern Virginia.

I understand there is a high-quality of life in the Raleigh-Durham area, but if you are going to compare the States of North Carolina, and Maryland as a whole; Maryland is always going to come out ahead in-terms of education, and affluence.

To summarize this long-winded rant:

1) There are fringe-elements of every fan-base, and it should be remembered that those people are just that – fringe- and not the majority.

2) For those that do claim Maryland (the University and State) to be classless, and trashy; they should be cognizant of their own words, and actions.

3) Two wrongs do not make a right, but claiming the moral high-ground on Maryland based on chants of FU Scheyer is a ludicrous argument, when put in context of quotes made by Duke fans.

4) Opposing fans, need not worry about their physical safety when traveling to College Park for an event.

5) If you are going to talk about UMCP, and the State of Maryland being solely comprised of thugs because you caught a rerun of The Wire; than perhaps you should broaden your horizons and dig a little deeper.