There was no shortage of bad calls made last Saturday. Despite a harrowing attempt by San Diego State, excess fouls against SDSU and missed double dribbling and traveling calls against the BYUers made for a climactic and disheartening loss.
But not all of the bad calls were limited to the polished wooden floors of Viejas Arena. In the days leading up to the furiously anticipated BYU game, it was announced that SDSU fans bearing the infamous “I poked Jimmer’s girlfriend” shirts would be barred from entering the arena.
At least, they were when The Daily Aztec interviewed Senior Associate Athletic Director Don Oberhelman. During his interview with The Daily Aztec, Oberhelman said, “If somebody brings something in that is clearly offensive and they make it in with it, we’re going to remove them from the arena.” Later in the same interview, he said, “I’ve already heard a rumor about a ‘I poked Jimmer’s girlfriend’ T-shirt. You’ve probably seen the same thing. I mean, obviously that’s out of bounds.”
Signs posted beside thousands of devoted Aztec fans waiting in line for tickets expressly indicated exactly the same thing. Any fan guilty of wearing the shirt would be banned from the game against our Mountain West Conference rivals. And they were, to the best knowledge of SDSU fans entering Viejas Arena’s red gates Saturday morning, still forbidden from the amphitheater.
That is, up until Communications Authority Board member and professor Mark Freeman talked to Oberhelman. With SDSU Dance Team skill and grace, Oberhelman waltzed around the fact that censorship of the shirt would be against students’ First Amendment rights, claiming the outright ban was more of a heavily encouraged suggestion. SDSU Dance Team, I’ve got an aspiring candidate for you next year.
I’m not going to squander ink arguing the ethics behind the shirt; that horse has been beaten to a bloody pulp. However controversial the shirt may be, I’m positive those on either side of the wire can agree the censorship and subsequent waffling of approach toward the issue was boorish and foolish.
I’d like to contrast the Athletic Department’s position toward the ill-famed shirt with head coach Steve Fisher’s individual response. While the Athletic Department effectively relied on a position of cease and desist, Fisher showed the utmost class and respect toward fans and members of “The Show.” In an e-mail from Fisher, the head coach made sure to emphasize
“The Show’s” never-ceasing support, but encouraging students to police themselves when it came to offensive statements or toward Mormonism or BYU itself.
As someone who camped with thousands of fellow Aztec fans for three nights, it was Fisher’s response I heard — and saw — countless fans respect. I’ll admit part of the reason for that respect may stem from his tenure as head coach, but Fisher’s glowing regard for the team’s fans and call for self-policing made much more of a difference than the Athletic Department’s authoritarian response.
The “I poked Jimmer’s girlfriend” shirts put the SDSU Athletic Department in a bit of a catch-22: Either the department would have to ban the clothing altogether and risk retribution at the hands of SDSU fans, or it would have to let the shirt fly and subsequently take a hit to its reputation from thousands watching the game on television. It tried to do both, subsequently resulting in collective disgust from Aztec fans.
I’m curious to see the Athletic Department’s position toward similar issues in the years that follow. BYU remains one of our biggest rivals in the MWC, ultimately ensuring this will remain an issue of contention. But if a shirt bearing a mild and rather innocuous statement has no place at a game against BYU, what’s to say the department won’t try to ban bicycle helmets or white collared shirts with ties from future games? The Athletic Department has already made its disapproval of so-called “Mormon gear” well known. No doubt the heads of the Athletic Department will continue to treat students with the same level of respect.
The bottom line is, costumes present at BYU games and other games are meant to be satirical and not malicious. The costumed freak show that exists at these games is part of the spectacle that makes basketball games so enjoyable to attend. SDSU Athletic Department, it’s time to grow up and grab some basketballs.
—Chris Pocock is a journalism junior.
—The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.
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