Kurt Streeter writes a weekly sports column for the Los Angeles Times. In his January 31st column Streeter wrote about racious fan behavior during the Oregon/UCLA basketball game played at McArthur Court in Eugene last week.

Kevin Love, a student athlete from Oregon, elected to play college basketball at UCLA. My personal observation is ‘who can blame him’? Some of the folks in Oregon don’t agree. Small minded fans jeered him with disparaging chants, signs, and boo’s throughout the game. As reported by Streeter, the verbal abuse was often callous and disgusting. It was also reported that the loudest and longest chants were “homophobic”. Pat Kilkenny, Oregon’s AD has since apologized to UCLA and the Love family for the behavior of fans. This should be the end of the story.

Streeter wants to know why offending fans were not barred from the arena. He wants the NCAA and University officials across the country to “clamp down on spectators”. He believes those fans should be removed from the arena. In this case there were about 5000 chanting students and some non student participants.

Let’s be clear. Based on what I have read, the conduct of the fans in this instance was reprehensible. They should be ashamed. However, no one threw any foreign objects onto the court. Fans didn’t interfere with the game in anyway or engage in any physical violence between themselves or participants. No game rules were broken. No laws were infringed upon. Streeter claims the homophobic name calling falls under the laws of hate speech. Hogwash. This was used as a slur. An ugly one, no doubt, but just a slur without merit or truth. There is no reason to believe that Love is really gay. This was a case of college kids just being college kids. No harm no foul. Move on. Besides, how does this stack up against rap artists using the n-word? Why is that OK? Don’t we have more important social issues to worry about? I think Streeter is walking on a slippery slope.

I am no fan of the Oregon Ducks. I have been to Autzen Stadium to watch football games. The fans are bafoons. They are everything Streeter describes in his article. However, IQ and manners are not qualifications for the right to exercise free speech. I will defend the right of the obnoxious jerks wearing nothing but their tighty-whiteys, yellow capes, and green masks to say what they want, as often as they like, at whom ever they choose.

Kurt, the next time you want to suppress 1st Amendment rights, how about targeting knucklehead protesters who burn the American flag?

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