Comments about ‘BYU basketball: Anti-LDS behavior addressed at San Diego State’

Those are pretty tame, as far as taunts go. Did anyone else see the halftime presentation by the Stanford marching band in 2004 (I think), when BYU played the Cardinal in Football? That was pretty offensive, but what are you going to do? Whine about it all...oh wait...[reads byline]...never mind.

It looks like SDSU is addressing the situation, which is good. I encourage all of us (no matter what school we are fans of) to remember it's a game that has rules and etiquette. Sportsmanship (like chivalry) is not dead if we encourage it to live. Be true to your school and cheer loudly, have fun rooting for your team, but above all, show class or don't have a team at all. Fans are part of the team. They need to know that. What they do affects the team and the school. Let's all polish, not tarnish the reputation of college ball!

The student section pulled the same stunt last year and there wasn't a peep from the SDSU administration or any attempt to head it off this year. As a former Aztec (graduated in '02) I am ashamed of the behavior and this stupid statement. Hiding behind free expression is no excuse for the failure of the big brass to stop this bigotry. Yes, it's true that it doesn't involve all Aztecs, but it's way too many and has gone on for far too long.

This shouldn't be tolerated, always hope for the best, and expect the worst. People are and "US" will not change. I don't like it personally, but is a reality.

I heard the MWC sent out a letter to every school warning to keep conduct at games from crossing the line.

Sounds interesting. I have to admit that the bike helmets is a pretty hilarious touch. Hopefully the team can bond together and turn the mocking into something positive.

Get over it people, I can't believe you are worried about it. You all act like it is similar to what people like Hank Aaron or Jackie Robinson when through. Com'on it is a non-story. I find them clever if nothing else.

post because I gave too much detail regarding the chant of UofA fans when BYU played there a few years ago. SDSU fans dressing as missionaries is "to them, harmless." Understand that these students are college kids. Do they have a full understanding of what they do in terms of being offensive, no they don't. How many movies or shows have depicted nuns in a not so bright light? Offensive? To the catholics for sure, to others who don't fully understand, probably not.

However, a few years back when BYU played UofA, the UofA section started chants that involved the most offensive of 4 letter words followed by .... mormons! Now that is offensive. The irony in this was that UofA's star linebacker and now NFL player was an active LDS kid, Spencer Larsen.

Making mock of missionaries while obviously offensive to some Mormons is NOT offensive to others because they don't fully get it. Does that make it right? Well that is debatable but the bottom line is that chants that use vulgarity and our faith in the same sentence is very offensive and goes beyond . . . should we say misguided humor.

There is a difference.

What those kids did isn't any more acceptable than us participating in hate speech towards the Jews or the Muslims, or Homosexuals for that matter. I'm glad they are doing something about it.

Hatred isn't easily untaught. This issue will never go away completely. Dumb people will always be dumb.

I hope fans at BYU home games are classy. It'd be a shame if even one individual spoke stupid words to opponents or their visiting fans.

It was nice to see an "outsider" call SDSU on what happened there. As long as BYU fans stay classy (remember Oklahoma's fans after they lost? very classy), then no one can point fingers and justify their behavior.

I wouldn't worry too much about it... We as members of the church can choose whether or not to be offended.

I actually think that dressing up as missionaries is kinda funny, though for the other sounds distasteful.

The best thing to do is just ignore it and then after the game point to the "SCOREBOARD"!!

Look, you don't all need to mitigate what happened to come across as nice. What was perpetrated was hate speech. Period. Recognize what it is. It was not right. Collage age has nothing to do with it.

SDSU has a real problem on its hands and SHOULD address it. You telling them it's OK only gives others license to walk all over you. Its NOT OK!

any school that treats fellow conference members the way SDSU does should be shown the door.

Who needs them? They are a second rate program anyway

Next time we play in San Diego, invite all of the local LDS missionaries to attend and to sing the Aztec fight song at half time. Turn a negative into a positive.

At the MWC basketball tournament the conference has negotiated very good rates for fans, but has assigned the fans from two schools to each of the hotels. Guess which team's fans are sharing a hotel with BYU's fans? Yup, BYU and San Diego State are both supposed to stay at Green Valley Ranch, at least if they want a good price on a hotel.

There is no decorum with the younger generation of fans. The more mean spirited and obnoxious you can be gets you the laugh these days (just take a look at Duke B-ball fans). The more brash your fans are the more likely you'll end up on ESPN Sportscenter. I am very surprised how many BYU fans have said some of the SDSU student antics were funny to them. This goes beyond the BYU-SDSU game. The past 40 years there has been a gradual breakdown in manners with no bounderies. It will only get worse until it gets better.

Get over yourself.

Good call BYU-Idaho. Be Offended or choose not to be Offended. Case closed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no more posts on this subject, Please.......

Why do people think that LDS people should just except and ignore when someone is blantently attacking their beliefs? Why should we put up with it any longer? Its called respect for religion and respect for people, all of which cleary does not happen when BYU plays. We are there for the game not to mock LDS living and beliefs! And another thing, why is it that when we call people out for doing stupid stuff, it is then turned around on the LDS community as a "non-story"?

Who cares? I thought that it was very funny. The point of being a fan, particularly in college, is to get ion the other teams head. If this is all it takes to get in a players head, I'm not sure I want that player playing in big games for me. As an active LDS member, I was not offended at all and actually thought it was very clever. We just need to learn to laugh at ourselves. This should be a non-story.

`Robert Y. Valentine, PhD | 9:19 p.m. Jan. 28, 2010
Next time we play in San Diego, invite all of the local LDS missionaries to attend and to sing the Aztec fight song at half time. Turn a negative into a positive


Always turn a negative into a positive. Your answer might not happen, but it's in the right path.