NEWS
‘Keep fit, thank you’
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Also by Tom Schalmo:
- Wiley stepping down next September (December 7, 2007)
- Winter storm hits Madison (December 1, 2007)
- Student reports sexual assault in Ogg Hall (November 30, 2007)
- 'Keep fit, thank you' (November 9, 2007)
Related Stories:
- ESPN host will speak to grads (December 7, 2007)
- Fans seek places to cheer on Packers (November 29, 2007)
- Several downtown bars throw support to Soglin (February 5, 2003)
- Jarrell supports smoking ordinance (September 19, 2002)
- ESPN GameDay crew to visit Madison (September 21, 2004)
by Tom Schalmo
Friday, November 9, 2007
Earlier this year, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt called Madison the
"greatest college sports town in America."
The declaration inspired a 69-member Facebook group after
Van Pelt spent time over the summer in Madison, using some of his time to visit
State Street Brats and Wando’s bars.
Van Pelt also praised University of Wisconsin fans, calling
the 85,000 fans that fill Camp Randall Stadium "lunatics."
And after being drenched in beer and being told to "get the
fuck out of here," some visiting fans think the same — but for a much different
reason.
The University of Wisconsin recently released some of the
letters it has received so far this fall from fans from other campuses who came
to Madison to cheer on Badger football opposition.
With UW volunteer fan ambassadors hitting the streets before
games, the university is making efforts to try and curb inflammatory actions
and language toward the visiting fans.
"With the fan ambassadors, we are trying to set a more
positive atmosphere," said UW Event Administration Coordinator John Finkler.
"Whether it’s the Iowa game or The Citadel, you try to be consistent and take
steps to make sure everyone there is having a good time."
For his part, UW Chancellor John Wiley spends some time
walking up and down Breese Terrace near the stadium before all home games he
attends.
"If I see a porch crowded with students and a bong, and
they’re yelling various insults at the fans from the other team, I go up and
challenge them," Wiley told The Badger Herald. "And they always act embarrassed
and stop it."
With the fan ambassador program, UW hopes better conduct
outside the stadium will also translate to less profanity inside it.
Wiley said the "Fuck you, eat shit" chant is especially
embarrassing now with the addition of the Big Ten Network, as every UW football
game is now guaranteed to reach a mass audience.
But smaller issues exist as well. The chancellor said he
came across a father and his young son a couple years ago when students started
the infamous chant.
The curious child asked, "What are they saying?"
The father, quick on his toes, replied, "Keep fit, thank
you."
What are they saying?
From the chancellor’s box on any given Saturday at Camp
Randall, Wiley has the duty of convincing potential donors to provide
scholarship money for the university.
Then, the donors hear four not-so-flattering words: "Fuck
you, eat shit."
"They hear "Eat shit, fuck you" over and over and over, and
they look down there and they say, ‘Those are the students you want me to give
money for? I mean, where are their brains?’" Wiley told The Badger Herald.
Wiley said his job of trying to impress donors becomes
considerably harder after the chant.
"It’s humiliating," he said. "It’s embarrassing the school,
it’s embarrassing to the students who do it."
In 2002, then-UW football coach and current Athletic
Director Barry Alvarez asked fans to stop the chant.
But it did not help.
"Now, I’m not naive enough to think that me saying that is
going to do anything except make it worse," Wiley said. "Barry tried it a few
years ago when he was football coach. It was worse the next game. I suggested,
… Why don’t you at least be creative and do it in Latin?"
While thousands of students participate in the chant and
like the "tradition," not many of them like to admit doing it themselves.
"I think it’s hilarious," UW senior Kelly Raymond said. "I
just don’t do it."
UW junior Robb Nelson said he likes the uniqueness of he
chant but said he does not always participate.
"I never really get there early enough to get close to O or
P," Nelson said. "I sometimes do it."
Wiley refutes claims that the chant has been some
long-standing tradition at UW home football games.
"This only started a few years ago," Wiley said. "It’s not a
long tradition. It’s a new thing."
And the consequences, if the chant continues, could extend
to the university’s checkbook or Camp Randall’s scoreboard.
"I think it’s eventually going to get us sanctioned by the
Big Ten conference for unsportsmanlike conduct, which means we’ll either be
paying fines instead of putting money into student scholarships or we’ll be
losing things that matter in the competition — not scholarships, but points in
the game," Wiley said. "So we have to get a handle on this, but I don’t have a
clue how to do it."
According to UW Communications, though, a solution will
never include punishing students for using inappropriate language used at football
games.
Letters to Wiley
In a letter to Chancellor John Wiley, Michael Webber said
some of his friends visited Madison for the UW-University of Iowa evening
football game Sept. 22.
"The way they were treated was appalling," Webber, an Iowa
fan, wrote. "Several roving groups of drunk students (told) anyone dressed in
Iowa gear to get the F-out of Wisconsin. Several Iowa fans were pushed, shoved,
women had beer poured all over them, and called the B-word and the C-word,
while crowds of students just laughed."
Chris and Jennifer Reinsel were also unimpressed with
student behavior at the Wisconsin-Iowa game — and the Reinsels are both UW
alums.
The couple took their 2-year-old to the game and said they
were "ashamed" of their alma mater for being forced to have their son listen to
the "Fuck you, eat shit" chant.
The Reinsels suggested UW warn students that networks like
ABC, CBS and ESPN will not come to games if the behavior continues, have the
band start to play to drown out the chant or play more music to distract
students from beginning the chant.
Finkler said most complaints this year came after the Iowa
game, as the night game sparked an increase in rowdiness around the stadium.
However, Marty Monastersky wrote to UW System President
Kevin Reilly expressing his disappointment with fan behavior during the
Badgers’ game against Michigan State Sept. 29.
"After the game on our way back to our cars, we were
confronted by large numbers of students on Lathrop Street chanting obscenities
and directing us to ‘get the F out of town,'" Monastersky wrote in his letter.
"On more than one occasion, we literally had students screaming in our faces,
cursing at my wife, at my friends and me."
Monastersky said he is "unlikely" to return to Madison for a
football game.
There are 80,000 people there, not 10
Despite the complaints Wiley’s office received, Finkler said
many people enjoy their trip to Madison.
One Washington State University fan in Madison for the
Badger-Cougar matchup Sept. 1 posted on a WSU board that he had a great time in
Madison.
"People were great to me," the fan wrote. "I was all over
and virtually nobody said anything derogatory, other than a few shots, which is
fine. I thought (the) student section and band were awesome."
Finkler said other than the Iowa game, "we’ve had a very
good season" and the problem of fan conduct is "portrayed worse than it
actually is."
On Thursday, Finkler said he received a letter from an elderly
woman who attended the Wisconsin-Iowa game thanking him for help finding a
handicap seat.
The woman went on to say UW has a "very nice facility" and,
in good spirits, wrote "Go Hawks!" at the bottom of the page.
Finkler said people like this woman do not write letters to
the editor or letters to university officials.
"People think we’re going to solve this immediately," he
said. "If we have 80,000 fans, and there are 10 complaints, those would be more
emphasized."
The same day of the Iowa game, Finkler asked an Iowa fan
about his experience in Madison. While the fan did admit to being the victim of
some heckling, he whimsically said he just "goes with the flow."
Finkler said many people assume Wisconsin fans are the only
culprits of poor behavior.
"Students get a bad rap. People think this is all a student
problem," he said. "I think the fact is that we have a number of students who
make a commitment to welcome people — that it puts a different face on the
atmosphere. We go toward our ticket takers and ushers and have everyone put a
good face on and welcome people to Camp Randall."
To combat rowdy behavior, Finkler said stadium officials
remain consistent in enforcing the rules.
"If someone is in the stadium and intoxicated, they’re
removed," he said. "We try to watch people who are intoxicated when we get a
complaint and not assume it’s our fans and their fans."
While no "quick fix" exists, Finkler said the university is
headed in the right direction toward combating the problem.
The culture of football games is not at 100 percent but is
"getting better," Finkler added.
"Hopefully we’ll gradually change the culture so that it’s
not cool or acceptable to be abusive or not be respectful toward other fans,"
he said.
It’s not just Madison
While UW cited Penn State University as a place where fans
are passionate but civil, an incident the day of the Penn State-Ohio State
football game Oct. 27 sparked a series of angry letters to the university.
A video posted on YouTube shows Ohio State fans walking near
a fraternity with Penn State fans, throwing open cans at them while yelling
"Fuck Ohio" and other obscenities.
Earlier this week, State College Police Department handed
out disorderly conduct citations — including to Penn State’s Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity
— following the video, according to a Penn State release.
Further university action against the fraternity, according
to the release, is still pending.
According to Finkler, Ohio State University also struggles
with many of the same fan behavior problems as UW.
Last week, Finkler went to OSU for the Badgers-Buckeyes game
to witness their fan behavior firsthand.
He said OSU has a program similar to Rolling Out the Red
Carpet — the Ohio State Sportsmanship Council.
"I was flattered because they started the program as a
result of ours," Finkler said.
Despite the high-profile status and No. 1 ranking OSU holds
right now, Finkler said Columbus must endure many of the same problems UW does.
"It’s funny when you go to places like Ohio State —
considered one of the best football places in the country — they face a lot of
the same challenges," he said. "When you go on the road, you discover it’s not
unique."
One more chance
Finkler said because Michigan is a big rival for UW — and
the Wolverines are currently ranked No. 13 in the nation — increased enthusiasm
and excitement will exist come Saturday’s 11 a.m. matchup.
"Obviously, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota — those are the high-charged
games," he said. "That’s where we tell everyone, 'We really need to do our best
today. You see someone in the blue and maize — welcome them to Camp Randall.'"
Additionally, Finkler hopes fans will focus on honoring
their own Saturday, not ridiculing other fans.
"I think it’s going to be a big game, but it’s Senior Day,
our last home game, Ron Dayne will be honored — a lot of positive things," he
said. "I hope that’s the feeling people will bring. This is really what Big Ten
football is all about."
With this week’s game on his network, Van Pelt said last
summer Madison is "as good as it gets."
But Wiley thinks students can make it even better.
"Wisconsin has a long history of producing leaders, … not
followers," he said. "So what is it that goes wrong in a crowd that makes
people want to follow the crudest leader around? I don’t understand it."
Finkler believes Saturday is the fans’ opportunity to prove
critics wrong.
"We pride ourselves in trying to be classy," he said. "What
better opportunity than this game?"
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 3:15am):
This will not work at all. I'm proud of our student section being rowdy. I cant wait to verbally harass all the fans wearing blue tomorrow.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 7:16am):
"UW junior Robb Nelson said he likes the uniqueness of he chant but said he does not always participate."
Yeah, real unique, guy.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 7:19am):
Grow up
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 8:46am):
As a UW ALUM, I fully expect every person in blue this weekend to be verbally harassed. It is not our job to welcome opposing fans...it is our job to make Camp Randall one of the most intimidating places for a visiting team to play. For every opposing fan that makes it into the game, that is one less Badger faithful making noise.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 9:17am):
WE WANT SWINGTOWN
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 10:10am):
Rowdiness and heckling the other team is what football is all about. If people want to wear Michigan apparel or bring their 2-year-olds to tomorrow's game, then that's their problem. Camp Randall belongs to the team and the students and if people can't deal with that fact, they probably shouldn't come at all.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 10:18am):
"Wiley said the "Fuck you, eat shit" chant is especially embarrassing now with the addition of the Big Ten Network, as every UW football game is now guaranteed to reach a mass audience."
It's always about the money Wiley.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 11:00am):
what ever happend to "tastes great" "less filling"
its a much cooler chant.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 11:05am):
Chancellor Wiley is incorrect... I went to a UW-Ohio State football game at Camp Randall in the early 90s, and the students were DEFINITELY doing the "fuck you, eat shit" chant.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 11:07am):
@ 8:46am,
The opposing team is not listening to you. Tone it down and act like a non-idiot. You are not that intimidating.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 11:23am):
"Wiley said the "Fuck you, eat shit" chant is especially embarrassing now with the addition of the Big Ten Network, as every UW football game is now guaranteed to reach a mass audience."
Interesting. I can't hear the chant from my tv. Maybe that "mass audience" thing should be re-worded.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 11:25am):
Go ahead and welcom visitors to women's hockey games. I go to the football games to help my team any way I can. Every maize and blue idiot in there is not helping my team. I will still rip on the opposition, but believe it or not- i have not poured beer on their women or cursed at their kids.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 12:17pm):
Heckling from the home fans comes with the territory when you are a visiting fan. I've been to away games and know that we are no worse than anybody else. I have talked with many visiting fans and they all love the atmosphere in Madison.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 12:23pm):
i'm sick of the excuse "I brought my 2 year old son to the game..." what did you expect? get a clue and maybe be a smarter parent
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 12:35pm):
Our toilet bowl culture continues to grow in this country. Beyond athletics, the Big Ten is respected for academics. I am a Penn Stater, and the Big Ten's academic profile is one of the things that made me feel good about coming into the conference. I am embarassed by the You Tube posting showing PSU fans basically being SOBs to the Ohio State fans, and I am sure there are many in Madison that are not thrilled with the fu/eat sh-- chant. I would hope that young people intelligent enough to attend UW or PSU can deduce they are hurting their Universitys with this behavior and can also understand they are helping create a society in which they may be a victim sometime.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 1:00pm):
Look Wiley I think you and the rest of the whiners need to grow some thicker skin. One, I am pumped to become as annoying as humanly possible towards any and all Michigan fans that I may see or hear. Two, big deal if the students are using some bad language. Grow up its a football game, we are hear to be loud and obnoxious. Three, if you bring your two year old to a game and are so offended by the naughty language in front of a child (which won't remember the game anyway), then don't bring him! Four, when I go to an away football game, I expect to be harassed and yelled at by the home town fans. I actually expect this kind of behavior! We have come into their house and they're supposed to be nice to us? Give me a break! This crying and whining is getting extremely old. Why don't you big wiggs work on getting the BTN on cable and maybe then we will start listening to you about toning down our "inappropriate" behavior. MUCK FICHIGAN!!
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 1:09pm):
go badgers! i love the chant and i love picking on the other fans!
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 1:19pm):
"Wiley said the "Fuck you, eat shit" chant is especially embarrassing now with the addition of the Big Ten Network, as every UW football game is now guaranteed to reach a mass audience. "
a mass audience -- i thought we just went thru this last friday. a mass audience, meaning the town of richmond.
remember the "f*ck the sound guy cheer" when they tried to stop 'jump around'... now that was original
Dear BTN, eat shit and f*ck you.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 1:28pm):
When I went to the UW vs. Purdue game last year at Purdue I was picked up by my red and white striped overall straps and yelled at for being a Badger fan on their campus. I didn't cry to the Chancellor at Purdue. If you can't handle it, don't go.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 2:50pm):
Whenever I've been to road games, the fans harass me. It's part of the game. When the opposing fans don't harass me I take it to mean that their fans suck. I'm a UW Alum who now lives out of state and I will be ashamed of our students if we don't quadruple the volume on these chants during the next game.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 4:13pm):
(to 12:35pm) Here in Madison we call that "work hard, play hard." Go to class, study, do well on your tests, but Badger Saturday is not library time, it's play time :)
Also, I'm not sure we can be sanctioned by the big ten if no one is watching the big ten network. If a tree falls in the woods........
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 4:17pm):
Going to a football game is not supposed to be a sophisticated, quiet ordeal. It's a big party!!! I understand that the Chancellor must impress in order to obtain funding for the University, but why not do that at a function that is deserving of esteem and respect, such as an engineering demo, a book reading, or a lecture on economics.
Football is what it is: two teams of respectable sized men that hit each other hard. It's a modern-day gladiator match.
You go to the game to have a good time, NOT to be educated or enlightened.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 4:17pm):
keep fit
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 5:40pm):
I'm not a UW student or alum, but I have attended a few games. We brought our son, but waited until he was 16 and could enjoy the game for what it is. We didn't join in the cheers, but weren't offended by them either.
However, the few fans that throw drinks or physically push someone should get their emotions under control, they could be charged with assault.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 6:14pm):
Anonymous(November 9, 2007@ 7:06 p.m.)
You silly Badger fans! You're just a mild swelling on the way to Big Blue's dominance over your sorry a@#! Ron Dayne couldn't help you when he played! You are not a rival to us! You are less than nothing! Acting like complete a-holes just shows your insecurity! Act like your from an institute of higher learning instead of an insane asylum!
GO BLUE! "IT'S GREAT, TO BE, A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE"
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 8:00pm):
"Act like your from an institute of higher learning instead of an insane asylum!"
Yeah, and I guess that proper grammar isn't part of your repertoire of skills.
It's great to be loud and obnoxious and annoy the living daylights out of all the opponents, but something slightly less profane would be wonderful. Make fun of their mothers or something...that's more fun, anyway.
Anonymous (November 9, 2007 @ 9:05pm):
We may not be smart enough to stop the "fuck you" chant, 12:35, but at least we can spell "universities."
Anonymous (November 10, 2007 @ 8:07am):
UM 28 BUCKY 13
Seniors get no love on Senior Day! Alamo Bowl here we come!
"IT'S GREAT, TO BE, A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE"
Anonymous (November 10, 2007 @ 1:51pm):
I'm an alum of UW and I have to say I am embarrassed for our institution when I go to the games. I can't believe that students who work so hard in academics belittle their integrity so readily by acting immaturely at a sporting event. Being a great fan has absolutely nothing to do with using profanity or harrassing opposing teams' fans. You can harrass the team all you want by cheering and you can have an absolutely great time, but profanity just demonstrates a lack of class. BTW, many alums like to bring their children, albeit maybe older than 2 years old, and they should be able to do so without the fans making asses out of themselves. Wiley doesn't need to grow up! He knows what he's talking about, and it's time that UW fans start taking some pride in who they are.
Anonymous (November 10, 2007 @ 3:38pm):
ya, it sure is "great" to be a michigan wolverine. good game today, assholes.
Anonymous (November 10, 2007 @ 4:34pm):
Take your children to something thought-provoking. Football is not that event. Everyone knows what sports are about - drinking, drinking, and yelling.
Would you wear a Yankees jersey to a Red Sox game? Not unless you want to be heckled the entire time.
Anonymous (November 10, 2007 @ 7:01pm):
I'm an UW alum and used to think the chant was funny, but now I think it's tired and immature. The students should use their energy on yelling at the opposing team, instead of each other. And maybe showing up before kickoff, too. You can do your beer bongs after the game, too, kiddies.
Anonymous (November 10, 2007 @ 7:12pm):
I attended UW in the mid 80's and the student section was actually much rowdier, and probably dangerous, than it is today. Those were the days when entire rows of seats were torn away and tossed over the top of the stadium. I also remember wearing rain coats and plastic to every game due to the cups of soda, mustard, ketchup, etc being thrown about. Also, the f-u eat-sh&^ chant was proudly chanted at least that far back. Remember body tossing? Had the time of my life and wish I could go back to the good ol days.
Anonymous (November 11, 2007 @ 3:32am):
Sift and Winnow.
- Germain E. Stemme
Anonymous (November 11, 2007 @ 9:35pm):
To Michigan fan at 7:06 and 8:07:
37. 21. Eat shit and fuck you.
Anonymous (November 11, 2007 @ 11:56pm):
When opposing fans come to a Big Ten football game, they should expect to get heckled. They should not, however, expect to get drenched in beer. There's a fine line between good-natured heckling (even if it usually doesn't sound good-natured), and breaking the law. Students that start fights should be arrested, but to say that giving visiting fans a hard time is "embarrassing" is a bit ridiculous.
Like a poster above said, would you wear a Yankees jersey to Fenway and expect to not get heckled? No, it comes with the territory.
As far as "F-you, Eat Sh*t" is concerned, it's a relatively pointless chant. It's pretty stupid, if you ask me. I used to do it as a freshman, but now I really could do without it.
The "A-hole" chants, on the other hand, should stay, by all means. That's just part of the fun.
And by the way, I really hope that Michigan fan doesn't actually attend U of M. We should definitely be ranked higher than them by US News if that is the caliber of student that gets into Ann Arbor.
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