It is an overcast Saturday at Memorial Stadium and the Kansas offense has just scored its second touchdown against Toledo, giving the Jayhawks a 17-0 lead. The special teams unit is lining up as senior kicker Scott Webb prepares to kick the ball away. The kick goes 70 yards deep into Toledo territory as senior kick returner Andrew Hawkins catches the ball. Hawkins runs bravely towards the vicious Kansas special teams unit before being tackled by freshman Justin Springer and junior Raymond Brown.

Meanwhile, in the stands, a majority of the student section screams as the kick sails through the air, “Rip his f - - - ing head off!”

One fan bleeds through the crowd with, “Disembowel that f- - - er!” Another fan, before Hawkins is tackled, shouts, “Cut his f- - -ing throat!”

Football, often seen as one of the most violent college sports, could often times be mistaken for a battle scene in a Mel Gibson movie. It comes with no surprise that fans did not yell, “Hit him ever so softly” after the kickoff.

Though screaming obscenities at the away team may seem a bit excessive, violent chants have become the norm around college stadiums throughout the country.

Some students at Rutgers University took their chants a little too far in a home game against the U.S. Naval Academy in early September. Their cheers turned into jeers every time Navy had possession of the ball and their profanities were directed not only towards the Navy football team, but also towards Navy fans and midshipmen, who were in uniform. Granted we live in a society where our servicemen defend our liberties and rights, to say “F- - - you Navy,” is just plain rude. So rude, in fact, that Rutgers University of Athletics director, Bob Mulcahy, issued a public statement of apology to Navy.

Unfortunately, some fans, and even some mascots, have taken their passion for their team way too far and have actually committed violent acts.

On Sept. 1 in Eugene, Oregon, fans cheered as Oregon University mascot, Donald Duck, beat up Houston University’s mascot Ultimate Fighting Championship style. After a combination of kicks and punches, Shasta the cougar was left defenseless on the ground. The duck added insult to injury by finishing the beat down by “teabagging” the wounded cougar. As a result of Donald Duck’s assault, he was suspended for one game.

A week before the duck incident, a University of Oklahoma fan faced aggravated assault charges for a crime of passion against a University of Texas fan. Allen Michael Beckett, a 53-year-old church deacon, was in an Oklahoma City when 32-year-old Brian Thomas walked in wearing a Texas Longhorns shirt. Some words were exchanged, signaling a warning for Thomas to pay his bar tab and exit. Before exiting, Beckett grabbed Thomas’ groin and would not let go. By the time Beckett’s hand was pulled from Thomas’ bleeding groin, his testicles hung outside of his torn scrotum.

These two particular incidents show how an innocent passion for one’s team can turn into violence. When it is game day it may seem easier than ever to fall into a mob-mentality and bash another team and its sports fans. In the past, Colorado football fans have been tear gassed at games for being rowdy, the KU band stopped traveling to Columbia after fans threw batteries and bottles at them and Nebraska fans have had their tires slashed here in Lawrence.

As Big 12 play nears, students should realize many of the fans for opposing teams in conference are similar to Kansas’ fans. Some of you may travel to Manhattan for Kansas’ match up against Kansas State. Some of you may even venture as far as College Station to see Kansas play Texas A&M. When you travel to one of these conference schools, take notice of its fans. Some of them will heckle and taunt you, which is can be expected. I hope those of you who travel to away games do not have to experience your cars being vandalized or batteries being thrown at you. Just remember, even in college football, the golden rule, treat others as you would treat yourself, still applies and it should be taken into consideration for the away team and its fans.