Mangiaracina: An open letter to South Florida's Athletics Dept.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

I was appalled upon hearing of the barbaric behavior exhibited by your fans at the South Florida game Sept. 12. Never in my life have I heard and believed that drunken college students would act in a way typically associated with drunken college students.

I have never witnessed remotely similar behavior at the opera or art institute. Though a football game is different, it is not unreasonable to expect young men and women as well as old men and women to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.

Disappointingly, our patrons expected a bloodbath and received only a shower of vulgarity. There is no amount of bone crunching and pummeling that can make up for such atrocious deportment. Likewise, reparations for your fanbase’s behavior should be in order: A shipment of twenty cases of foie gras and thirty cases of Beluga caviar. KU fans deserve only the finest food and drink.

Though this will be payment enough for the adults, I regret to say that no amount of payment will do for the children.

Since I was not present, I can only speculate about the number of children whose innocence was shattered with a simple screaming of an f-bomb or a glimpse of a student downing a large beer from a distance. My current estimate ranges from 67 to 3,589.

Also, I please ask you to take a moment, just a moment, to think of all the little Jean-Pierres and Genevieves who were sitting quietly amidst the mob of fans whilst quietly enjoying a grilled prosciutto, spinach and goat cheese panini until they heard their first curse word. Wait, let us have a moment of silence to pray for them.

Ok, that’s enough...back to the sandwiches.

Even days after the game I’m still haunted with dreams of $8.95 paninis falling on the ash-covered and beer-splattered concrete. More disturbing than the f-bombs or visions of paninis that died in vain is the idea that anyone would insult our fans. I am familiar with the Geneva Conventions and can quite honestly say that this qualifies as a crime against humanity.

War crimes aside, what was most shocking was that more than just college students were engaged in the misconduct. Who would have thought that your fans would invoke an equally salacious response from those being insulted or those whose team was being insulted? How insulting were your fans to make our fans reply in such a human fashion? I will have you know that our fans will not be pigeonholed as such. You should know that we are Jayhawks first and citizens second.

Sincerely, a concerned citizen.

Mangiaracina is a Lenexa senior in journalism.

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Mangiaracina: An open letter to South Florida's Athletics Dept.

Okay--You admitted you weren't there at the game. Are you really fit to comment on this? You're obviously not a sports journalist--and you're barely a journalist.

I'm beginning to think outside of BJ Rains, Case Keefer, Asher Fusco and maybe a few other writers that the UDK isn't fit to criticize athletic departments. You're so ignorant on the subject and it's quite laughable.

I know you're angry about losing your parking spots, but it's not like students are using those spots anyway.

Check your facts before you start criticizing people, because it makes you look very ignorant.

Mangiaracina: An open letter to South Florida's Athletics Dept.

Haha. It makes you look ignorant when you don't understand satire. I love it.