The battle between West Virginia University’s administration and student section at men’s basketball games has been well-documented recently.
Nearly every state publication and ESPN both spoke of the sticky situation arising from misbehavior at the WVU Coliseum when Mountaineer fans’ obscenities could be heard on CBS in the Jan. 23 come-from-behind victory over Ohio State.
The antics continued last weekend, when Louisville head coach Rick Pitino had chants of "Karen Sypher," directed at him 10 separate times, referencing a woman Pitino admitted to having an affair with in 2003.
But in Wednesday’s 70-51 victory over rival Pitt, the situation became worse than it has been at any point this season.
With 12:10 left in the game and the Mountaineers leading 43-41, WVU point guard Truck Bryant was whistled for traveling. At that point, students began to launch everything from water bottles and plastic cups to T-shirts onto the floor.
WVU head coach Bob Huggins then got on a microphone and directed the students to "Stop throwing things on the court. That’s stupid," Huggins said.
The fourth-active winningest head coach continued, "If you see someone throwing something on the court, point them out so we can throw them out of here."
Throwing objects on the court is not acceptable under any circumstance, but luckily in that instance, nothing hit anybody on or near the court at the time.
However, with 5:14 remaining, someone felt the need to prove why West Virginia fans get a bad reputation for doing ignorant things.
After a physical confrontation took place between Pitt center Gary McGhee and WVU forward John Flowers, the officials checked the monitor to determine if any punches or elbows were thrown.
While they were getting set to review the incident, Pitt assistant coach Tom Herrion was hit on the left side of his face with a coin that came flying from the crowd. The coin came inches away from hitting Herrion in the eye, but fortunately, Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said Herrion was "all right" after the game.
Not only do incidents like that put people at risk but WVU fans are also hurting their team.
Pitt point guard Ashton Gibbs was awarded two free throws for a technical foul assessed to the West Virginia faithful when the coin hit Herrion.
Are you really being a good fan when you’re giving the opposing team free points?
Everybody should feel lucky for Herrion that the coin didn’t hit him in his eye, which was approximately an inch higher.
If the students won’t listen to Huggins, who will they listen to? Surely not Ken Gray, WVU’s vice president for Student Affairs who has flooded students with e-mails.
Will it have to come to the point where police officers stand in every third row amongst the frenzy?
WVU’s students have rewarded the University’s decision to get more of them closer to the court by throwing their trash on it.
A few people are ruining it for everyone, but it’s generally not a good sign when the head coach and players of a team are growing tired of their fans.
"It just gives our team and the state that we play for a bad name. That’s not what we’re about as far as a team, and I know it’s not what people here are about it in the state, so why even do stuff like that? It gives a bad reflection to the team and the entire state," said WVU senior forward Da’Sean Butler.
The Mountaineers gain a clear advantage at home from the Coliseum atmosphere. They are 33-6 on their home hardwood under Huggins.
But this lack of class and dignity can not continue and Butler seems to have his own solution.
"It’s a matter of everybody just controlling themselves and acting like adults," he said. "Some people are graduating college and some people are in college, you know, so act like it."
Let’s hope things change and WVU fans act their age for the four remaining home games.
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