How does this even happen?
Yes, college kids are nowhere as mature as grown adults with families, etc. but they are mature enough to avoid this. Some Colorado State students cheered out “Russia, Russia, Russia,” at a Ukrainian player for Utah State.
It is no secret that the Republican party has become more “pro-Russia” over the last three to four months but I don’t want to paint this as political because it’s far more likely it was just a small group of college kids, thinking this was a good way to get inside a player’s head.
What kind of amazes me is that 100 students sitting around them didn’t turn their heads and say “STFU! You are making us look terrible. That is disgusting!”
Here is the story from UPI.com
The Colorado State Rams basketball team issued an apology to a Utah State player from Ukraine after fans in the student section chanted “Russia” at him during a game at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo.
The taunts were directed at junior Aggies guard Max Shulga, a native of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday night, according to CNN. His family resides in Ukraine, which will mark the one-year anniversary of being invaded by Russia on Feb. 24.
The basketball team tweeted that it was made aware of a “small group of individuals” who engaged in the chants, late Saturday evening.
Following tonight’s basketball game, we became aware that a small group of individuals in our student section chanted "Russia" at a student-athlete from Utah State, who is from the Ukraine.
— Colorado State Rams 🐏 (@CSURams) February 5, 2023
Again. We shouldn’t put this on most of the students, Colorado State University, or even the Republicans, no matter how pro-Russian. No, the only people who deserve blame in this are the students that chanted out the “cheer.”
****
[email protected], @JasonMiciak,
That official tweet is getting lots of reminders that (a) the student has a name and (b) it’s not “the Ukraine” any more.
You asked the right question – why didn’t other students around these assholes shout them down? Sadly, this type of shit isn’t new. Golden State Warriors (and former Chicago Bull who won rings with Michael Jordan) played his college basketball at Arizona. His father, a diplomat was murdered in Beirut, and AZ State fans started cheering PLO! at him during a game there back in the 1980s. There have been other incidents of cruelty. But you’re right, other students should have shouted them down. So I for one am not about to give the students or the crowd in general a pass.
Yes, I thought about bringing that up but it’s pretty remote by now and infinitely worse.
WHO was the player?? YOu neglected to mention his name
I DO blame the Guns Over People party. They’ve created this culture of dipshits!
No. I just didn’t believe that. Could it be from conservative students? IT’s possible. But to me it is far far more likely that they’re just being heartless assholes without even realizing it, no political bent. I think that’s far more likely. I’d rather hold the GOP accountable for what they themselves say.
Steve Kerr lost his father to assassination. Those fuckwads should be banned from future events.
Bobert Country. Enough said.
This has happened several times in the last year or two. I think one of Oregon’s universities had an incident like this, and I seem to remember a couple others. This is probably more about beer-swilling frat boy energy than anything resembling thought or political intent. Still, it’s offensive and needs to be dealt with. Those students should lose their access to school activities if they are unable to conduct themselves like responsible adults.