I played a year of football in high school and I can remember an incident after a game at New Brunswick in which fans of the hometeam got a bit unruly after the game, making for a tense situation and a great deal of fear. The team was on the bus when the fans acted up — I think we probably won that game, but our main running back was hurt badly and there were probably some words during the contest.
The fans rocked the bus some, and it was just an ugly and potentially dangerous moment.
I was reminded of this because of a story we reported in The Cranbury Press this week about a melee at a Colonia basketball game after Monroe staged a furious comeback to win. The Colonia fans assaulted Monroe’s fans, sending on to the hospital — a fact that should have administrators at all high schools concerned.
The fight took place on Dec. 18, a week ago, but got little press until we reported on it. Then, on Tuesday, a fight broke out in Allentown after a game, demonstrating that there is something very wrong with American society.
Look, the New Brunswick incident, which took place in 1978, shows that this kind of behavior is nothing new. But the fights at the high schools are part of a larger trend that includes brutality at youth league games, professional contests (fans taunting and players going into the stands) that is starting to make our sports culture resemble South American soccer.
Monroe Coach Bob Turco put the entire thing in perspective, calling it a “sign of the times.”
He used a Monroe student as an example, saying the girl had told him she wouldn’t wear her Monroe colors or jacket to away games for fear of retaliation from opposing fans.
“The sad part is this has become something to expect,” he said. “It used to be about school spirit and supporting your team.”
Sadly, it no longer is.
Hank Kalet 