UB's rowdy fans characteristic of college ball

Fans provoking players at basketball games is a tradition. Recently, the NBA has had issues with athletes going into the stands to either defend themselves or their loved ones, something that could happen at any venue with a riled-up crowd.

Even at Alumni Arena there have been situations where fan behavior breeched the line of acceptability, and John Grela, director of Public Safety, said there is a process to handle those circumstances.

"We try to give the people a warning," Grela said. "The event staff members are supposed to be the first point of contact, maybe for the first and second warning. It's a difficult situation if they are in a group of people and we wouldn't try and go into the stands to eject somebody. Only as a last resort or somebody starting a fight would we go into stands."

"The students, faculty and staff and visitors at the game would really be the losers at the game if someone causes a problem," Grela added.

Eric Cudeck, director of event operations and the head of event staff, said his staff has two specific things to look out for.

"The (Mid-American Conference) has certain guidelines that we have to follow as far as verbal abuse and personal attacks on any individuals," Cudeck said. "Vulgarities are a given but when you start verbally attacking an individual player, that's also crossing the line. So they're looking for those two types of things."

Cudeck also said that the vast majority of the fan base is phenomenal, and it's typical for schools to have a small group of hecklers.

"It's not strictly to UB by any means," Cudeck said about the rowdy fans. "If you travel to these other schools, Ohio, Toledo, Akron, they all have this one group of people that just have to attack a player's personal character."

Buffalo fans came out in droves for Thursday night's match-up against the Ohio Bobcats and cheered for the Bulls for an intense 40 minutes and then some.

"They were definitely louder than normal tonight and I just think we have the best fans in the MAC," said junior center Yassin Idbihi.

"Our fans are great," said senior guard Calvin Cage. "We came out about two hours before the game started and they were already out there chanting and I mean they just gave us a great boost. They're great fans, and I can't say enough about them. I love them."

Fans were extra loud for Thursday night's game but it wasn't anything that the players on the opposing team weren't expecting.

"We knew it would be a hostile environment," said senior guard Mychal Green. "We have a hostile environment at the (Convocation Center) too. We come into the game and they're sitting there, yelling and cursing. That's the way it is on the road and we knew what to expect."

Ohio's head coach, Tim O'Shea, complimented Buffalo on its fans.

"I would say that it was a fun, great atmosphere, that you want to have in college basketball," O'Shea said. "I think it says a lot about the league that you now have it in Buffalo and we have it in Ohio and we have it in a few other places in the league and it really creates a big-time atmosphere for the game."

Amidst compliments from the opposing team, those in attendance also saw that there are times that the student fans step over the line.

"I think it's one thing to heckle the opposing team but when you start bothering the parents that are sitting in front of the fans, it's a whole other thing," said Sue Majchrowicc, a season ticket holder. "I know if it were my kids and I was sitting there, I'd be upset with it."

Mike Orcutt, a junior political science major, agreed.

"They should keep the things they say to just about the players, not anyone else," Orcutt said.

Joe Spadone, an Ohio fan in attendance Thursday, said that the actions of the Buffalo fans are typical of the atmosphere.

"I don't see a problem with the fans," Spadone said. "I would say that talking about parents' mothers is unacceptable but other than that, to each his own. It's definitely a part of the home-court advantage. It's part of the game and if you can't deal with it, don't come."

"I think what happens in Alumni Arena is pretty indicative of what happens on the road," said Terynce Butts, a senior English major and UB cheerleader. "I've gone to many away games and I can say that Alumni Arena is one of the hardest places to play in if you're the opposing team. I mean, in other arenas, I've had fans spit on me. UB definitely is not bad when it comes to fans."

Vance Flaggert, a retired schoolteacher who follows the University of Toledo's women's basketball team and was at the game on Wednesday, said he notified the event staff of a few hecklers' behavior at the game.

"(The staff) are doing a great job," Flaggert said. "I am all for them. They are really helpful. I don't think there's anymore that they can do. When this guy starts using foul language, they could shut him up. They want me to tell him. I am not going to tell him. They have a guy sitting right there that should be able to hear him."

One of UB's most notorious fans is senior business major Jonathan Amitrano. Amitrano researches opposing teams, paints himself blue, and at Thursday's game, handed out hundreds of copies of a fan-chant cheat sheet, featuring not-so-complimentary chants. Amitrano's reasoning for doing the things he does is simple: love.

"We do it because we love basketball and we love UB," Amitrano said.