The University of Arizona has officially apologized to Brigham Young University (BYU) after racist, unacceptable comments against BYU players were hurled by a group of Arizona fans after a recent college basketball game. The incident is said to have occurred in the wake of Arizona’s defeat to BYU, as social media video captured the moment when chants were directed at the BYU players.Arizona condemns the action taken by the fans
The University of Arizona confirmed the incident in a statement and condemned a small number of their fans involved. “What a few people do does not symbolize our athletic program nor university values. To BYU, its players, coaches, and fans, we apologize for the inappropriate and unacceptable conduct of some observers,” the statement read.
University officials have appointed here that there is an absolute commitment to creating an atmosphere of respect and sportsmanship to sporting events. In rendering that, the school also stated that it is looking into the incident before it determines whether or not disciplinary action is warranted.
The privately owned university by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepted the apology by Arizona. BYU University also appreciated the prompt response from the university. “We appreciate the University of Arizona’s intent in addressing this issue and seeing that all athletes are treated with respect and dignity,” states BYU’s athletic department through a pronouncement.
This incident was once again at the heart of the controversy over the conduct by fan spectators in college athletics as it relates to chants or even activities that cross the thin line that separates acceptable from unacceptable behavior. BYU has had similar incidents during its games against other universities, often issues religious or cultural differences.
The head coach of Arizona once again recounted the incident at a post-game press address and called on the fans for responsibility. “Our team is proud to represent this university, and we expect our fans to be the same way,” he said. “We want to have a competitive but respectful environment, and what occurred last night was not representative of our program.”
It appears that moving forward, the University will then have to do something about preventing such occurrences in the future. This might involve additional messages calling for sportsmanship and probably harsher penalties for obnoxious fans.
Both universities, as they move on from these events, are committed to creating an atmosphere of respect and competition that recognizes the role of honor in sporting endeavors and the mutual recognition that comes with respect for each other. lege sports, stressing the need to maintain the values of sportsmanship and respect for one another.
