Quote from: MIdoubleA on February 08, 2007, 01:08:48 AM

You were right to hold your child back from doing his rounds around the court, obviously some students don't have the class to react properly - and I say that with sincerity. In my opinion, your son was the bigger man in that particular instance. The idiot Hope student that took the flag, stomped on it and threw it should be ashamed. As you mentioned, a more representative model of a Hope student was the cheerleader that returned it.

However, I just can't understand why you would let your little boy taunt the Dew Crew from 5 feet away with a Calvin flag.  Firing up your student section momentarily at the risk of angering another? I an no way approve of what happened, but what did you expect? Can you honestly say, with 100% assurance, that Calvin fans (or any others, for that matter) wouldn't have done the same?

Bad situation all-around augmented by bad decisions on both sides.

The decision to let him go with the Calvin students, who he has come to know quite well over the last couple years, was in response to the initial "letter" that the Hope students brought over and basically threw in his face.  He may be only five but he can read quite well and he was visibly dismayed by that and the Calvin students were attempting to show him that they don't think he is dumb and that they love him. 

He started running his laps as a 2 1/2 or 3 year old as a way to burn off energy so he could stand sitting in the seats for the 2nd half.  Due to the response he has received, home or away (up until this year) it has become a tradition and almost a job in his mind.  This year is the first time that any student section has audibly booed him (last game at Calvin) or physically approached him.  Therefore, in most peoples mind it would not seem like a big deal to have him run.  Most people in the sections near us are encouraging him to do it more when the crowd gets a little quite. 

I can say with almost that level of assurance that they would not have done anything like that based on last years game at Calvin when your fans had a little girl with a cheerleader uniform on do the same type thing.  Like I said the only reason we had any hesitation in the first place was the audible booing from the last game.

BTW:  Thank you to the Hope cheerleader for getting his flag back for him.

Quote from: goknights68 on February 08, 2007, 12:30:02 AM
Embarassed: As a Hope student and college student in general, I'm extremely embarassed at the poor sportsmanship displayed on both sidelines. To whomever decided that sending a small child to 400 screaming, riled-up college kids in a rivalry like this was a good idea: shame on you. That child is the scapegoat of a heated competition between men on a basketball court. Don't send him over to the lions den. Where are the parents?

To Mr. Istealflagsfromkidsandgocrazy, are you aware of what you did? The president of the NCAA was in attendance, wearing a Hope colored tie nonetheless, and you had to go and do that. If I were you, I'd be drafting several letters of apology. I almost left the game.



I watched the game on TV, so I didn't get to see any of this.  What exactly happened?  (For the record, I think the sending the kid around to the other side is a little overdone, but what exactly did the Hope fans do?)

Just to respond to the initial posting.....as one of the parents of the child.  We had told him that he could not do his usual crowd routine at the game because we didn't think that the Hope students would be able to handle it with class.  The Hope students came over and brought a "transfer student application" and gave it to the people around him.  One line on the application was 4. We have real cheerleaders not just some dumb little kid with a flag.

He was pretty upset by that and the Calvin students saw that and asked if they could carry him around on their shoulders.  When they were in front of the hope section one of the students grabbed his flag and stomped on it.  I thought it pretty classless of the Hope contingent that they could find nothing better to pick on than a five year old that loves the Knights so much that he begs to attend the games so he can "help" the team by being ball boy and occasionally running with the flag to get the crowd fired up.

wasn't picking on you sac

liked most of your commentary

Why does this forum always come down to complaining about the refs?

Just got back from the game.  The atmosphere was electric.  After the game winning shot went in, it was like the floor fell out and the roof blew off.  It was awesome to see the refs let them play although maybe they let both teams get a little to physical.  I have never been at a game where the noise was so deafening.  Awesome win for the Knights!