Commentary | Fans: cheer loud and proud, but with respect

Fans: cheer loud and proud, but with respect

You paid for your ticket, stood in line to enter the stadium and planned on voicing your opinion at every good or bad result that came from watching your beloved team.

That's dandy and expected.

Let's just do it with a little dignity and respect.

This past weekend's El Clasico in Spain showed the bad side of fans. All the way over here in Manatee County, it was witnessed multiple times during spring training when the Baltimore Orioles arrived at McKechnie Field.

Here's what happened: In Spain, host F.C. Barcelona conducted a lengthy tribute to soccer legend Johan Cruyff, who died of 68 of lung cancer the week before.

As players from Barca and rival Real Madrid entered the Nou Camp for the 231st edition of El Clasico, fans held up paper cards to form a giant image of the iconic Dutchman's No. 14 and the words, "Gracies Johan."

Barca players also wore the phrase on the front of their jerseys.

Then there was a minute of silence for Cruyff.

But that didn't happen for everyone, as some fans used the time to hurl insults at Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Seriously?

Yeah, soccer fans aren't known as the polite types, with hooliganism putting a black mark on those that cheer in festive, upbeat and civil manners.

There's been several cases of racial chants, insults and other deplorable acts from fans in the stands at stadiums across Europe and the world.

The Saturday showdown between the Blaugrana and Los Blancos wasn't about either at the start. It was about paying homage to a man who is considered one of the all-time greats in the sport, and he was marginalized to get in a cheap dig at an opposing star.

How about a little dignity and respect?

Then there are fans of the Baltimore Orioles. During the national anthem, O's fans shout, "O," at the lyric, "Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave."

Because, you know, Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Major League Baseball and Baltimore Orioles fans in mind all those years ago.

When the anthem is sung, you stand with your cap off and it's supposed to be a quiet show of respect to the song, unless you're singing along at a lower decibel level than the artist performing.

Belting out the lyrics is OK, but not when you're emphasizing a certain word or words to make a point in a way that takes away from what the song is about: the foundation of the country and the brave men and women who have fought for that freedom over the course of its history.

So let's do this with a little dignity and respect.

Yes, it's a game. Yes, it's not life and death.

Yes, it's meant as light-hearted, fun entertainment.

But there's still a level of respect and class afforded to areas that deserve them.

A minute's worth of silence to pay respect to a recently deceased soccer legend?

Not mocking the national anthem's playing to make a selfish grab at a key word in the song for your team, when it's about something completely bigger and different than that?

Yeah, let's do it with a little dignity and respect.

Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7017. Follow him on Twitter@Jason__Dill and like his Facebook page at Jason Dill Bradenton Herald.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Commentary | Fans: cheer loud and proud, but with respect ."