Cross town rivalries are some of the biggest games that we have each year. The student section is always filled with chanting and cheering for their classmates in hopes of winning bragging rights. They hold up posters cheering on the star player, sport the school colors and smear paint on their faces as they scream with every addition to the scoreboard.  However, sometimes, as fans, we are blinded by the desire to win that we stop rooting for our team and begin insulting the other players.

People trash technique, poke fun at players’ names and even throw out racial slurs in hopes of distracting the other players. This unacceptable “distraction” has been tolerated for far too long. If someone were to directly say these things to another’s face, it would be deemed unacceptable. So why does this change on the field or the court?

Some may argue that players should be able to block out these distractions and focus on the game, but we’re all human. Every jab at who we are is heard.  Players aren’t immune to the words that we say simply because they are on the court. These words run constantly through their minds as a remembrance of their “worthlessness” and how they “suck” at the sport they spend hours upon hours to improve on.

Despite rivalries, we should keep in mind that rival players are still people. We shouldn’t downplay their work and realize that they’ve worked hard to reach the place they’re at.