Oh, fans – what would games be without them? They talk trash, add humor and a great source of entertainment with their (sometimes) outlandish behavior and bold energy.
I recently attended the men’s and women’s soccer games that took place this past Saturday, October 10th at Liston Stadium.
It all started during the men’s game, when tension arose between the fans from Benedictine and the fans from Baker when calls weren’t being made on the field.  The focus quickly shifted from the referees’ blind-sighted officiating to Baker, as we stood behind the Benedictine team bench. Meanwhile, the Benedictine [student] fans were stationed nearby. 
They tried getting a little more personal with their comments – and indeed they did.  From mockeries of the city to false sexual preference claims, there was no holding back.<br/>Innately, they caught our attention and some Baker fans retaliated by ridiculing the Atchison area, which their school is located.&#160;Innately, they caught our attention and some Baker fans retaliated by ridiculing the Atchison area, which their school is located. 
Innately, they caught our attention and some Baker fans retaliated by ridiculing the Atchison area, which their school is located. 
Then, a Benedictine fan cut a Baker fan off mid-sentence and blurted out obscenities and the Benedictine crowd chuckled in unison at the abrupt and ill-mannered statements.
Trying to focus on the game and regulate what was under my control, I continued to cheer and hoped this nonsense wasn’t a distraction to the Baker parents and outside fans trying to enjoy the game.  That’s when I caught sight of a disgruntled father leaving the game, grabbing the hand of his, what seemed to be, 4-year-old daughter, looking as if he were more disturbed at what he had to hear than see, as Baker went down 2-0. 
One by one, I watched bothered parents switching sections or leaving the stadium embarrassed that their children had to sit through such harsh and crude language.
Unfortunately, I had no power in filtering the comments from Benedictine and couldn’t help but wonder if their behavior was the slightest bit indicative of what the school represents as a whole. 
Of course I’m a little biased and understand that us Baker fans can get territorial when it comes to outsiders stepping on our turf and talking down to us, but these are two Christian-Methodist institutions we’re talking about here. 
Can we clean it up for Christ’s sake? [Pun intended].
Yes, America is indeed a free country and we can exercise our first amendment with pride, but at the same time, be mindful of your surroundings and respect the ears of others, especially minors. 
Rivalries can cause hostile environments from the game itself, but let that be settled on the field, not outside of it.