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Bring
it on
Coach
encourages positive fans to pack the coliseum
The
men’s basketball coach spoke with students to encourage
a full crowd for upcoming games, but said he wants chanting
against opponents to stop.
By
Angelica Rosas
Staff Reporter
Men’s head basketball coach Neil Dougherty said Tuesday
that fans should support TCU victories by chanting for
the Frogs, rather than belittling opponents.
Dougherty said he appreciated the massive fan support
for TCU during the game against the Louisville Cardinals
Feb. 17, but disapproved when fans chanted that the Cardinals
were “overrated.”
TCU defeated a top-ten opponent for the first time in
over 14 years, but Dougherty warned fans that such chants
needlessly motivate teams for the next time they play
the Frogs.
“The chanting really took away from our own guys
who were beating the No. 10 team in the nation,”
Dougherty said. “If anything, we should have been
chanting that the team was ‘underrated’ and
gave credit to our guys who were winning against one of
the most recognized teams in the country.”
Dougherty asked for “hot, sweaty fans” to fill
Daniel-Meyer Coliseum next week as he and staff members
handed out flyers in The Main. He said he wanted to speak
informally to students regarding the chants at the Louisville
game.
Junior finance major Ian Shaw listened to Dougherty in
The Main and said he thought it was great that Dougherty
came out and spoke to the student body personally about
the issue.
“I agree that when you chant ‘overrated’
it’s like saying ‘your team is bad’ instead
of congratulating our team on a win,” Shaw said.
Instead of making derogatory comments to the other team,
students should focus on supporting our own team, Shaw
said.
Sophomore radio-TV-film major Amanda Redmon said Dougherty
talked to her and her friends and encouraged them to attend
next week’s game.
“He was really trying to encourage us to go to the
game,” Redmon said. “I jokingly asked him if
I could sit next to him on the bench and he said no, but
that I could sit behind him.”
Redmon said Dougherty was really nice and obviously wanted
as many students to attend the game as possible.
Dougherty said a good way for fans to support TCU is with
simple cheers. TCU fans should make the coliseum anything
but a neutral court, he said.
“For the Louisville game, the crowd really energized
us,” Dougherty said. “We want an atmosphere
that is 100 percent cheering for TCU.”
Fliers announced a $500 prize for the student group that
shows the most spirit at next week’s games.
TCU plays Charlotte today and Houston Saturday at Daniel-Meyer
Coliseum.
Staff reporter Stacey Grant contributed to this story. |
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Karly
Campbell/Staff Photographer
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| Basketball
coach Neil Dougherty (far right), accompanied by
Athletics Director of Marketing Tim George (far
left), speaks to students in The Main about the
game tonight and the importance of their support.
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