WU Crew needs better leadership
Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: Opinion
By Chris Osborne
I would like to apologize to the readers of The Johnsonian for not making sure my facts were correct. In my article "Eagles fans have worst sense of humor," which appeared in the March 5 issue, I stated that Mr. Cannup was removed from the men's basketball game at the University of South Carolina for using inappropriate language when he was actually removed for failing to follow instructions given to him by game security.
I should have made sure that what I wrote was 100 percent accurate. Next time I will ask instead of trusting that I am remembering events correctly.
That being said, I have to say that if I were in Cannup's shoes, I would have kept my mouth shut. Getting kicked out of a game for language being used is one thing (and again, you have brought to my attention that this wasn't the case). But getting kicked out of a game for failure to follow directions?
I asked some 4-year-olds if it's a good idea to do something if security has just told you that you're not allowed to it (in Cannup's case, holding up signs). They all told me that it's not a good idea. Being removed from the game for that reason is far more unacceptable than for using inappropriate language - especially as the vice-president of WU Crew, which was the position Cannup held at the time.
Finally, while it wasn't Cannup who was ejected from the game for using foul language, he should have done the responsible thing and asked the Winthrop supporter who was to behave himself. After all, based on what he was wearing and who he was cheering for, he was representing Winthrop in the eyes of outsiders.
Maybe this is why WU Crew hasn't been a student-run organization in the recent past.
Hopefully next year the students in charge will be competent or the athletic department will take over so that this type of thing will not happen again. If I had known that this year's effort would be so pathetic there is no way I would have paid $10 to join.
Is there any way I can get a refund?
Comments on this column?
E-mail Chris Osborne at
osbornec@thejohnsonian.com.
I would like to apologize to the readers of The Johnsonian for not making sure my facts were correct. In my article "Eagles fans have worst sense of humor," which appeared in the March 5 issue, I stated that Mr. Cannup was removed from the men's basketball game at the University of South Carolina for using inappropriate language when he was actually removed for failing to follow instructions given to him by game security.
I should have made sure that what I wrote was 100 percent accurate. Next time I will ask instead of trusting that I am remembering events correctly.
That being said, I have to say that if I were in Cannup's shoes, I would have kept my mouth shut. Getting kicked out of a game for language being used is one thing (and again, you have brought to my attention that this wasn't the case). But getting kicked out of a game for failure to follow directions?
I asked some 4-year-olds if it's a good idea to do something if security has just told you that you're not allowed to it (in Cannup's case, holding up signs). They all told me that it's not a good idea. Being removed from the game for that reason is far more unacceptable than for using inappropriate language - especially as the vice-president of WU Crew, which was the position Cannup held at the time.
Finally, while it wasn't Cannup who was ejected from the game for using foul language, he should have done the responsible thing and asked the Winthrop supporter who was to behave himself. After all, based on what he was wearing and who he was cheering for, he was representing Winthrop in the eyes of outsiders.
Maybe this is why WU Crew hasn't been a student-run organization in the recent past.
Hopefully next year the students in charge will be competent or the athletic department will take over so that this type of thing will not happen again. If I had known that this year's effort would be so pathetic there is no way I would have paid $10 to join.
Is there any way I can get a refund?
Comments on this column?
E-mail Chris Osborne at
osbornec@thejohnsonian.com.
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