In regards to an opinion piece, titled “Unapologetic WolfPack,” published online on Feb. 6, 2014.
As I was the focus of this exercise in opinionated homerism, allow me an opportunity to defend myself, given that Mr. Laurrie went so far as to question my ability to uphold journalistic integrity over a series of Tweets he’s taken extreme issue with.
Upon attending and covering the Bonnies game against then 21st-ranked UMass on Jan. 29, and being seated directly next to the student section at the Reilly Center, it was difficult — nay, impossible — to ignore some of the vulgarities and profanities coming from a select few “fans” and directed at the UMass players. It began during the pre-game warmup and continued through the end of the game.
I would repeat some of remarks, but I don’t believe they would pass the standards of good taste. One that particularly stood out was a homophobic insult once used by NBA guard Kobe Bryant, which led him to be fined $100,000. If it’s bad enough for the NBA, then I would hazard a guess that it would be bad enough for such a fine and respected institution as St. Bonaventure.
But I don’t make the rules there and, according to Mr. Laurrie, he was unaware of anything “out of the ordinary or exceptionally vicious,” being yelled, as he put it. Perhaps, Mr. Laurrie wasn’t present at the time when these comments were hurled, or he has a higher — or would that be lower? — threshold for what’s considered good taste and sportsmanship. After all, he suggests that no one at Bona needs to apologize for what he passes off as “rambunctious behavior.”
Ah, youth, where one person’s rambunctiousness is another’s vulgarity, and never the twain shall meet because, after all, the Bonnies finally beat a ranked team and everyone does it, thus somehow making it all justified.
Oddly enough, Mr. Laurrie, to my knowledge, never made any attempt to contact me to determine what it was I found to be questionable.
One would think, among the first rules of journalism, even (especially?) when it comes to opinion pieces, the writer should take at least a stab at getting a fuller perspective so that his/her opinion can be broadened beyond a mere hack job.
It might have also been pertinent for Mr. Laurrie to note that I was also the writer who defended St. Bonaventure’s reputation by including questionable comments Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli made in engaging fans from the bench a few years back.
But why let all this get in the way, when a good rant is being carved?
Then again, I didn’t attend St. Bonaventure and, thus, can be easily lumped in among “the haters,” which is a curious use of a phrase, given some of the comments coming out of the stands.
Regards,
John Wawrow, sports writer
The Associated Press, Buffalo, N.Y.
