I WEDNESDAY, DEC. 1, 2010 MD hate week bordering on offensive By Stephen Hennessey you would've thought Penn State fans would've learned their lesson. It's now Maryland hate week or #MDHateWeek if you're on Twitter leading up to tonight's Big Ter - MCC Challenge clash MY OPINION with the Terrapins at 9:15 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Nittany Lions basketball fans have blown up Twitter and col lege basketball forums with point ed hatred toward Maryland. After an interracial couple don ning Michigan clothes was harassed by fans in Beaver Stadium during the Oct. 30 game, with the wife being called a "n - loving bitch," it's apparent some Lions fans haven't learned from a classless act. The beginning of the week started with some simple back- James on Cays: `Lot of thanks to those fans' By Tim Reynolds ASSOCIATED PRESS MIAMI There's not much Leßron James can absolutely say about what awaits when he returns to Cleveland as an oppo nent on Thursday night. Flan, weird, tough, draining. James cites them all as expecta tions. He's likely right on each count, and who knows how many more ways the emotional gamut will swing on Thursday when the Miami Heat visit Cleveland, the city James scorned on July 8 when he announced in a national ly televised special that he was - taking my talents to South Beach. - It'll be James' first time back as a visitor, and Cavaliers fans have been waiting months to not wel come him home. - Its going to be tough, but I'm there to win a basketball game," James said after Tuesday's Heat practice and preparing for Wednesdays game against Detroit - almost forgotten given and-forth between Terps and Lions fans. (Not to mention that Maryland knocked Penn State out of the NCAA men's soccer tour nament for the second straight year Sunday.) Then, things turned in an unnecessary direction. Justin Casavant or "CasalloVApsu" is a 2007 Penn State graduate and is the founder of the Penn State student section. Nittany Nation. He tweeted about a death that reaches far beyond the borders o College Park. Fbrmer Maryland basketball player Len Bias died from a cocaine overdose after being drafted as the No. 2 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, never playing a game in the NBA. It's one of the most tragic stories in the history of basketball. showcasing the coli sequences of cocaine use. \vhich wasn't entirely known at the time The founder of Nittany Nation apparently thinks that Bias' death is worth making fun of. making :t play on a line from the movie Wedding Crashers. the magnitude of what loom Thursday "I understand. I uncior stand how passionate fans art. about sports. fm ready for what ever response that I'm goifiL tt get. It's going to be very ernoti,n True, for all parties involved. But the NBA might have help, d James out a bit with this trip. Because Miami plays at home Wednesday night, the Heat will not arrive in Cleveland until earl, Thursday morning. The team won't practice that day, just have meetings and a walk - through at it hotel, which will be teeming wit it security - like always. They'll bus to the arena, play the game, head to the airport and leave for Miami No time to visit old haunts Or :d friends. A business trip. notitin more, nothing less, and .lam:' seems relieved by that "I think it's going to be very emotional for myself," James "I've got a lot of great memories in that city So many times, from up and downs, and a lot of things that I've done in my life. I give a lot ntt thanks to that city, lot of thank , : to His tweet: "CRAB CAKES ANI) ('OCAINE... THAT'S WHAT M'RYL"ND DOES! #Mdhateweek." Another one: - Len Bias wishes #FourLoko were around back in his day as a hice alternative. #MDhateweek Tin; soon?" It hurt me to copy and paste both these comments "iisavant ~ vouldn't comment on ri\ • specific tweets when reached by telephone Tuesday evening, incl wanted to make it clear that hi comments are not indicative of how anybody in Nittany Nation The efforts of Nittany Nation ,Itempting to make Penn State's section relevant are worth .::i S i,uol spirit is always a , 'f!urt 1;n , '.%110t happened to Success wit 11,110 F. the Penn State athlet- 1) , ):!ng ignorant comments aboli! kid ‘vhl) died, while expos- irt2 culture of cocaine around aii c:,:icge campuses in the t ; :t , n States. is not OK. mars tor Living me the oppor- Ittli ti;tt only showcase my tal e til but it,)\v from a young hoy to a - from Cleveland, but about -to miles south. The lit r~ !r:inehise was reborn hey abn the right to pick I overall in the 2003 and together they soared. Cle\ iland \\ on :349 games during s seven seasons. second- E . .tstern Conference r 4 rr fiat span. and the Cavaliers . in 200'6-09 and 2009-10 - - :\IVP sears - topped the chart,. v,hen he became a free there was angst in I'd understandably. -tied tn anger at 9:27 8, when James decision in,nl-, it s going to be some ' ,- 1.11 none of us have ever 2' Heat guard Dwyane o 1 what s coming on t - it we can be a fan and • !rum afar. we all would. 1, ;\ ould love to watch it , tan. hat I in involved MEET THE TEAMS TON IGHT AT 7 107 \NLIITE BUILDING DEMONSTRATIONS, REFRESHMENTS, SIGNED POSTERS Michael Weinreb, a 1994 Penn State graduate, wrote a long-form E-TICKET article titled "The day innocence died," on ESPN.com, about Bias' death. In this age of Twitter and the Internet, Weinreb knows that peo ple can post things that are ugly, without much thought going behind the effect of these mes sages. When told about these tweets he called the comments -repre hensible.- "That doesn't really reflect well on Penn State basketball fans," Weinreb said. assume most of those kids weren't alive when Bias' death happened and don't know how big his death was. It extended far beyond Maryland, There's a lot more to rip on Maryland about, so why was it necessary to bring Bias into play? The four-year graduation rate for Penn State men's basketball players is 82 percent, compared to Maryland's eight percent rate. Penn State football is 35-1-1 all time against the Terps. "It's going to be very emotional for myself." in it. It's going to be entertainment for everyone to watch." Some Heat fans will gather to watch, at a team-sponsored event known as a - road rally- Of course. it'll happen at the Clevelander - on South Beach. At least the Heat will be cheered somewhere on Thursday "I'm sure a lot of people are going to show their support for the Cavaliers in their own kind of way - Heat forward Chris Bosh said. "I don't think we know what to expect, but I'm sure its going to be something like we've never seen before.- He'll see something like it on Feb. 16, when he returns to Toronto, his former home. for the first time as an opponent. "I'm glad Leßron breaks the ice first. - Bosh said. It's a Cleveland homecoming for former Cays center Zvdrunas rirl 1% A:, cr'r7 THE DAILY COLLEGIAN To be fair, Maryland students rebuttaled the hate week with their own hashtag against Penn State, but their comments haven't carried nearly as much weight. There are some funny ones: #mdhateweek I'm kinda mad that beating PSU will do nothing for our RPI." Although Casavant didn't see anything wrong with his tweets, those with a little more foresight know this is not a good reflection on Penn State. Basketball fans should encour age school spirit by showing class. Some of the biggest and best basketball schools. Duke and North Carolina, have intense fan sections, but they conduct them selves properly. These Penn State fans, appar ently for football and basketball alike, need to take a class in showing class. Stephen Hennessey is a senior majoring in journalism and is the Collegian's sports editor. His e-mail address is sihso37@psu.edu. Leßron James Miami Heat forward Ilgauskas as well. and while he said the trip will be "a unique situ ation.- he's almost certain not to face the level of venom that'll be directed at James. Wade said he'll give James sim ple advice beforehand. "The only thing I would say to him is not try to go out to get 100 points... Wade said. "Play the game. Let the game flow to you. I know he wants to play great. but sometimes you can force it too much. Just play basketball like Leßron James... Which is what James says hell do. He wont break from his normal routine for this game, though he noted that he remains "very respectful" of the people who cheered him for seven years. "It's one game, - James said. "I imow everyone is malting it a huge deal. but it's one game.-
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers