I am a Cougar fan who has cheered for the Utah women's gymnastics team for years. Believe me, it is the only U. team that I cheer for.
So it was with great expectations that my family and I went to the recent NCAA finals. There we saw the worst example of poor sportsmanship that I have seen in a very long time.I suppose it may be human nature to wish for an opposing team to do less than their best, even though this diminishes the victory; but to cheer and clap when a gymnast falls is incomprehensible to me. This happened several times and included several members of the Utah band who represent the university.
The sad thing is that the Lady Utes were having a very good meet and would probably have won anyway. We'll never know that, though. Like the track and field athlete whose record is followed by "wind aided," this victory says "aided by an unbelievable display of poor sportsmanship."
Then the Lady Utes began celebrating their victory and the crowd joined in while there were still gymnasts competing. I was flabbergasted and embarrassed. I have always thought the Utah gymnastics program was first class, something the entire state of Utah could be proud of. The class is slipping, and I'm disappointed.
Dale Burns
Orem