A letter went out today to student football season ticket holders at the University of Wisconsin. It was also posted on Facebook.
I've cut and pasted it for your review and reaction via the talkbacks.
Dear UW Student Season Ticket Holders:
First, we would like to thank you for your amazing support so far this football season. Camp Randall is a tough place for visiting teams to play and you are a big reason why. We loved seeing you in your seats so early for the Nebraska game. Singing "Buttercup" and "Sweet Caroline" was fantastic. You made a huge difference that night.
Secondly, we have a request. We are asking you to end the vulgar chants at our home football games. We’d like to share some of the correspondence we receive throughout the football season from not only visiting fans, but your fellow Badger fans as well:
"This past Saturday, my son and I attended our first Badger game at Camp Randall. All in all, it was great fun; however, one thing surprised and disturbed me. During the course of the game, the student body was led in a very obscene cheer consisting of echoing "Eat s---" and "F----you". I was pretty appalled considering that not all the spectators were 18 years or older. It was not the sort of thing children should be hearing."
"I recorded the game at home. You can hear the students chant "You f***ed up" when another player commits a penalty. I can’t imagine that’s the image we want for UW."
"The vulgar profanity the students chant back and forth to one another for amusement inside the stadium during the game is simply pathetic. I expected much more from the Wisconsin program."
"I was absolutely appalled by your students. I have been to about 15 other campuses, and I have never experienced worse students than I did at Wisconsin. In all of the venues I’ve been to, I’ve never dealt with students with less class than I did at your school."
These are just a small sample. There are many more. We think you are more creative than this. We believe you want to represent yourselves, your university and the football program in a classier manner than this. We believe you can have a great time at Camp Randall without chanting four-letter words.
We tell our student-athletes all the time that the way they behave in public is a reflection on themselves, their families, the football program and the university. We are asking you to reflect on the impression you are leaving on other fans. Let this and this be what they remember you for.
Thanks again for your support.
On Wisconsin,
Barry Alvarez and Bret Bielema
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
