Why Fans and Players and Playing So Rough

A bigger factor, says Shropshire, may be the class differences between fans and players, particularly as star salaries soar ever higher. "The working-class guy who has pulled together the money to go to that game is spending a significant portion of his income," he says. "And the most visible thing he sees is that his money is going to the salaries of these players." Stern calls that ridiculous, arguing that fans still consider athletes their heroes. (Just look at this year's Boston Red Sox.) "Nobody is saying Shaq [O'Neal] and Kevin Garnett don't deserve the salaries they get," he says. "Because they are MVP candidates, and they never let up."

For their part, most NBA players insist that they either ignore the abuse or use it as motivation. "The hostile arenas make the game fun," says New York Knicks guard Allan Houston. "They make you want to hit a big shot so you can silence them." Houston, one of the league's gentlemen, admits, "As a player, it's hard not to go after some people, but you have to be a bigger person than that. If you hold back, it makes them look bad. It puts the stain on them."

In some respects, the fans are just taking a cue from the players. Beating the opposition isn't good enough; in-your-face humiliation is preferable. Profane language among players on the court got so pervasive that the NBA had to make it a violation. In football, the NFL has started calling penalties against players for taunting and excessively celebrating after touchdowns. Still, it's players like Philadelphia receiver Terrell Owens — who trampled the Dallas Cowboys logo after a touchdown this fall — who get most of the attention, since their antics are replayed and reinforced on ESPN and sports talk shows.

Mix those strutting pros and hardened fans in today's hoop arenas, and the chemistry is ripe for agitation. Games aren't mere athletic contests; they are in-your-face productions. Laser-light-show introductions, clatter-making Thunder Stix and scoreboard exhortations for more noise contribute to an atmosphere of confrontation. Players shooting free throws used to be accorded an almost respectful silence. Now fans attempt to distract them by jeering and waving towels. It doesn't work, but that doesn't stop the fans' behavior.

Alcohol, of course, plays a part too. In the NFL, serious tailgaters fuel up before they even enter the stadium. Many teams are sponsored in part by a brewer, and beer sales make up a significant percentage of a stadium's concession revenues — a spigot that teams are not eager to cut off. Still, to head off trouble, most basketball and football venues stop selling beer by the end of the third quarter (as does the Palace in Auburn Hills).

The obnoxiousness isn't limited to pro sports either. Many college venues take great pride in their lack of hospitality for visiting teams. At Duke University the denizens of the Cameron Indoor Stadium, known as the Cameron Crazies, specialize in personal taunts that often cross the line. They once showered condoms on a Maryland player who had been accused of sexual assault. Last season they dangled chicken nuggets on a fishing pole near chunky Tar Heels center Sean May. The Crazies are "an integral part of our success," says Duke assistant athletic director of communication Jon Jackson. "The Crazies have had fun without being abusive." Some fun.