The Rice Thresher

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September 15, 2006 > Opinion > C-USA codes for sporting events stifle expression

C-USA codes for sporting events stifle expression

By The Rice Thresher Editorial Staff | Thresher Editorial Staff

The first home football game of the year rehabilitated fan enthusiasm and attendance. New and returning students united to initiate the War Owls student cheering section. They joined alumni, the Marching Owl Band and others to defend the blue and grey honor against rival University of Houston (page 1, Sept. 8). The showing brought to the game a distinctive zeal that students used to reserve for select public parties and finals studythons.

Unfortunately, Conference USA rules are smothering Rice’s newfound pride, placing limits on students’ freedom of speech.

We are not amused.

C-USA codes ban athletes, staff and support groups from “Public criticism of or publicly disparaging statements about an opposing team, institution, contest official, staff member, or spectator,” not to mention a ban on “Obscene, profane, demeaning or unduly provocative language.” These are regulations for high school assemblies, not Division I-A football games.

We realize these rules will hold little credence in the stands — at least they had better not. Anyone entering the War Owls’ section has undoubtedly seen and heard violations of the C-USA statutes en masse. Rice students are used to a certain degree of verbal liberty— just listen to college cheers.

However, what does concern us is that C-USA rules have oppressed the MOB’s halftime shows. Anyone who watched the performance at the UH game noticed the band impugning censorship more than the Cougars — which was not at all. Past years have brought paper mache and mockery of the UH band, in addition to more common mascot snubs, to the field.

Like them or not, the MOB’s halftime taunting of opposing schools is as much a part of football at Rice as the adulation of a scrawny, neutered bull is at the University of Texas. But now MOB humor is relegated solely to non-conference games, a turn of events lamented in September’s Texas Monthly by famed pundit, Rice alum and former Thresher sports editor Paul Burka (Hanszen ‘63).

In the end, we find it a bit Orwellian — and un-American — that C-USA wants to impose these speech codes. C-USA? Ha. More like C-USSR.

End of article

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