Skip to main contentWith less than 12 seconds to go, Benson High School's boys' basketball team led Lincoln High's varsity squad 62-60.
Spectators on both sides of Lincoln's court last Thursday, Jan. 29, were on their feet. Then Lincoln caught a break—two free throws. Kirsten Bickham was mad as her voice rang out above the small crowd, nearly drowning out 10 boisterous cheerleaders.
"MIIIIISS IIIIIT!" the Benson High sophomore screamed.
Earlier in the game, Bickham had spoken more calmly about her role as a Benson fan. "You want to represent your school," she said. "But you don't want to represent it badly."
That difference—the one marking the line between encouragement and embarrassment—is one that many people are talking about at Oregon high-school athletic events these days.
This fall, in response to a few high-profile incidents at high-school games in recent years, the Oregon School Activities Association adopted new sportsmanship rules designed to curb "unreasonable danger or disorder."
"At a real intense game," says Benson student LaVel Smalley, a sophomore, "people will get out of control."
That's what happened in 2007 when Portland's Roosevelt High met North Eugene High in the state basketball tournament and the game erupted in racist name-calling.
But much of what happens at high-school games never crosses that line, and some say the new rules go too far. "Don't punish everyone for what one school did," says Danny Hagger, a Lincoln parent.
Now, many other parents, students, teachers and coaches are debating what behavior is appropriate and how to police spectators' jeering. They're even wondering whether the new rules have affected attendance. Though the OSAA says it has no evidence to suggest ticket sales have dropped, some students and parents say the crowds have thinned.
"I think you can see what people think of the new rules," Lincoln senior Michael Green said at the Jan. 29 game against Benson. "There's no one here."
The new rules do include some clear guidelines for home teams to enforce. For example, it's no longer OK to shout, "Air ball!" Insulting a specific player by yelling "Jenny Craig!" or "Brokeback Mountain!" is also disallowed. Spectators must wear shirts, meaning no body paint. They can't carry signs bigger than a sheet of notebook paper. And cheerleaders must chant positive messages.
Anyone who breaks the rules can be ejected from the game or banned from future games. Students who don't follow the guidelines can face suspension from school in severe cases. Principals and teachers from the home team are responsible for making sure everyone stays in line.
But teenagers have a remarkable talent for modifying insults so they fly under the radar of parents and principals. Instead of screaming "Bullshit!" at a referee, students sometimes yell, "Push it!" which sounds similar at high volume.
At last Thursday night's game, the score was 62-61 after Lincoln made one of its free throws. Then a Benson player was fouled. Eventually, Lincoln would win in overtime 77-72. But as the Benson player prepared to shoot at the end of regulation, a Lincoln student tried his hardest to distract him.
"WHAT WOULD SAM ADAMS DO?" he bellowed.
WWeek 2015