As a reporter for many years I have been to many venues and experienced plenty of zealous fans who support their teams for a variety of reasons. From license plates and clothing, to painted faces and bare chests, fans cheer for their team with vigor and enthusiasm. While in Cincinnati this weekend working the BASA tournament, there were a few incidents that beg me to ask, "When does fan support go too far?!" Your input will be valuable for my report!

I think personal insults are over the line. Any kind of disrespect is not to my liking.

Can the fans just root for their own team. I hate it when "ladies" start talking... Please just watch and cheer for your team. Don't even speak to the other team, it's inappropriate. I would hate to say something that you do think is funny.

Personally,I think fan support is very valuable.However,I think some of the umps tend to get of hand with censorship.Everyone trash talks, be it men or women.There's nothing wrong with as long as it doesn't get personal.I think it can get quite amusing at times.I enjoy it and I can still be cool with our opponents after the game.I just think it allows fans who can't be on the filed to be apart of the game.

I think its cool when the fans are into the game and going back and forth with each other but in a "fun/joking" kind of way. The problem comes in when a female fan says something personal or derroggatory to one of the opposing players, this puts everyone in an "awkward" position because if the player takes the remark to heart and says something out of the way to the woman then of course her man will step up and then you've probably got a bad situation on your hands. Part of what sets this association apart from the white associations is we typically can talk smack and have fun while doing it without making it personal 9 times out of 10. When its done between the players and if noone makes any personal comments to the opposing players or fans its usually all good and you can drink a beer after the game with the guy you were smack-talking with.

I think if fans just cheer for the team(s) they like and not say anything out of order regarding the other team(s), everyone will be able to enjoy the game without drama.....easier said than done for some folks.

I FEEL LIKE WORDS SHOULDN'T HURT ANYBODY AND IT HELPS MAKE THE GAME A LITTLE MORE INTENSE BUT IM COOL WITH WHATEVER ANYBODY SAYS ABOUT ME DURING A GAME(BUT U HAVE GONE TO FAR WHEN U TALK ABOUT MY FAMILY,KEEP PEOPLES FAMILY OUT OF IT)OTHER THEN THAT IM COOL WITH IT

i respect that eastside #21 but from what a herd when you guys were playing bring it there was a certain women on your side cursing kids. Now that being said i dont know who it was but that reflects the team sadly to say. You guys talk mess on the field and alot of teams do and im totally cool with that, but if you have fans cursing kids their man should check her cause if not she might curse the wrong child and ****** well we know what can happen. good luck the rest of the way!!!!

***off topic***

I'm new to the BASA scene, and I haven't been to an event yet, but does it really get that bad to where the ladies are talking personal trash to each other?


***back on topic***

yes it does and what is sad is the fans aren't playing and for their ignorance it will do nothing but effect the BASA in the long run. Women cursing kids, thats just going to far!!!!! keep the game between the lins. There is nothing wrong with fans cheering, whistling, blowing horns, etc, but they should keep it clean

Just curious in that TBI-ESP game How come 2 playas from TBI got thrown out for talking and nobody got thrown out for throwing punches???

yes i watch the game between eastside and tbi. it seemed at first both teams talk but it was not anything negative or personal but then when the lady from eastside starting cursing and somebody told her there was kids around she did it even more and said she did not care and that just showed how ingnorent she really was. the director should have been notified and she should have ben tossed. eastside you guys are to good of players to allow your fans to get out of hand and if you can't control then don' let them come and thats real talk.

NO THIS IS REAL TALK I DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT BUT IF ANYBODY CURSES AT MY KIDS I GOING TO HANDLE IT (NOBODY ELSE WILL HAVE TOO),SO DONT PUT THAT ON US BC EVERYBODY IS GROWN AND THEY ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THERE OWN ACTIONS.WITH THAT BEING SAID U WILL NEVER HEAR MY GIRL TALK LIKE THAT BC WE WANT THE SAME RESPECT FOR OUR KIDS. SO LIKE I SAID DONT BLAME EASTSIDE FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH 21 THATS REAL B/CTHOSE FOLKS PAYED THIER OWN BREAD 2 COM AND CHEER WHOMEVER SO THEY HAVE THE FREEDOM 2 SAY ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT PLUS YOU CATS HAVE BEEN THE CENTER OF ANYTHING NEGATIVE BUT WHEN I TRAVELED WITH YOU GUYS YOU CATS ARE NOTHING BUT G"SSSSS AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED

PLUS EASTSIDE IS THE MOST HATED ON TEAM WHEREVER THEY GO AND WHY IS THAT????????????????????

eastside #21 your correct you cant control who cheers you or boo's you. 502 your right they can say whatever they want. You can jump off a bridge if you want, drive drunk if you want, swim with sharks, or catch deadly snakes , but just remeber there are consequuences for your actions also!!! Thats real talk, she better not pop off to the wrong child in other words. just be

eastside 21 im not saying it was yall fault,everybody is accountable for their own actions all i was saying is i know you guys are class act but sometimes when certain people get ou tof hand it sometime reflects back on the players that all, and to 502 you right they spend $3 dollars to say abd cheer whatever but let my kids be around and her popping off at my kids i promise it will be drama, thats real talk!!!!

YEA BUT JUST THINK ABOUT THE WHOLE ENTIRE ENVIORNMENT THAT SOFTBALL IS SURROUNDED BY PERIOD I MOS DEF DONT TAKE ANY OF MY KIDS AROUND IT UNLESS ITS A CHURCH LEAGUE OR COED BUT I ALSO FEEL U TOO

I MEAN I WAS THERE THIS WEEKEND AND I SEEN BROTHERS GETTING TORE UP AND ALSO THEY SERVED BRAS AND SISTERS BABY 40'S TO DRINK SO YOU TELL ME WHO'S THE BLAME???????

Great topic! I've been a heckler for years,and i have fun and i keep it clean,win or lose!!!!!(thats the key)The rap is taken different when u are losing,vs a good fun rappin game of two good teams.(until the fan of the loser shouts out something disrespectful!) Then "it aint bout all that rappin"! Feel me?

I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE SLOGAN IT SAYS LIKE A FAMILY REUNION EVERY WEEKEND THEN THE FANS AS WELL AS THE TEAMS START CUSSING AND FUSSING THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH TRASH TALK BUT THINK ABOUT THE WORDS WE USE AND THEN LOOK AT THE KIDS AND MOTHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS WHO CAME TO ENJOY A GAME.WHAT IF SOMEONE CURSED YOUR MOTHER OR GRANDMOTHER.

Wow! Y'all are really making me re-think checking out the Showdown next month with my little one.

You know what, it's really sad to read all of this.

I'm originally from Southern Cali. I grew up in an area with an almost equal mix of Blacks/Whites/Hispanics. I've always associated with whites and mexicans, but I've always, ALWAYS held a strong love and pride for my black sisters and brothers.

Since moving to Fort Wayne almost 4 years ago and seeing hardly any Blacks on the diamonds, and NO Hispanics, as well, I really started feeling homesick for the comradery of my people. I'm not saying I've always only played with Black folks, but there was usually enough around that I felt like I was "at home."

All I'm trying to say is, Black people, when we get together, it should be to celebrate our blackness by having fun, keeping it respectful and maintaining some integrety. All this plus more can be done and should be done.

Don't play into the stereotypes that when we all get together there's going to be trouble.

Keep if fun, keep it light or keep it moving.

Respectfully,
~Vette

First of all, I don't think people should comment on situations unless they know how it went down.During ESP-TBI,both teams were talking smack as well as each teams fans.No kids were cussed at.A TBI player said something out of the way to the female in question so she responded to his comment and some people ran with it.I just think TBI took it the wrong way because they are always on this web site poppin' it and they came up short.As I said before,we look forward to seeing you cats again.TBI has a nice squad so lets not put a black eye in tha game!

There is always problems with Eastside and their fans, that is a known fact.The team is always poppin off at the mouth,but I can excuse that b/c that is part of their game.What is unexceptable is those hood rat girls that they bring with them,popping off at the mouth.That team has been doing it for years and don't expect it to change!!! matter of fact I like it, keep it up!!

Here is the whole problem with trash talking…..You never know when something you said in fun is not taken in fun. We would hate for things to escalate one day. Umpires need to take more charge and tell the teams up front that there will be no ish on the field and eject players if necessary. And another thing why can't we just play the game. Lets examine why I need to degrade you anyway even if we say it's in "fun".

Come on now Eastside 20...We love the BASA ciruit b/c we can come to compete, have fun, talk some friendly trash & thas it...A fan calling a whole group of other fans, including the kids, a "bunch of bi#!@es", has no place in this circuit, or any circuit for that matter!...If our own fans get out of line, you better believe that we will check 'em right then & there!...Incidents on the field with players will happen & hopefully we can leave it at that b/c we're all grown men & women (at least I like to think so) just playing a kids game...Problems with fans, whether it's ours or anyone elses has to be avoided b/c there's usually kids right there in the middle of it all...If it's ok for fans to disrespect one another & act foolish, then maybe someone needs to look in the mirror!...Fan support makes any game so much better but there has to be some kind of line drawn to avoid situations that went down in Cincy...Eastside, after all that went down we now have a rivalry going on & look forward to playing you guys on the circuit...Good luck the rest of the way...

ANY FANS THATS CHEERS FOR A CERTAIN TEAM...THOSE FANS
REFLEXS THAT TEAM..ANY COACH OR CAPTAIN OF THAT TEAM
AND IF THAT FAN BELONGS TO SOMEONE SHOULD KEEP THAT
PERSON IN CHECK: DON'T LET YOUR FANS MAKE YOUR TEAM
LOOK BADDDD!!!!!

whats up eastside 20. well im the one who said something to the lady and she said what she had to say and i left it alone because i was not going to get caught up in all that with a fan. you right both teams was talking and we have no problem with that because after its all said and done win or lose we are all still family playing a game we all love and no we will not put a black eye on the games becaue you win some and lose some but im sure there will be more great battles between us. the last thing is you have never been on this board and heard any of my teammates talk trash on the board or say anyhting how good we are. now when we put them rings on our finger you going to hear it everyday!!!! good luck eastside in the lou and will see yall in naptown.

To TBI-24, the female in ? said she was just responding to a comment made to her and it was directed at that PLAYER only.The whole incident is over.We know how you guys feel and vice versa.There are no ill feelings toward TBI or any of their fans.One last thing,I beg to differ about that ring scenario.I personally invite YOU to our ceremony!See you guys in Nap and have a safe trip.

To keep it up!What problems have ESP and their fans always had?We have the same problems that any other team has,the difference is that speak our minds about the situation.To add to the problem is you calling our female followers hood rats.That's how **** gets started because that was uncalled for.But we can accept that and we'll keep rolling.To U though,live by your moniker and KEEP IT UP!

I FEELIN YOU EASTSIDE 20. ITS ALL GOOD BETWEEN US AND THE FANS. ITS GOONA BE A GOOD RIVALRY AND LOTS OF FUN PLAYING YOU GUYS. WHERE MY NI$$AS ESP 21 AND 3 AT?

FIRST OF ALL SOFTBALL PLAYER FOR EVERY ACTION THERES A REACTION, AND NATI BOY I ALREADY SAID THAT ME OUR MY PEOPLES DONT DO THAT,SO DONT BE COMING AT ME LIKE THAT BC IM ABOUT THAT DRAMA TOO. AND TO U KEEP IT REAL MY GIRL LOOKS BETTER JUST WAKENING UP THAN YOURS IS GETTING READY TO GO OUT,SO SAVE THAT HOODRATS FOR SOMEBODY ELSE

YEA EASTSIDE #21, WE KNOW YOU ABOUT THAT DRAMA AND SO IS THE REST OF YOUR TEAM,THAT'S WHY THE FOCUS IS ON YOUR TEAM.I'VE WATCHED YOU FOR THE PASSED COUPLE OF YEARS GET INTO IT WITH THE A's,Stl Stars,Derrty,Graystone and now TBI.WHO'S NEXT ? WE WILL FIND OUT AS NEXT WEEK IN INDY!!.NOW I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE LOOKS OF YOUR GIRL,BUT IF SEE WAS THERE THIS WEEK,YOUR HAVING REAL PROBLEMS WITH YOUR CATARACTS.

Everyone will talk to talk, sometimes it goes to far I think. The "B-word" when my daughter is in the park only lets her know that it's disrespectful to each other as black's, and towards one another. Cause you never know what or how someone is going to take it, or for that matter where they are going to run with it. LEaves a bad taste in ya mouth disrespecting each other like that BI&%# this and Bi&%# that.


Now a moment of prayer for all the Bi&%# bombs flyin last weekend

To keep it up!Words are words as long as it doesn't get personal.We've had words with many teams but that's all it was.I guess ESP is the only team on tha circuit that has words with teams.Furthermore,who are you?Since you won't name yourself and since you seem to be at every game where ESP has words with other teams I'm going to call you Eastside Groupie.So Eastside Groupie keep coming to our games,we appreciate your support!