Editorial

NWC fans, athletes and coaches did well to stay calm in tense situation

Posted 1/31/23

That could have been a lot worse.

A Northwest College men’s basketball game against Casper College on Jan. 21 ended with a scuffle that, if not for the leadership of most of the coaches …

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Editorial

NWC fans, athletes and coaches did well to stay calm in tense situation

Posted

That could have been a lot worse.

A Northwest College men’s basketball game against Casper College on Jan. 21 ended with a scuffle that, if not for the leadership of most of the coaches and the good decision making of most of the players and students, could have turned into a knock-down, drag-out, bench-clearing brawl.

The Casper College assistant coach who ran at Trappers at the end of the home OT win has been let go and a Casper player who hit a student fan will likely be suspended, but otherwise most everyone knew to step back, let the hot tempers boil over.

It was a sign of sportsmanship from most of the players that many professionals could learn a lot from.

And as a former high school athlete, I understand the passions and anger that can make you forget the consequences of your actions and look to take a cheap shot or start a fight when a game you really want isn’t going your way. It takes a mindset often foreign to young people to not let those emotions take over.

After all, NWC President Lisa Watson said they like to see the passion from Trappers fans, it’s what can make the Cabre Gym a fun place to be, and it surely helps the players when the fans are into it.

And a matchup between Casper and Powell community colleges is a natural rivalry, especially when a former Casper star is shooting lights out for the Trappers in the win.

Rivalries are fun, but it’s best they stay friendly. As with Cody vs Powell rivalry games, students and other fans can yell and scream for their team, but when it’s over they’ll chat with friends on the other side. That’s a rivalry at its best, and that’s hopefully what games against Casper College will look like in the future.

Don’t let anger lead to an incident which threatens to overshadow a thrilling game.

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