NCAA Connection

Without College Basketball the NCAA wouldn't be as popular or as wealthy.  March Madness alone makes the NCAA over one billion dollars and that money covers expenses for all of other non-popular and sports that aren't televised.  NCAA basketball is one of the top watched sports and easily gets the most money, even women's basketball.  In 1995, when the UConn's women's team won the first of its nine national championships, that all changed.  Those championships have not only boosted Huskies pride, they've helped to draw billions of dollars in public funds and alumni donations to upgrade UConn's academic image and the school's facilities. Indeed, there are multiple examples of colleges previously unknown for their basketball programs that have prospered financially after making a deep run into the March Madness that surrounds the NCAA basketball tournament.  The same day the triumphant '95 Lady Huskies visited the state legislature, Connecticut lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to pump $1 billion into "UConn 2000," a campus-improvement project that has since followed the initial billion with another $1.3 billion.  The NCAA also thrives off college basketball by the Cinderella teams making long runs in the tournament and making money off of their gear.  Universities like Butler in Indiana, Florida Gulf Coast and Gonzaga in Washington state, all saw a rise in student application numbers following previous tournament runs.  After Butler reached the national championship game in 2010, its student applications rose about 40 percent, according to a university spokesman. Applications at Florida Gulf Coast increased by nearly 40 percent after that school reached the Sweet 16 in 2013, and applications at Gonzaga rose nearly 12 percent from fall of 1998 to fall of 1999 after the team reached the Elite Eight.  The NCAA makes almost all of its money and popularity off college basketball.  They make money off TV ads, selling gear, and ticket sales.  The NCAA thrives off of college basketball.

Trail Blazers vs. Rockets

On February 6, 1995 the Portland Trail Blazers took on the Houston Rockets at Portland Memorial Coliseum.  A Trail Blazers fan started yelling at Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell after his wife's miscarriage.  Maxwell ran a dozen rows into the stands and punched the fan, Steve George right in the face.  After the incident Maxwell was suspended 10 games and fined $20,000. Everyone's stories with this one seemed to be different and there is no lasting video footage available, but this much we know is true: Vernon Maxwell charged up into the stands during the third quarter of a game in Portland and punched a fan named Steve George in the face. George said it was because he made fun of Maxwell for having five points; Maxwell claimed it was because George was making fun of Maxwell's wife's recent miscarriage. Whatever the reason, it was the first time a player had charged into the stands to fight a fan, and carried with it a 10-game suspension.  This incident could have been stopped by having more security around the stands, but there wasn't.  There is a low chance this will happen again because the security in the stadiums are a lot higher.  This was an unnecessary action by Maxwell and shouldn't be done by a professional athlete.

Rights of Fans

The rights of a fan is to be respectful and support there team.  I think a fan is required to attend the game and respect themselves, their team, and fellow spectators.  There are too many times when fans go to the games, get drunk and act crazy.  For instance, the Hillsborough event when drunk Liverpool fans overcrowded the section behind the goal known as Leppings Lane.  The section was severely overpopulated and people in the front rows were crushed up against the fence.  As a result of the Hillsborough disaster 96 fans were killed and about 766 were injured.  Another event similar to this could happen if fans get out of control.  This shows how fans need to show respect for themselves and others.  It's hard for this to happen in certain sporting events especially because of how big the stadiums are.  It's also difficult for an event like Hillsborough to happen again because most stadiums don't have standing room and you can only get in with a ticket, and once the stadium is sold out, no more fans will be allowed in.  I think fans are allowed to have fun at sporting events but they need to control themselves.