Just because examples of mob mentality are not as obvious as public executions (your Roman reference) does not make them any less prescient or malicious. Think about the way that the internet jumped on the Simpson girl when her lip-syncing was revealed. Think about the way bloggers casually talk about draft “busts.” Think about the impromptu chants that the Boston crowd broke into with Kobe on the foul line in game 6. Or Utah fans booing Derek Fisher throughout the season. Inversely when someone succeeds (like, say, KG this year) he is praised like a god and raised above the mob in pure adulation. This is not some “theory,” this is real life. It is always happening, and when you choose to become an athlete this is what you choose.

The anonymity of the internet provides a more covert and comfortable venue for the ire and praise of the mob. It also gives us a constant record of its actions.

Your claim that this activity is “uncivilized” is backwards. This behavior is the norm and is participle to civilization as a whole. Right now, in our civilization, if you don’t “support the troops” you are a pariah. Is that “civilized” or “uncivilized?”

Also, I think we may be quibbling a little bit about the semantics. Maybe civility would be a better choice of words than kindness. Not to be pedantic because I know that you know the difference between the two words, I’m just one of those people who believes that civility is right in any situation and everyone deserves it until they prove they don’t.

I am certainly outraged at your defense of it though. I’m sorry, I think you are a funny guy, but this is not tolerable. To not only defend this type of behavior, but to insist that there is a type of clause in moral behavior that applies to the way we can treat athletes and entertainers is outrageous.

Yes, we do hold athletes up to a higher standard. The entire community puts a lot of hope into them (and a lot of time and money) in the hopes that they can deliver on their promise of potential. If an athlete were to take all that everyone has given to him and not put in the effort, or worse, get himself into trouble and disgrace the community that supports him or her, then they should rightly be booed or possibly even cheered for when traded (if there is a complete lack of respect in the relationship between the athlete and the fans), which in my opinion is the worst insult you could give a professional athlete. However, that person would have already obviously not cared as much about the community. That is not the case here. Jack was a class act in the locker room and the hardest worker outside of it.

The point of this particular post is to take a look at the situation and call our own standards into question. There is no doubt that people have differing expectations about what is proper fan conduct. There seem to be a lot of people who think this particular incident was out of line. You, on the other hand, are vehemently advocating that this is what is to be expected from fans by a professional athlete. Unfortunately, you are right. However, that’s not how it has to be and that’s not how it should be here. Let’s get it straight, whether you are an athlete or just any guy on the street, you should expect the same amount of decency that you show to other people. That standard was not met by us as fans when the Jack trade was announced.

Your argument pertaining to the fact that we disrespect the L*kers, that we boo them and trash them, well that IS also to be expected by a professional athlete. As much as it pains me to admit it, that is a form of respect. It is a complement to be the athlete that fans of the other teams hate (at least because of play). Even booing your own when they make a poor play, I don’t condone it, but we’re on the same page with them. They messed up. They are as disappointed as we are. In fact I have no doubt that they are more so. Booing them is a lot like beating a dead horse, but at least they are on the same page. Really though, I am from Philly, and I couldn’t stand the way that the fans jumped on the team at the drop of a hat. I stopped cheering for the Sixers because of the atmosphere that the fans created. Portland is different, not in the action, but certainly in the threshold and the acceptability of it. I felt it when we were the worst in the league and I feel it still now.

Mob mentality is NOT just a euphemism for human nature. No way. It is a part of human nature, but it is a part that is based on reacting to the situation, of doing things without thinking just because others around you are doing it. We can rise above it. If the crowd started fighting, would you join in? How about if someone pulled out a knife and started stabbing other people? Would you do it? I hope not. The reason you wouldn’t is because that has been ingrained in you that it is the wrong thing to do. In this instance, those people were wrong. What’s done is done, but if the people who did it can look back and realize their mistake then that could almost make it a worthwhile mistake. Defending it deflects the blame. That’s why I have a major problem with what you are writing.

Jack put his heart on his sleeve. That’s how he played and no doubt how he lives. This man didn’t have thick skin, he was crushed by the trade and no doubt crushed by the reaction. This wasn’t someone who didn’t care about the community. We betrayed that man and the culture that KP is trying to create. Make no mistake about it, the team can only be responsible for their end of promoting a positive culture. The rest is up to us.

Today on the Blazers website they announced there are only 400 season tickets left. That means that everyone who has them will get to know the people around them well, even if you only end up going to 4 games together all year. If everyone is on the same page about the conduct that we should expect then even the people who only buy a game for the night will fall into the ‘mob mentality’ of our culture. All it takes if or someone to open their mouth and let the other person know what they are doing is wrong.

No, I am not idealistic. I do not think it’s out of the realm of possibility to employ an understanding of mutual respect. I don’t think it’s out of line to expect that from the people around you. I think that it can change. I challenge you, or anyone else reading this who considers themselves a member of the Blazers community, to be a catalyst for that change.