A new low for Cleveland

Rude and embarrassing behavior by sports fans is certainly nothing new. While the majority of fans at any sporting event are well behaved, there are always a few who disgrace their city and their team.

For example, when a player on the opposing team gets injured, the classy thing to do is to applaud politely as they are taken off the field, in recognition of their effort and as a sign of respect. Or at least maintain a respectful silence. Unfortunately, sometimes fans boo or cheer an injured player in an excess of partisanship. No one should ever be glad that a player has been hurt.

Yesterday in Cleveland, however, some fans at the Browns game hit a new low: They cheered when their *own* quarterback, Derek Anderson, got hurt. Now, I realize that it’s been a very frustrating season for Cleveland and their team has performed below expectations. But that is no excuse. Anderson was the savior of the Browns just one year ago and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. This year, he hasn’t performed as well, and was benched in favor of the young Brady Quinn, a fan favorite. Quinn got hurt earlier, which led to Anderson being back on the field. With Anderson out after the injury, Cleveland was left with their third-string QB to finish out the game.

The fact that Anderson has disappointed, or that fans prefer Quinn as their QB, is absolutely no excuse to celebrate a player being injured. Cleveland fans should be embarrassed by this classless and disgraceful display. No team spirit can flourish if nurtured in such petty and spiteful venom. Clearly some folks in Cleveland are overdue for a Sanity Injection.