In last week’s Tate’s Take, I was critical of how the student body of Oak Park and River Forest High School behaved against neighborhood rival Fenwick High School at a boys basketball game during the Chicago Elite Classic at the University of Illinois Chicago.
I’ve received a lot of feedback from the community since. While some of it is positive, a lot has been negative. The criticism comes from those who feel my column took on a “good vs. evil” angle, with the implications being that Fenwick was in the right and OPRF was in the wrong. I assure you it wasn’t my intention to write such a column.
If you recall, I didn’t like that the Dog Pound, OPRF’s student section, constantly chanted “[Blank] Fenwick.” I thought it was unsportsmanlike and uncalled for.
I also said that Fenwick has been guilty of doing similar things toward OPRF in the past, and this week it was brought to my attention by an OPRF parent that there is an OPRF Barstool Instagram page (unaffiliated with the school), where some nasty, racist comments directed toward OPRF students were posted before the game. Since the page is public, anyone can post.
While I cannot confirm that they came from Fenwick students, the graphic nature of the comments would seem to suggest it’s a good possibility. The OPRF parent sent me screenshots of them, and they’re disgusting.
In one comment, the poster referred to the looks of the girlfriend of one of the OPRF players, calling her a pig. In another, the poster stated stereotypical things about another OPRF player, saying he had a child and wouldn’t be able to play because he couldn’t find a babysitter. I won’t name the players targeted because these are kids and I respect their privacy. Other comments called OPRF students a “bunch of thugs” and “retarded.”
The OPRF parent also has a daughter on the volleyball team. She told me that at last year’s match at Fenwick, several Fenwick students taunted her daughter.
Moreover, the parent said when her daughter went to the house of a Fenwick student who is a friend, her friend’s classmates yelled at her and said her college scholarship should be pulled.
These are all degrading behaviors and have no place in athletics or in society as a whole. I have been called retarded because of the way I talk and it’s hurtful, so I can understand how OPRF students would be offended. Perhaps that was why they acted the way they did; they were defending their classmates. But two wrongs don’t make a right, and I wish the Dog Pound found a better way to react.
What I’m saying is that in retrospect, some students from both schools were guilty of what transpired at UIC. Whether it’s via social media posts or cheering at games, vulgar language targeting the opponent should never be tolerated. My hope is that administrators at both schools address the issue of sportsmanship — before, during, and after games, and I’m confident they will, but students have to take it to heart. And it’s important to note that most students at both schools do not misbehave.
There is plenty to like about both schools: students, teachers, staff, and administrators; terrific academics; competitive athletic programs; and a dedication to community service. OPRF is the neighborhood school, one that the community should rightfully be proud of. But we should also be proud of Fenwick being here, and there’s room for both.
I’m not perfect, and I make mistakes. In my seven years of covering local sports, I have always tried to report in a truthful manner that is also balanced and fair. While last week’s column was the truth (I think we all agree the OPRF chants were unacceptable), it was unfairly slanted against OPRF. It certainly wasn’t the intent, and I apologize. I know I can’t satisfy everyone, but as long as I stick to my principles, things will work out.
Now let’s get back to what this section is all about: chronicling the efforts of our local student-athletes.