By Ryan Clark
Stanford officials issued an apology to BYU, its fans and alumni for their band”s performance at last Saturday”s football game.
The Stanford band”s performance featured five dancers wearing wedding dresses, making fun of the Latter-day Saints culture.
“The actions of the Stanford Band in Saturday”s game were inappropriate and I wish to apologize to BYU, their team, fans and alumni,” said Ted Leland, Stanford University Director of Athletics in a statement released on gostandford.collegesports.com. “We are committed to being good hosts to our opponents who visit Stanford and anything that doesn”t reflect this is regrettable. I plan on meeting with the Stanford band as soon as possible to discuss their behavior and possible sanctions.”
This isn”t the first time Stanford”s band has been under fire. In 1997 at the Notre Dame-Stanford football game, the band performed a show that poked fun of Irish culture and the Catholic Church. The band was banned from performing at the next three Notre Dame-Stanford games.
Some BYU students and fans thought this type of performance displayed poor sportsmanship and little taste.
“I wasn”t offended, but I think it was classless,” said Scott Douglas, a junior from Atlanta.
Pete Maughan, a Stanford fan from Seattle, said, “They just lost respect from me. I would hold them to a lot higher standard than that. But I”m still a fan.”
With the recent focus by BYU”s athletic department on sportsmanship and treating opposing teams and fans with respect, this seemed like a step in the opposite direction of creating those relationships.
“That won”t create good relationships,” said Emily Olson, a sophomore from West Jordan. “I was glad we don”t lower ourselves to that. The other team should feel like they were treated well and respected.”
Brian White, a junior from Arizona, said he wasn”t impressed with Stanford”s originality.
“We get so many insults from polygamy, it”s not really insulting anymore,” he said.
