MANHATTAN, Kan. _ Kansas State president Richard Myers wants Wildcat basketball fans to stop using vulgar chants targeted at Kansas when the Jayhawks visit Bramlage Coliseum.
Myers spoke out against the chants Wednesday in a letter to the public posted on K-State's website, describing them as "personally embarrassing."
"It's easy to see how one can get caught up in the moment," Myers wrote. "However, many of my friends across the nation reached out to me following last week's men's basketball game and expressed their dismay. The chant was clearly heard from coast to coast on national television. It was personally embarrassing and not what one expects from a world-class university."
K-State students chanted the words "(expletive) KU" during various songs when the Jayhawks visited Manhattan on Feb. 6. Kansas pulled away late for a 74-71 victory.
K-State has tried to address the chant in previous years by promoting sportsmanship and eliminating songs from the Bramlage playlist that students associated with the chant. K-State took a more hands-off approach leading up to this year's home game against Kansas, but the chants remained.
Now Myers is putting his foot into the ring in attempt to stop them.
"The strength of the Wildcat family lies in passing our legacy from one generation to the next. K-Staters are known for doing the right thing," Myers wrote. "Whether our fans are 8, 18 or 80, they deserve the best fan experience in the Big 12. I think about those younger fans sitting in the stands or watching on television and know they represent our next generation. As we continue the spring competition season, let's show them the Wildcat Way."
