UTK Fan Reprimanded for Cheering Too Loudly

[Brian McCat]

Maximum Volume
UT athletic department calls over-spirited fan after complaints

By JOHN ADAMS, adamsj@knews.com (mailto:adamsj@knews.com)
September 23, 2006

Tennessee fan Victoria Caldwell said she was speechless after receiving a call from the UT Athletic Department on Thursday. Fans seated near her in Neyland Stadium would have a hard time believing that.
Caldwell, a first-time season ticket holder, said UT's Bill Higdon called her at home and said other fans had complained about her.

Their complaint? She cheers too much.

"I thought he was kidding," was her first response when requested to "tone it down."

Her next response: "I didn't have any words. I was shocked.

"I couldn't believe Tennessee was calling their fans and telling them not to cheer excessively."

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/govols/article/0,1406,KNS_294_5015468,00.html

[WildcatGirl]

I have to say the fact that they have received 'multiple' complaints about her...and that people took the time to notate her seat number and follow up with a call to the school when someone would be around to field it (likely 2 days later on Monday) I have to wonder if she isn't just on of those people who go beyond cheering (or even screaming) to being down right obnoxious. We've all sat next to THAT fan at one time or another...the one that those of us who go home from a game hoarse want to tell to just shut up. I guess if I was facing season tix next to that person I might complain too...lol.

[Brian McCat]

hehe, yeah, probably, me too. We moved one section over this year to get away from some really obnoxious folks. Just love the new seats!

[UK78ALUM]

Well, unless you believe this is a vast conspiracy against this woman, she sounds like a royal pain in the ***.

In Caldwell's case, Higdon even asked the complainants: "What would you say to her? I can't get on her for cheering. They said, 'She's disrespectful to the people around her.' "

Danny Arnold of LaFollette sits about three rows behind Caldwell. He was surprised by the call from UT to Caldwell but not surprised by the complaints. "I thought she was drunk the first time I saw her (at the season opener against Cal)," said Arnold, who has been attending UT football games for 34 years, since he was 6. "But she wasn't."

Most of the stadium fell quiet when UT cornerback Inky Johnson was injured late in the Air Force game. Not Caldwell. "Pay them back!" she shouted as Johnson lay motionless on the field. That upset a number of fans in the section, Arnold said. "I don't want anybody to get hurt," Caldwell said. "I just wanted to root our team on. I meant 'pay them back' by winning, not hurting them."

Another fan, who asked not to be identified, said many of the fans in the section find Caldwell annoying because of the repetitiveness of her yells. And the criticism doesn't just come from older fans. "I've been in my seats for three years," he said. "Nobody has ever told me to sit down, and I cheer loud. There's a difference in cheering for your team versus being obnoxious to everyone around you. "She just yells the same thing over and over. It was funny at first, but an hour later I looked at her and tried to figure out how she was breathing between cheers."

Too funny !!! :lol:
Dave

[CARDSRTOAST]

I was in Gatlinburg and all the UweT radio shows were talking about her..Sounds like a typical Big Orange fan to me...

Why does Tennessee wear Orange? They can play football on Saturday and their convicts can pick up trash on I-75 after the game without changing clothes..:ggrin:

[WildcatGirl]

Says she goes with her husband...wonder if he's surprised or relieved that people complained:shock:

[sardiscat]

The irony in this is that UTamps crowd noise through its PA system to make the place louder.

[wildcatfaninnc]

Here's the clip of her cheering........wow!

http://web.knoxnews.com/special/loudfan/video.html

[Brian McCat]

wildcatfaninnc wrote: Here's the clip of her cheering........wow!

http://web.knoxnews.com/special/loudfan/video.html


Wow indeed.

That's the sort of person that lives in Bucksnort. :rolleyes:

[ukfanman]

I watched her for 10 seconds and I was ready to strangle her.:ggrin:

[Tbird]

Looks like she's having a seizure. That's not cheering, just being a pain in the a$$..

[WildcatGirl]

Well it looks as though my guess of her being that down right obnoxious fan was a pretty accurate one...good grief!

[POEKLM]

Ok. I couldn't see the video so I don't know if I am worse than this person or not. I know my first year one guy did want to know if those were my seats and he told me to quit yelling. But other people behind me started yelling when they found out he was trying to shut me up.
I try to cheer on the team...period. I fugure Rich/Tubby coaches , the players play, I am supposed to cheer. Not that I don't fall into a little coaching and refereeing while I am "cheering";)

[johnkyblue]

The people who complain about her are probably the same people who think soccer is for wussies because they can't sing.

[Spanish Moss]

johnkyblue wrote: The people who complain about her are probably the same people who think soccer is for wussies because they can't sing.


I have to agree with John on this one, as long as a person isn't obnoxious drunk and keeps the vulgar language in their bedroom, I don't have a problem. This is football.

[Spanish Moss]