Huckleberries: NIC athletic director stands up for student behavior

North Idaho College Athletic Director Al Williams commented on my blog after reading Disgusted Fan’s complaint in Wednesday’s Huckleberries about crude student comments at basketball games. His gist? One-sided reporting creates negative images, like the one North Idaho got from Aryan Nations coverage while “counter-rallies were only reported in the Nickels Worth!” Our paper covered both sides well. But that’s another story for another day. Here’s Williams’ reaction to Disgusted Fan: “Since my arrival in 2003, I have attended a large number of home events, and I would not describe our student section as excessively crude. On the rare occasion where a student or fan was deemed to be out of line, the situation was handled appropriately. Obviously, an administrator cannot hear all comments in the stands, so to make a statement that college reps ignored this crude behavior is a fabrication. The inapproporate (sic) behavior of one or two students should not tarnish the reputation of an entire student body. Conversely, the opinion of one … visitor should not be the benchmark of the entertainment value of a NIC athletic event. … It bothers me that an athletic program that has experienced tremendous success in the classroom and playing fields and received little coverage now receives negative regional coverage because of one person’s propensity to be heard! You can reach me in the crowd at the next home event. I’ll be visible in the stands, aisles and gym foyer attempting to help everyone … have a good experience at our NIC events.” I’ll have to check it out myself.