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Calhoun says fans were abusive, conditions poor Tuesday, December 15, 1998 By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun, upset at the way he and his players were treated during their 70-69 victory against Pitt at Fitzgerald Field House, said he plans to complain to the Big East Conference that the game should have been played at the Civic Arena.
Calhoun is angry that the temporary locker room at the Field House was not properly heated and that he was hit by several objects as he left the playing floor following his No. 1-ranked team's pulsating, come-from-behind victory on Saturday. Also, Calhoun was upset that fans shouted racial slurs at his star player, guard Khalid El-Amin, during the game. A near-sellout crowd attended the contest.
Pitt Athletic Director Steve Pederson disagreed yesterday with Calhoun's complaints, saying he was in Connecticut's locker room before the team arrived and found nothing wrong with the setup or temperature. However, he said he is checking with security personnel and campus police who worked the game to determine if fans were throwing objects at the Huskies coach and his players.
"I'm disappointed at his comments," Pederson said. "I just didn't see the same things going on that are being complained about."
Pederson said he did see an empty plastic soda bottle thrown on the floor when El-Amin, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, jumped on the scoring table after hitting the winning shot. But the bottle landed at center court and did not strike anybody, he said.
Pitt does not sell glass containers at the concession stands, Pederson said, and promotional plastic water bottles that were to be given to fans in attendance wearing white clothes were not distributed until after the game.
"I would never condone any fan throwing anything," Pederson said. "There have been accusations [the fans] were throwing things during the game, but I can't get our security or police to confirm anything."
Pitt is using temporary locker rooms at least until January because the existing locker room, trainers room and equipment room are being renovated as part of an overall expansion of the 47-year-old Field House that includes additional office space and parking. But the Panthers basketball team is also using a temporary locker room that is next to the visiting locker room and is almost identical in size, Pederson said.
In fact, Pitt players have to go across the street to Trees Hall to have their ankles taped before every practice and home game.
"I don't understand anybody being uncomfortable," Pederson said. "Certainly [the visiting locker room] is as nice or nicer than places we go on the road."
In Sunday's edition of the Hartford Courant, Calhoun said he planned to complain to Big East officials about the locker room and the crowd's unruly behavior. He told the newspaper he was hit by two soda bottles, a penny and chewing gum as he walked off the floor.
He was equally upset that El-Amin, a Muslim who is married with two children, was racially taunted by fans during the game. Calhoun called the behavior "despicable."
"This place has to clean itself up," Calhoun said of the Field House. "It was 40 degrees in the [visiting] locker room before the game. The game should not be played here.
"Ralph Willard is a dear friend of mine and he runs a fine program. I appreciate them going through renovations [but] switch the game. They don't want two road games? Tough."
Calhoun's comments are not surprising because most Big East coaches would prefer to play Pitt at the Civic Arena, where the fans are farther from the court and the atmosphere is less intimidating than the Field House. But Pitt, which historically has played three and four games a season against big-name opponents at the Arena, decided against playing any home games there this year because Pederson wanted to keep the home games on campus. He also said the scheduling dates available were not "advantageous" to Pitt's conference schedule.
But it is no secret that with the perceived decline of talent in the Big East and the Panthers coming off their third losing season in four years under Willard, the crowds for games at the Civic Arena were getting smaller. Last year, Pitt averaged 9,891 for three games there. The biggest crowd was 10,656 for cross-town rival Duquesne. Two years ago, Pitt averaged 12,026 for four games at the arena.
Pitt plays Duquesne at the Civic Arena on Jan. 25, but that's because it's a Dukes home game.
"We made a decision to bring the games back here to accommodate our season-ticket holders," Pederson said. "Arena dates were more difficult for us to come up with. Sometimes our schedule dictated when we could play at the arena. Everyone else is working around a competitive schedule."
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