May 8, 2009

The Contradiction in Taunting Sports Fans

To the Editor:

David P. Barash's screed against fan behavior ("The Roar of the Crowd," The Chronicle Review, March 20) contains some befuddling contradictions. For instance, he dismisses Ty Cobb as a racist, but then goes on to dismiss athletes with racist-type generalizations ("alcoholics, misogynists, sociopaths, and violence-prone dimwits and miscreants") worthy of David Duke.

Moreover, one can only guess at Barash's socioeconomic background, but anyone who states that "there