A letter from a Texas player's mom about LSU fans

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Mr. Dodds,

My name is Sharon Jungmann, and my son plays on the baseball team. I want all of those that make this team possible to know how incredibly grateful my family is to the Longhorn family, and especially to Coach G. It has become a dream come true for Taylor to play for him, and he has made us all feel like we are part of his family. When I told him yesterday that the confidence he has instilled in my son made him feel ten feet tall, he responded as usual: "That's not hard, just tell him to raise his hand", referring of course to Taylor's height. Taylor wanted to be a teacher or a coach, but Coach has convinced him that he can be anything he wants, even a baseball player. We all love him for that.

When we had the meeting in Austin after the Big XII, the talk that you and Coach G gave was amazing for us. The picture that Caoch G painted with his words came to life when we first arrived in Omaha. How does he do that ? I swelled with pride for him and our team as I witnessed just how much he was respected in that holiest of baseball places. He is their living idol, to be sure. More importantly, he is our coach. His importance to the game is realized in every little corner of that town, and he wears that importance with humility and pride all at the same time. He is so unique, and I am so very happy that he chose my son, my family, to continue his journey.

The local people that attended the games were incredible. They filled the seats night after night and made the experience unforgettable. They made us Moms feel welcome and complimented our team at every turn. They were pulling for us, and pulling for Coach G, and I suspect that those sitting around the Moms of the other teams made them feel the same way. The fans from Mississippi that we met early on were so nice and excited. The Moms from Arizona were very nervous as a group, but we ended up having a great time when we got the chance to meet them together before the game. The fans from Louisiana, regretfully, were nothing like the rest.

Mr. Dodds, I cannot explain to you in words all of the ways in which the fans from Louisiana State blighted the landscape of the tournament. They were an embarrasment to polite society, and I would assume an equal embarrasment to most societies, with the exception of their own. It must be the way it feels to be assaulted by a gang in an inner city, and I am not exaggerating. The worst, for me anyway, was Tuesday night.

Taylor started Tuesday, and completed the game with a win. I did not enjoy the win. These people sought us out, sought me out, and made my life a living hell for about three hours. They chanted his name in jest, and then spoke the most vile things about him, directed towards me. When security came to settle them down, it only made it worse. At one point they stood over me with cups of soda held over my head, and threatened to pour it on me if Taylor struck out the next batter. They were not wearing much clothing, and were painted up. They would walk in front of me in a line and raise the bottom of their shorts in front of me, in a stupid attempt to show their genitalia to me and the others around me. When anyone dared to speak up, they would show us their middle finger and speak very vile, threatening us in ways that I will not explain. All of this while my son is pitching the game of his short life in the College World Series. While I was proud that he was living his dream, I was living a nightmare.

Once the game was over, we immediately went to our sponsors and reported the crimes that these vile people had committed. The response was not very encouraging. He told us that it was rampant throughout the stadium, and happened at every game. The only way to stop it would be to somehow prevent the entire LSU fanbase from attending the games. They go through this every time LSU comes to Omaha, and have to live with it, it seems out of fear that it would only get worse if they began to enforce some kind of action against them. He told us that they are warned every year, but they know that the warning will not be heeded, because there is nothing that they can do. It becomes worse as they continue to win and extend their stay.

Mr. Dodds, someone has to do something about this. It is like we, as a lawful society, are permitting this lawlessness out of respect for an otherwise great baseball program. We wanted to play LSU, as they were the best. We wanted to give them a test, as Coach G said, and see how we measure up. Unfortunately, the fans that came to Omaha to support their team permanently stained my respect for their program, and I am not alone. I would hope that they never make it to that beautiful place again. The locals do not deserve that, and the teams that play against them do not deserve that. It is a game. It is meant to be fun. They have taken the fun out of it for everyone with this kind of attitude toward others.

I ask you to share this letter with as many people as you wish. I am hopeful that someone will read it and think of something that can be done. I am going to forward a copy of this to our wonderful sponsors in Omaha, and to the NCAA. I only hope that the entire world does not feel so threatened by these terrible people that some do not stand up and say "Enough". I can only hope.

Sincerely,
Sharon Jungmann
Hook 'Em Horns

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