Imagine you are in a restaurant, or maybe Disneyland. Imagine a group of people walking around Disneyland shouting insults at various people, making nasty jokes about their mom, and persisting in this activity for hours. This would never be tolerated. If the people being yelled at didn't retaliate personally, they would surely do something to avoid all the abuse.

Now, picture yourself at a basketball or football game. Here, the fans can insult the players all they want, they can yell at the refs, they can do this from just yards away, and no one stops them. The players and the refs are expected to put up with this.

Why does it have to be this way? Why can't people go to a game to watch the game? Why do they need to throw endless insults at everyone. There may be impressionable children around, and even if there aren't, the players and refs don't deserve the abuse. Why does playing or officiating basketball mean that you have to put up with this? Why can't fans be more civil? Afterall, it's just a game.