In the world of Eastern baseball there really is truth to the statement “be careful what you wish for.”

Throughout my weekly column, in the March 24 edition of The Daily Eastern News, I stressed the importance of a large crowd greeting the Panthers at Coaches Stadium for the home opener despite a 1-13 record. Judging by the announced crowd of 225 people, I honestly believed someone other than The News’ copy editors, my parents and my Introduction to African American Studies professor actually read the column.

Unfortunately, with a large number of people there is a fair share of “fans” (and I use that term loosely) who don’t pay much attention to the game or lack proper fan etiquette.

Case in the point: The cellular phone.

Though this handy mobile device can be a life saver if stranded on the road or trying to save on long distance phone bills, the cell phone is quickly ruining the experience for true fans at the ballpark.

While I was sitting in the stands keeping score of last Wednesday’s game, a group of five men and women right in front of me were on their phones for the better part of the final three innings and, let me tell you, these weren’t quick calls.

I couldn’t help but overhear one young lady’s 20 minute conversation (spanning an entire inning) about what she did the previous weekend, that she hates her ex-boyfriend and how the girl on the other end of the phone should come to the game to see “the shortstop, not from Eastern, because he is so cute.”

Equally annoying was a mother who made the trip from Olivet Nazarene to watch the game. While this lady was knowledgeable when it came to baseball, nearly every single at-bat was replayed on her cell phone/two-way radio giving updates to her husband, whom I presume was at work.

But in this case knowledge of the game didn’t translate into success describing it. This lady was so brutal in her quest to provide play-by-play that she actually made Ken Harrelson sound like Jack Brickhouse.

Not to mention, the noise of a hundred beeps from a two-way radio can have the same effect as nails on a chalkboard.

Besides cutting down on the use of cell phones, Eastern baseball attendees need to learn fan etiquette.

This means if arriving at the game already in progress please what until the half inning, or, at the very least, between at-bats before sitting down. With chairback seats, large aisles and a concession stand Coaches Stadium is great place to watch a game, but in order to find and sit in 75 percent of the seats it is impossible not to block some angle of view.

During the final five innings of the Olivet Nazarene game, I counted three times in which someone was trying to locate a seat when there was two outs with runners on a base. In a game that ended by a score of 4-2 every at-bat was crucial and I would like to watch play without interruption.

The same can be said for people who are leaving the ballpark early. I can understand the need to go home or head off to class, but when leaving please don’t exit during an at-bat and most of all don’t stop while right behind the backstop and yell and wave to friends. I’m sure they’ll receive a call, probably on the cell phone in the next inning, so there is no need to make a scene while saying goodbye.

The way some fans behave at the park, I’m just glad WEIU doesn’t televise the games or else we’d have to deal with embarrassment of the guys in the first row mobbing for the camera with their “Hi Mom” and “John 3:16” signs.

In many professional stadiums, ushers refuse to let fans go to their seats unless a stoppage of play occurs, and if someone stands in the aisle to chat during gameplay they will be confronted by stadium personnel within seconds. I realize Eastern can’t employ ushers for this service and with a campus full of young adults they shouldn’t have to. However, the way fans have behaved this season Eastern should add a class on stadium etiquette to their curriculum.