A home crowd can be a blessing at times.

When fans crowd into Lantz Arena, it can bring a boost to the Eastern basketball teams in ways that nothing else can.

On most nights the Panther faithful could be considered the sixth man. That is, if freshman guard Josh Gomes doesn’t go off for 18 points against the No. 1 team in the conference every night (See future issues of The Daily Eastern News because it will happen again).

Nearly 5,000 fans showed up to see the Panther men bring down Morehead State on Saturday, and if you ask any of the players, they will tell you the crowd had something to do with it.

Part of the crowd that sticks out above the rest is the cluster of blue-clad students located in the northeast part of the student section. The Blue Crew is the most distinct group of fans, and overall, I like the idea of having them around.

The problem is that a select few of its members don’t truly understand the entire purpose or the privilege that they have been given by the university.

The point of this organization is to show support for their teams in a tasteful way that can provide a spark or an advantage for Eastern.

Distracting opposing players while they are at the free throw line, jumping up and down after an Eastern player makes a good play or turning their backs while the away team is being introduced are all acceptable ways of showing team spirit.

Everything is fine and dandy until they cross that line. People who shout racial expletives at the other team or harass officials about calls that are usually right in the first place might as well just stay home because that is not the type of representation the Panthers need.

On two occasions I have heard members of the Blue Crew shout racial remarks toward opposing players. I was happy to see that during the women’s game against Tennessee State, an official came over and threatened to have them thrown out if it continued, but in the men’s game against Aurora, nothing was done to stop them.

After the fan was stopped during the women’s game, I heard him say, “That’s all I had for the game.”

If the only thing that you can think of is racial comments, then please locate the gym exit and find a different activity for yourself.

Another common thing among fans is to constantly get in the official’s ear about a call they didn’t like. Tell me how yelling at an official is going to help the Panthers’ cause.

I guess it is a good idea to get them upset with the home team. Let’s face it, an official isn’t always going to be objective if you desire to yell in his or her ear every time they make their way down the court.

They will remember when it comes time to decide whether an Eastern player should be called for charging or the opponent should be called for blocking.

I hope all of this is a reminder to what the Blue Crew is really intended for. When you were given your own section in the stands and matching blue t-shirts, you should back that up with a little respect toward the university and the other people attending the game.