Louisiana fans punished for satirical ‘Jesus Loves You’ sign in state playoff game
A group of students from a Louisiana high school have landed themselves in hot water for displaying signs with a rather tame zinger aimed at a rival Baptist high school.
While some particularly sensitive folks at Baton Rouge (La.) Parkview Baptist School may have been a bit miffed by a sign held aloft by two female fans at Baton Rouge (La.) Patterson High, others certainly would have reacted with a chuckle at the tagline: “Jesus loves you … unless you attend Parkview Baptist.”
Remarkably, the two unidentified students in the photo you see above have “been disciplined” by the Patterson High School following the playoff rivalry matchup between the schools on Friday night. While some might argue that the teens’ sign was in poor taste, it hardly seems to be worthy of a suspension.
Just consider: The two girls in question didn’t use any foul language. They didn’t dress inappropriately or act overly aggressively. All they did was twist a lyric from the Austin Lounge Lizards satirical country western group.
In the end, the sign didn’t have the intended effect, with No. 23 seed Parkview Baptist upsetting No. 7-seeded Patterson in a surprisingly one-sided 59-42 victory. Still, thanks to the wonders of social media, all the talk since the game has focused on the Jesus Loves You sign, not Parkview’s inspired performance. In fact, Parkview’s coach, Don Green, told Baton Rouge CBS affiliate WAFB that his team was so focused on earning a victory in a rowdy crowd that his players never even noticed the sign.
“It was electric, very loud,” Green told WAFB and other media outlets. “The conduct from the Patterson players was outstanding.
"I don't believe there was any intent or ill will, just going maybe just a step too far in trying to support the team."
Tell that to the Patterson administration, who have found a new way to be a bit heavy handed with fan-based student discipline.
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