I suppose by now we have all read enough about Jacques Joubert. I want to comment briefly on those postings that have implied that there are few or no limits to negative cheering. What Joubert did was wrong; however, the fan addressed Joubert's person, not his play. Many, many court decisions, etc. have established that some verbal attacks constitute assault. On this ground, we ban racial slurs. Surely no one thinks fans can taunt a player over his ethnic background. Joubert has a French name; is it O.K. to use one of the many derogatory words the English language has for French people? Clearly not. Except for the fact that he is 11 years old (information not available to Joubert at the time), this fan was as far out of bounds as Joubert. BTW, courts also have held that so-called "fighting words" may constitute sufficient provocation for physical retaliation.