Anti-Floyd signs pop up for second time at UTEP basketball game

Last week ABC-7 reported about a group of UTEP fans who held up signs that spelled “Fire Floyd”.

At one point former UTEP football coach Mike Price ripped one of the signs away from the fan.

The signs were out again Tuesday night.

The group didn’t bring the Fire Floyd sign this time around but they still managed to get their point across with a few others.

Tuesday afternoon the Don Haskins Center was electric.

Rapellers were throwing shirts mid-air. Paydirt Pete was dancing and cheerleaders were hollering.

On the court the UTEP Miners squared off against the NMSU Aggies for the battle of I-10 but after last weeks signs in the stands calling to “Fire Floyd” made headlines, the question was would they be back again.

Fans like Christian Ausarga say it’s not unusual.

“Any college student could do it. It happens a lot all over the nation, now it’s here at UTEP it’s like any other school,” Ausarga said.

As the players shoes squeaked across the court, other fans say it’s a freedom of expression.

“Everyone has the right to free speech,” Alexis Santiago said.

“They’re entitled to their own opinion. They can say what they want it’s all up to them,” added Steven Brown.

As UTEP started falling behind the signs came up. This time saying “Floyd is over priced”.

Other fans like Craig Fortune who has been a fan since 1966, say it’s not the right place for the signs.

“There are other ways to express your displeasure. You can blog, you can write a letter to the editor, you can do talk radio but these are Miner fans it’s kind of an insult to us,” Fortune said.

Despite the signs some fans say they want Tim Floyd to continue coaching.

“I like Coach Floyd. Coach Floyd should stay, I appreciate what he’s done for the program so I think he should stay,” Brown said.

“We got to keep Tim Floyd as long as he wants to be here. We are very lucky to have him,” Fortune said.

Coach Floyd has 452 wins in his college career.

The group holding the signs did not want to talk on camera but they did tell ABC-7, “We paid for our tickets and we support our team.”