Add one more category to the list of year-end awards: Dumbest remark by a person who should know better.
And the loser is . . . Dan Issel, who resigned Wednesday as coach and president of the Denver Nuggets.

Issel had to go. He knew it. His mutinous players knew it. Embarrassed franchise executives knew it.

After a home loss Dec. 11, Issel told an annoying spectator to ``go drink another beer, you Mexican piece of [expletive].'' With those nine words, Denver's basketball hero was stripped of his iconic finery and revealed to be a small, angry, beaten man.

He does not deserve much sympathy, even though he will now be lumped with Al Campanis, Jimmy ``The Greek'' Snyder and John Rocker as a bigot. With one insensitive ethnic slur, his accomplishments as the ``Issel Missile'' at Kentucky and as ``The Horse'' in Denver are overshadowed by his ignominious departure from the team he served for 25 years.

Issel had been boiling for a long time, first as general manager, then as coach of a team stuck in a morass of bad draft picks, bad trades and bad seasons. Although Denver's Hispanic community forgave him, Issel took a buyout rather than returning after a four-game suspension.

Don't feel sorry for him. A coach is paid to bite his tongue when the customers complain. A chef isn't allowed to insult a patron when an undercooked steak is sent back. A governor isn't allowed to belittle critical constituents.

It's just not that hard to control one's temper. Most people learn to do it by age 15.

The people to pity are the fan who provoked Issel and the thousands upon thousands like him who make up a stratum of society that has gotten uglier and uglier in recent years.

Let's call them specthaters, because that's what they do at sporting events -- they vent.

They rain beer bottles down on players and officials after a controversial call, as they did in Cleveland and New Orleans. They make outfielders look over their shoulders. They make referees run for cover.

The rash of fights at youth-league games is part of a revealing trend. Parents can't even restrain their frustration in front of their children.

The abuse fans have showered on athletes isn't just a byproduct of athletes' wealth and arrogance. It's also been caused by athletes' loss of faith in their fellow man. Athletes look into the stands and see animals, with spittle on their lips and fury in their eyes.

Attending a sporting event can be a grotesque experience. Ask someone to sit down and risk a fistfight. Watch parents goad their kids into contempt for the opponent. Listen to a guy who is utterly convinced he knows more about strategy than a veteran coach scream until his pot belly trembles. Marvel at another guy who thinks he can tackle better than a professional linebacker. The players aren't the only ones who need a shower afterward.

We're not harping on naughty language here; we've all heard it at the movies. The issue is that fans are elevating their blood pressure at a game, at an event meant to entertain, not enrage.

We'll leave the deep thinking to sociologists. But American sports fans seem to be relying more heavily than ever on the stadium as the dump where they can unload all their trashy thoughts. Repressed by day, specthaters let it all hang out at night. Disconnected from the democratic process now controlled by political professionals. Powerless in a workplace ruled by billionaire bosses. Befuddled by children who grew up too fast. Distrustful of neighbors who don't look like them. Burdened by chips on both shoulders.

So don't pity poor Dan Issel. He knew he was wrong. Pity all those people who think they are right.