Disappointed Football Fans
Oh, football season. A time when students and families wait in long lines, crowd bars, and gather in parking lots on Saturdays to watch the teams they’re rooting for (hopefully) dominate the opposing team. People spend money on team gear, food, accessories, and travel. If you take a look around stadiums, you’ll see waves of the team colors, painted faces, colored hair, and all sorts of outfits signaling strong team spirit.
Everything about college football Saturday will start off fun and exciting. The players are excited, the crowd is riled up, and, if it’s an especially great day, the sun will be shining. Students stand up to watch the game, the crowd cheers, and then kickoff happens. As viewers eagerly watch what follows, they cross their fingers and hope their team will play well.
But, losses are inevitable. Sometimes a team, even one that’s doing so well, will lose. Then what happens to the fans?
Well, it’s no surprise fans are disappointed. It’s natural. They will distance themselves away from a team they once shared their bond with. “They list,” they’ll say. They’ll yell and mope and be angry. But there’s something worse than that, and it’s when fans turn on their own team.
We’ve seen fan hatred this season with Michigan State, when people in the stands booed their own team for not doing well. Players and coaches can be pretty hurt by this, and it’s definitely not encouraging. Even more recently, a Georgia linebacker said his home was egged and toilet papered after their loss. The players are especially in a bind because as public figures, they can’t retaliate or say anything out of line. They have to keep their composure and move on, which is the respectable thing to do anyway.
Booing is one thing, but actually damaging the property of a football player or coach is hurtful and inexcusable behavior. It’s understandable for people to be upset, especially if they put a lot of money into seeing a game where their team doesn’t win. But, no games are perfect and fans should know before they travel or buy tickets that there’s a chance their team will lose.
No matter what happens, it’s important to stay loyal to a team through thick and thin. If fans distance themselves, the team loses spirit. When fans keep close and encourage players, the team probably will be more motivated to make a comeback. The phrase “it’s all about positive attitude” is cliche but true. There’s no reason to behave out of line because of a loss.
Tags: booing, college sports, eggs, football, football fans, Georgia, house, Michigan State, NCAA, NCAA football, students, toilet paper