NCAA Sports and You

A few weeks ago I attended the Illinois game and witnessed something I hadn't seen in awhile at a Penn State game. The fans booing the home team. I debated since then whether or not to write something on here about it since it's basically preaching to the choir, but as I head back up to State College this weekend I hope for a better fate and better fans. 

We often talk about our favorite Penn State moments on here, whether it's the Lavar Leap or Hali sacking Troy Smith(can you believe he's starting for the niners this week, as a niners fan I'm thoroughly disgusted), but no one ever wants to talk about their least favorite moment. Mine was Senior Day 2007 having graduated the May before I was lucky to get the opportunity to come back and watch the game outside the student section. Anthony Morelli was announced and the fans reacted with a loud chorus of boos. These boos didn't come from just the student section which is a common whipping boy around here, but the entire stadium. I have never been so disgusted and embarrassed to be a Penn State fan in my entire life. So two weeks ago when I hear the boo birds again after another 3 and out by the offense it reminded me how ugly sports fans can be. 

At the game there was a couple sitting in front of us who did nothing but complain about how this player was worthless or terrible, usually using a lot more extreme language than I'll use here. In fact they were so brazen to say on every fourth down that Penn State should go for it because they weren't going to win another game. And this was in the first quarter when the game was still in doubt. It's this kind of mentality that has to change if Penn State is truly going to be the best college experience in football. 

I'm sure everyone has seen the NCAA commercial about gambling with all the athletes saying what they're majoring in and saying they're going pro in something other than the sport they play. I think it's important to remember that at the end of the day, most of the people on the field on this Saturday or any Saturday won't be NFL players in a few years. Yes I understand they're getting a free education but the fact of the matter is they're AMATEUR athletes. And more importantly they're kids. Try to remember back to when you were 18 or 19 imagine how you would feel at that age if you thought 100k hated you and booed you relentlessly. Most of these kids like most of you who visit this website dreamed of being Penn State football players. I can assure you most of those dreams didn't end with getting run over by Tony Richardson, or getting hammered by Illinois. 

That brings us back to Morelli who has been vilified by the fan base since his graduation. Which in hindsight the team wasn't really that bad while he was here. Many seem to think we missed out on two national titles while he was QB but that's another story. I've never met Anthony and I know on a few occasions his senior year he said things that made him seem like a punk, but I can all but guarantee his gameplan wasn't to go out there and throw three interceptions a game. As a kid he like many of you probably laid in bed dreaming of wearing the blue and white, some probably still dream that. In college I'm sure he didn't lay in bed and dream of throwing pick sixes repeatedly. And yet the fans felt the need to boo him constantly during his time here. If any of you have ever been athletes you'll know that when you make a mistake at a sport no one feels worse than the person who made the mistake. Some handle it better than others which is what makes a good athlete great but everyone makes mistakes, and they all know it. They don't need the fans to let them know. This isn't to say you can't come on here on Monday and say man the offensive line really looked over powered, or make other constructive criticisms but at the stadium you are the for support. 

The final point I want to make is that while I don't think you should boo any college athlete, I realize asking people not to boo Michigan is a whole different battle. Remember this these are your Penn State Nittany Lions. Chances are things won't always go well tomorrow night. But instead of raining down a chorus of boos after a three and out that ends with Royster up the middle for a yard on 3rd and 8, save your frustration and anger for when the defense gets on the field and get loud. This extends to all college sports whether it be volleyball or wrestling or field hockey. I know everyone wants to see their team win and hates to lose. But lets take a second to think about the athletes in those uniforms, before feeling the need to disparage them. 

So if you're at the game on Saturday night, be loud, be very loud, make it the toughest place shoelace will ever play. But keep the boos in Philly and Pittsburgh for the pro teams in the state.