The Crazy Fans...

When things are going great on the field of play, we as fans can be very complimentary about the coaching staff and the team. We’re excited about how well each and every kid plays. That, of course, is when the team plays well week in and week out.

When there is a breakdown and the team loses a lead and things start to head south often times a fan will try to figure out who is to blame for this problem. It might be that the coaches are calling stupid plays or the tackling is abysmal or fill in the blank as to the poor blocking.

It isn’t very often that the other team is credited with making things miserable for your team. Truthfully it usually is dependent upon the talent pool that one team has over another.

We fans in the Northwest really have no clue as to what a true rivalry, make that hated rivalry really entails. We think the Apple Cup game brings out the true hatred that the Crimson and Gray has for the Purple and Gold. Both sides are good at telling Cougar and Husky jokes, but after the game is over there is a good chance that the tailgate parties will have members from each fan base. Because in all honesty, they don’t like each other’s team, but they can still be friends and in that is not a bad thing in the long run.

A couple of years ago, I asked John Kragt to talk to the Lions Club about the Auburn-Alabama rivalry. The Iron Bowl is heated and hated. The destruction that each fan base has inflicted on the other’s campus over the years is mind-boggling.

Kragt told the members that night over 100,000 screaming fans make their way to Tuscaloosa and if they don’t believe the coaches are worthy of the fans’ expectations, it can get ugly.

Last weekend the Auburn Tigers defeated the Number 1 rated and two-time defending NCAA champion Alabama Crimson Tide by a last second runback off a missed field goal. For the Crimson Tide to return to the National Championship game, a lot of upsets would need to happen. It’s happened before by I think Bama’s luck has run out this year.

Fans have had a lot of mixed reactions. After all Alabama isn’t used to losing and losing to Auburn, a team that is having an epic season is hard to take. Case in point, there was a party that followed the game for Alabama fans. When a couple of ladies laughed and basically poo-pooed the loss as no big deal, another woman took offense to this attitude and shot one of the ladies. The gal that was shot later died and the shooter used the old, “They shouldn’t have been laughing about a loss to Auburn.”

You know that I hate to lose. It is tough to take, but it isn’t the end of the world it is just a loss and if people think that their favorite team will never lose another game until the end of time they better get some therapy fast.

There have been a few stories in the past few years about clashes between fans following professional games at baseball and football venues.

Some victims have been severely beaten while a couple of others have died. I, for one, have no idea what triggers this type of violence over the outcome of a game. Some of it has to do with the mere hatred of another fan wearing the opponent’s jersey. There is no excuse for these outbursts and drinking too much alcohol is not an excuse.

It’s a sad fact that happens too often. For some reason it isn’t enough to buy a ticket, attend a game and cheer on your favorite team. At every game there is a winner and a loser, and we need to accept that fact.

We don’t need to make disparaging remarks toward the losing fans or take revenge on the winners. It is only a game no matter what the teams are playing for.

If the fans cannot control their feelings and get a little crazy, then they need to find a different release for their emotions. Why not stay home and beat your flat screen TV to death?

I guarantee that after this kind of destruction and cost it might be time to find a new game to enjoy like full contact chess.