I have season tickets in North EZ this year and first want to say that the environment today was atrocious. I am sad to say that some of my fellow Hokies started leaving after the first quarter...THE FIRST QUARTER! I mean seriously, that's ridiculous. It was only 7-0 so don't give me the "The game was already over" excuse. By the time the 3rd quarter started it was half empty. And half of those left were sitting. At some point in the 2nd half I remember thinking that outside of Upper South and the unsold WCU seats, I was standing in the emptiest section of the stadium. I have no idea how to fix this cause clearly students who wanted tickets could have gotten them (I mean they were giving them away at Cassell) - so it wasn't even an issue of the "social" fans taking away seats from the football fans. But it needs to change...and change fast.
Second, does anyone know what the official policy is on tossing the girls after we score? We were tossing my friend in the 3rd quarter and some grumpy cop (btw I'm not anti-cops by any means) came up and barked at us to put her down. He then proceeded to threaten to throw us out if he saw us doing it again. When we asked him why we couldn't do it, he said "Cause I said so. That's the end of it." He then went around to other groups and barked at them too. I then looked around at other areas in north and east and girls were getting tossed per norm and other cops were doing nothing. SO Yeah, don't know what was up with that.
P.S. I'm also disappointed that there was neither a horse nor a dog on a treadmill. Only a mechanical jellyfish...which doesn't really count cause its not actually an animal
Comments
I never saw cops yell at kids for tossing girls in the air after scores at any game I've been to.
Like the pregame said: "We deserve a better schedule, to go from Alabama to WCU is silly".
And they're right. The fans don't want to see us hit up pushovers. We end up doling out 300 thousand + for a (pretty much) guaranteed win.
Not saying Marshall and ECU will be as easy, but, we've played them. To Death. Toss a Kentucky, Southern Miss, or even a Cal or an Arizona in there. Just mix it up.
As far as behavior goes, I've read everything from things being thrown, to people getting pissed that our awesome new Hokie Vision is too loud, to peopled just being grumpy. It was our first home game too, I guess. The SEZ wasn't bad at all, except for the Corps basically dicking around with the swim team.
Over the past 4 years, I've become more and more annoyed with our student section. Kids just don't know how to cheer properly at games. They're too concerned with paper airplanes and ripping on LT3. I had 2 freshmen in front of me give me crap for standing on their seat during Enter Sandman. With the two seats in front of them vacated (pssst. You step forward when you stand up and backwards when you sit down. That's how it goes). People spent way too much time just dicking around in the stands and didn't even bother making noise. I know it's WCU, but c'mon. We've got a reputation to uphold. Next time I see someone near me about to throw an airplane, I'm goin' all Dadi on their asses and smacking it out of their hand when they throw. Unacceptable.
STUDENTS: You're bringing some pretty weak crap into Lane so far this year. Step it up.
I always viewed a student section seat number as hey stand in this general are it really doesn't matter if you're in the exact seat. But every year there is a freshmen or someone who will bitch about it the first game but then realize it doesn't matter as the season goes
My freshman year some idiot went and got one of the freakin state troopers to kick us out of their seats. In the East Stands nosebleeds. They didn't even confront us about it first, just saw someone was standing on their seats and immediately went to get the trooper to kick us out and threaten to ban us from Lane (We did have tickets in South and had snuck in but it wasn't that packed and we could have easily just moved up a couple rows). Luckily I've never come across anyone that irrational since.
One day these kids will kill for the opportunity to go to a VT game, no matter who the opponent. Live it up!!! Show up, get loud, have a blast!
My seats are in the top row of NEZ right over the tunnel (near an entrance). When I saw people leaving I started screaming at them "The game isn't even over, where are you going?! You should go to UVA, their fans leave at halftime!" And other things along that line. You don't need to be as diehard as me to at least stay until friggin halftime.
Also, I lost my voice for the second game in a row, and I plan to do it again while watching on TV next week. It's gonna be a good senior year.
haha if you lose your voice watching it on tv you might annoy whoever you're watching with, or at least the neighbors.
Downvote me if you want, but it was hot as balls yesterday. Before you go chastising me for leaving early (my first game leaving early, been to every basketball game for 4 years especially the last two so don't question my fandom) I had about enough by halftime. LT3 had thrown 2 picks, we were up 21-0, etc. Believe me I'm all for staying for the whole game, but Western Carolina is a much different opponent than say, Clemson.
smdh
We were wearing wool uniforms and we were fine
Dont you say a thing about how hot yall were, the Corps has essentially decided uniform technology peaked in 1904...
Also that dance block/big gay tuba pyramid...
Well, that was rude.
Don't bring up uniform tech in front of anyone from pre-1980. Back then the white pants were wool, too.
This is why we alumni invented the phrase "Back in the Old Corps..."
OK DB, I see that you are probably a Highty Tighty class of 14 member. So here's the deal: You're probably fairly new to the site and likely have not read the Community Standards. Highly recommend you do so. Second, we all love the Hokies and love to bash UVA and other schools, but not our own folks. For instance, as an older VTCC grad, I would never call you or another other HT by some of the less flattering terms I heard back in the day that we non-HT VTCC folks would use. Likewise, I would never call a Marching Virginian (there are many of them on this site) by the terms that my HT friends have used in the past.
We let the LOLuva fans do all of the VT bashing they want, the TKP community supports our fellow Hokies and avoids name calling. Except maybe once in a while when Weaver gets our hackles up. Hope you have many great years of enjoying TKP and possibly serving our country.
Seeing the ire that post raised I most certainly apologize. It was meant to be a good natured jest and for it not coming across that way I 100% am sorry. I am proud to call myself a fraternity brother of many fine MV's and have only the utmost respect for them and am sorry that a bad joke has caused such discord.
Don't sweat it amigo. I flamed a LOLuva recruit back in the spring and got a lot of deserved down-votes for it for being disrespectful to the kid. Live and learn, enjoy your time at Tech, it ends far too soon. And thanks again if you are going to be serving our country.
It's not just about winning or losing or who your team is playing. It's about watching the Hokies play.
You get to see them in Lane 6 times a year. It's laughable that people complain about being hot or having better things to do. You can drink or sit in air conditioning the other 359 days a year.
That's just so sad that you feel differently.
I think it's sad that apparently people aren't allowed to have a good time at sporting events anymore.
If you're hot and want to leave, then leave. This is America after all.
I think its sad that people are having more fun leaving the event, then actually staying at the event and enjoying what they paid for. If your only going to get a fourth or a half of your money's worth, why even bother? Just stay at the tailgate and give your ticket away..
To that point, I'm sure plenty of people tried to give WCU tickets away and were unable to do so.
The whole "fanhood" thing has spiraled out of control among Hokies and leaked onto this board. Instead of chastising fellow Hokies, I'd like to see the community come up with a way to make the games a more entertaining experience. My personal opinion is that night games are a part of this and we have been shafted on getting decent Saturday night games for years now. Yes, it's unfortunate that fun traditions like "Stick it In" have given way to paper airplanes, but the fact of the matter is there's a ton of down time in football games and you have to keep the crowd engaged. Sandman is great but it has turned into the only thing we have. We could really use more cheers/traditions that unify the crowd and get people invested in the games. Clemson and Notre Dame have some very recognizable cheers and as much as I loathe aude lang syne, one must admit it's [a hilariously appropriate] way for the Hoos to keep their morale up.
So anyway, throwing paper airplanes and being rude is at the game is one thing, but if someone feels like leaving that's their choice. In my opinion, it's hard to fault the fan for not getting an entertaining experience. A good example is the sport of wrestling working to re-brand and rebuild their image after initially being cut from the Olympics. The whole point is to make the experience more engaging for those who aren't hardcore fans (essentially taking a page from MMA, boxing, and even pro wrestling). I believe that's the type of approach that truly addresses how to fix some of the issues people have with the gameday atmosphere.
Thinking off the top of my head, I think there is a lot more you could do with the Hokie Pokey too.
Hell why not have a "guest/celebrity" leader each week or bring the tubas out into the field, its the perfect thing for us we just under utilize it
You know what I'd love to see? Actually, hear? I'd love for us to have actual songs. Like soccer teams. Nothing quite like having tens of thousands of people singing. And not just 'Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye'. Like ACTUAL SONGS.
This is why I've always thought that they should teach people the actual words to our fight song, or even the victory march. I mean, nearly every other school's alumni know the words to theirs. no?
Wait, you mean the words aren't just "Dun dun dun-dun-dun-dun duuuuun dun duuuuuuuun dun ... Tech Tech VPI!" ?
I remember
Sola rex
sola ra
polytech
vir-gin-i-a
rae, rie, vpi!
I remember an event called "Midnight Madness" near the beginning (?) of my sophomore year that was a pep rally of sorts. One of the women from the Corps came out and belted the full song out. She was awesome and the place went nuts. I recall most of the people around me saying "huh, so those are the words."
I stand there and sing the victory march when its played. Only one I memorized the words to.
"And we know ole Syracuse has learned the force of hokie hi"
Nice. I love how the Victory March references the Hoos as a "worthy team."
The original lyrics are even better lol.
Ya know those football powers of Army and VMI...
Hey Horse, in the VTCC, they add "Team! Team! Team!" at the end of that cheer. Not sure if that is the official version, but that is how they taught us back in the day.
And the official Fight Song is the one that starts, "Techmen, O Techmen, with spirits true and faithful..." That is the song they used to play after every score, and I assume still do. Having been in Central America the past 5 years, I have missed a lot of games, but I would be disappointed if the official Fight Song has fallen by the wayside. BTW, I can still sing the whole thing 27 years after graduating since we VTCC folks had the thing pounded into our brains. The lyrics are a bit dated, but I love the tradition.
Edit: Looks like somebody else posted the whole thing. You guys are so smart.
Tech Triumph is still played by one of the bands after any score, but VPI Victory usually gets played once or twice a game during down time, and always once by the MV's before kickoff, usually after Carry on My Wayward Son.
They also play the middle part with the GO TECH and H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES for every first down.
Its not like the lyrics are hard to learn, I learned them, while braced up in line to use the head in about 20 minutes during New Cadet Week.
Hearing people yell "TECH TECH VPI" makes me angrier than ignorant broadcasters saying "Vah Tech." At least they don't go to the school. If you're going to say any of the words to the fight song, at least say the right ones!
Yeah, that is why I hate the basketball game experience. All you hear is clapping that isn't in unison most of the time and only "TECH TECH VPI" which irks my soul. If marketing actually did their jobs and market the actual words, maybe people would actually learn them.
i always thought it was tech tech vpi. . .sorry to crush your souls guys. most people dont even know that much of the cheer.
I've written letters to our AD to get them to put up the words on the big screens at the games, but they haven't yet. I only know them because I have friends that were MVs.
I second this. I feel like I'm the only one in my section that knows the words most of the time. I attribute that to my cadre during new cadet week though since singing those songs were our only form of music besides waking up to "welcome to the jungle" just about every morning.
I know most Liberty's fight song, but its pretty simple. Even with that, I still have to look up part of it near the end.
WCU wasn't an exciting game so I don't blame you. You paid for your ticket. If you are not entertained then leave.
I am not going to challenge how hard you polytech based on leaving one game early.
"Do not down vote for disagreeing with someone's opinion. In general, vote up way more often than you vote down."
there should be an expandable/collapsible list showing the username(s) responsible for every up and down vote. I think that would temper the downvotes a bit. I mean, nobody wants to look like the a-hole...right?
1) Right.
2) Your tagline is awesome.
3) I've given up on trying to convince people to not downvote. I'll just upvote someone if I think a downvote wasn't deserved. Even if it wasn't turkey leg worthy.
Hot? Hot?!? Saturday was *nice* out. Hot is the humidity ridden hellscape that is Columbia SC in the summer. 95 degrees, 60% relative humidity. At night. Saturday in Blacksburg was damn near perfect. It was warm in the sun and it was prudent to stay hydrated, but the only complaint I had about the weather is that the pleasant breeze wasn't consistent enough in the East Stands.
Seriously. Try Orlando at about 100 degrees after a rain shower.
On that note, I'm ready for my school's next home game. I'm a UCF student but a Hokie at heart and I'm hoping the Knights take down the Cocks of USCe on the 28th. UPSET CITY.
I left in the 4th qtr because I got heat exhaustion and I was sick to begin with going to the game. There was still a lot of people at the game. Like 61,000 for a game against WCU. We had more fans there to see VT-WC than there was fans at the UVa-Oregon game. And people have a right to gripe at the product that's on the field. I support all of our players and hope they do well in life after football, but if the football team is bad im definitely gonna call it like I see it and not make excuses for them. People make more excuses for Logan Thomas than I care to remember lol
I can totally understand why people left yesterday. One of the few times I can. I stayed the whole time, but I know I wouldn't be risking heatstroke or heat exhaustion and sun poisoning for Western freaking Carolina. Any other ACC game or good non-conf game? Totally worth it, but not for the BOTTOM FEEDERS OF THE FCS. Calm down people.
Thank you. Its like I never suffered through the JMU game or all last years basketball season. My first game I left.... im not going to stand there and get torched when we're playing western carolina, a team whos lost 12 straight games in the FCS.
I mean, this isn't a problem that's isolated simply at Lane Stadium...major college football programs all across the country are having the same problem. I was watching A&M play Sam Houston State last night and half of the A&M students left by halftime. I feel like A&M fans are on the same level as Hokie fans so it's a fair comp...kids these days aren't going to sit around and watch our football team pound a team into submission for three hours, especially when the team is unranked.
If we have the same problem against UNC, feel free to keep bitching because then that will actually be a problem.
MOST kids these days. I'm always disappointed when fellow students leave the game early. But, several of my friends and I stayed for the entire game. I lost my voice yet again and we still yelled for the defense in the 4th quarter as we should.
I was also rather proud. I diffused a possible paper airplane throwing incident with someone in my seating group. No paper airplanes were thrown in my group from what I noticed.
Think this is my first downvote!
Welcome to the club, it comes with the territory. Don't sweat the trolls, just keep on loving them Hokies.
I think the "fan identity" has evolved over the past decade. It has become commonplace to boo and chastise players on your own team. Common place to leave at half time if the score is well in hand or the weather is adverse. Being a fan is a much more casual thing than what it used to be. It would help to schedule some better opponents, but for now...it is what it is.
Every school's fans are "good" when they have a reason to be. The exception to this is, of course, UVA.
Admittingly, I find it hilarious when they dress up like a founding father during games...that's the only compliment I'd ever give to a UVA fan
How did this get a downvote?
I feel like there is someone just going to random threads and downvoting stuff. Too many new members that think this is like reddit or something and just downvote for the heck of it. It's not like anyone is calling anyone an asshat on this thread or anything.
This webpage loads oddly on my phone. The links shift every 20 or so seconds and so far I've just clicked the wrong thread or link. Probably something similar with down voting.
Those two dance during the game and it gets more cheers then LOLUVA football team during the game.
I think part of our problem is that we don't indoctrinate our new students with our traditions. I know a lot of people who went to Auburn and Alabama (having lived in Alabama), and part of their freshmen orientation includes sitting at the stadium, learning cheers, and seeing the coach and players. A&M does the Midnight Yell practice that is well advertised. Our kick-off picnic was a newer idea when I was a freshman in 2006, and I don't think it's enough to really get our new students excited about football. Though I agree that we're seeing a general shift in the passion of college football fans.
That'd be a good idea, because the crowd can impact the opponent. Not too long ago, it was considered a treat to go to home games.
Maybe all we really need is some coercion...
Someone downvoted a Foster meme? Tread lightly, Bud has a sixth sense about such things and can psychically track IP addresses...
... and sends Sam Rogers to set things to right.
Sic-em Bud! Teach them the meaning of Hokie R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
I have been going to almost every home game since I was 7, and I would know what a hot game is and what isn't, and that was not a hot game by any stretch. Try ECU 2008 in Charlotte or GT 2008. I had a friend throw up at the GT game from the heat. I am 15, almost 16, now, and I stayed until there were 5 minutes left in the game with my friend. My dad and sister left at halftime and went to the Underground and watched the game from there, so my friend and I were alone in the stadium (unsupervised, I must add) and watched the entire second half, aside from the last 5 minutes because my dad felt like we needed to make it out of Blacksburg so we would get back home at a reasonable time; we live in WV. I feel like if my friend and I are able to watch the entire second half when we certainly did not have to, so could the students. Just my opinion.
Upvoted because you and your family jumped the border -- THAT border -- to watch us play.
Argh, all of you people whining about "it was hot." No shit it was hot! It's September in Blacksburg! What the hell are you going to do in November, whine that it's cold and leave early again? It's called being prepared... drink a lot of water and slather on sunscreen before September games... layer up and buy hot chocolate in November. Ugh *disappointed*
I always found it funny that you could tell where students sat based on their seat location. Even redness = north end zone, two face = east stands.
You know I just read a scholarly article proving that seat location was a leading indicator of where students sat-ness.
Heh, my friends and I all moved south after graduating from VT, so our calibration of "hot" has changed. The temp and humidity on Saturday were perfect, it was warm in the sun, but with proper precautions as you've outlined it was fine.
I like a mix of weather in my football season, if I can wear shorts to the first couple of games and have to wear a down jacket to the last couple then I am a happy man.
Minus the leaving early, i didnt see many paper airplanes this time...plus the student sections of the stadium (north and east) were packed BY enter sandman. The thing that pisses me off the most was people being late for sandman last year/ missing the start of the game. I felt like the students came out hard, then just ditched early. So i am torn about this for this specific game.
I remember in past years that it was hard getting through the gates the first few games even if you got there fairly early. Don't know if they were just slow getting tickets scanned or if it was when everyone got there. But still no excuse for leaving early. I never left a game with more than 5 minutes left as a student.
yea, definitely agree. NEZ seemed pretty packed during enter sandman where I was sitting. People kinda spread out after that and the first guy I saw leave was in handcuffs in the first quarter. After that I saw a couple people leave after the first and a whole bunch file out at halftime. Was feeling pretty disappointed halfway through the third when me and a buddy were the only two left sitting in our aisle. Also, no airplanes.
I left after Caleb's touchdown. We were trying to beat traffic since we had a 7:00 kickoff to get to. Leaving anytime before that is unacceptable in my opinion.
@hunterhokie I must have been near you because i was in the middle of all of that BS the cop pulled. I did take note that he was a Radford cop. i also saw him escort some kid out of north because his friends pushed him off his bleacher spot jokingly. And when the kid (and his friends) tried to plead his case Cop was very rude and Manhandled the kid for no reason. The guy really reminded me of a dog barking at any car or person that happened to be near him. Oh and all the while his overweight partner just stood in the corner and played with his iphone. Needless to say the Officers in our section of North that day could have been better.
thats the guy
I hope he is not a permanent fixture for the season.
in reference to girls being tossed, some cops say something some don't, I have experienced it both ways. In general it isn't the safest thing to do and that is usually the reason for them asking to stop. This cop just sounds like he was having a bad day.
Serious question: What do people leave games early to do? What is better at 2:00 PM on a Saturday to do in Blacksburg, VA? Always wondered this.
well you could go back to your tailgate and continue drinking....I'm not trying to justify leaving the game early but maybe if the state drinking age was lowered to 18 and alcohol was permitted for sale in the stadium we could keep fans around a little longer...
Ever heard of airplane bottles?
Yeah, if you aren't sneaking bourbon in already you are doing it wrong.
yes. But when all I'm wearing is shorts and a t-shirt it's tough to smuggle in enough booze to last 4 quarters..but I still stay till 0:00 regardless
There's quite a bit to do. I would leave these gimme games after we have a huge lead and I've seen enough of our offense and defense. Like the app state two years ago, left around half to head downtown and watch the other games. You can go hang out with friends that aren't big into football or help prep the victory party.
Just because you leave at half time during a FCS curb stomp doesn't mean you aren't supportive or the fan base is losing is edge. Now once we get into conference play and this happens then it's time to get worried.
Welcome to the discussion and agreed. I find it a bit misguided to suggest that everyone must stay for the whole game all the time. However, against loluva, even if we're up, say, 38-0, stay. Just to revel in it. I guess I can't blame anyone for leaving if the issue is no longer in doubt, but against any of the teams that should be competitive, just stay. Any game that ends up competitive when it shouldn't be (one way or the other), stay. Don't leave a close game. That's my only gripe. And if we're pummeling LOLUVA, enjoy it.
Couldn't have said it better myself. Basically what I was trying to say but I may have been more defensive about it.
Except it does happen in conference play. At least among students. There were people leaving at the end of the first quarter of the Duke game last year. People left the Georgia Tech game early last year as well stating they had early class. (I had an 8am too, who cares). Hell, I saw people leaving the Miami game in 2011 at halftime when we were up 21-3 or whatever it was. This isn't just an FCS or weak opponent phenomenon. That's why people are already pointing out the issue. It happens at all games. Maybe not the max exodus that it is happening against weaker teams, but it's still happening. And its becoming more and more rampant. Hell, even 4 years ago the fans managed to hang around for the CMU blowout and the second half of ECU. And that was AFTER the JMU debacle. Those teams are similar to the Duke's and the Marshalls, etc, yet the students were still sticking around.
Some people are going to leave games early. Maybe they have somewhere else to be and were cutting things close, maybe they had to take their overly drunk friend home. During the 2011 Miami game I didn't see too many people leave. About the only person I noticed that left was the trash talking Miami fan.
The only "real" games that I remember any sort of exodus were the homecoming games. Guessing people were just there for the homecoming court winners. For the most part if the game is competitive and not a blow out Lane is probably at least at 90% capacity by the fourth quarter. The quality of the opponent does matter more than anything else. People are going to stick around for a rivalry game much longer than a Duke blowout, because the game gets less exciting and the atmosphere dies down.
I'm not so sure I would have stayed in NEZ for the entire game with how loud those speakers are. I was sitting in West Sect 18 (basically on the goal line of SEZ) and the speakers were overbearing there....I can't imagine what they would have been like if I was 120 yards closer. I expect our fans to stay for the entire game every single week and I've never left a game before 0:00 but I'm not sure I'd be too quick to blame the fans sitting right next to those damn speakers. The new Board is great (when it's working) but they really need to tone it down a few notches during the game. (going all out during Enter Sandman is, to me, the only acceptable time to blare those speakers full tilt)
I was in NEZ, and it's really not that bad. I love the fact that the board is booming. It adds an intimidating factor the other team must notice.
Really... we've gotten to the point where major complaints are that it is too loud? Next up: The fans need to tone it down when the Hokies are on defense...
In all fairness..our fans aren't as loud as they used to be...I think we need our fans to step up and be louder so we don't have to rely on a set of speakers to scare opponents. Call me old school but I think the speakers are too much. Let the fans do the work..that's how it should be. I don't want the speakers to be louder than the fans..that's too much like Uva
Completely agree. But you didn't make that belief evident in your original post, hence why I replied with some sarcasm. I'm all for having 100% natural fan noise over any speaker generated noise. Lane is still one of the few stadiums remaining that dont have to tell the fans through the use of images or noise to get loud. I'd love for it to remain that way, but with the way the fanbase (especially students) is headed, it doesn't look like the trend will continue much longer, especially with the possibilities of the new sound system.
I was in NEZ and absolutely loved the fact that the speakers were so loud. I wonder if it was pushed to the limits as overcompensation for the fact that the screen wasn't working for a while.
Bahahaha...It was hot, I had heat exhaustion, I'm sun burnt. WTF!! I live in Alabama and would LOVE to be able to get to games on the norm. However, due to geograhical and checking account concerns I can't go. I've missed 3 football seasons because terrorist are assholes(2001 bowl season,'03,'05,'12 seasons) and I have a job that doesn't allow me to live in the "American city like" bases overseas when I'm there. EPHokie said it best a few post's up, be prepared! Quit whining like a bunch of bowtie wearing, zima drinking ass clowns. Down vote away if you must but it's not a dislike button...
I can't upvote this enough. Thank you for serving
Thanks for your service and for the reminder that the stuff we get all worked up about here is because great men such as yourself sacrifice for our privilege.
If anyone wants reason for why you should never leave a game early, please see 2009 vs. Nebraska. You just never know what will happen before the clock hits 0:00
MechaJellyfish in a Pool
http://youtu.be/2Z_cu3b7nhw?t=1m41s
Everyone's argument will always be that they have something better to do. I've left plenty of games early, but that's also because we were dishing out a curb stomping. Would I say that hanging out with my friends and tailgating is better than watching our second teamers in a half-filled stadium? Yes, I would. And I'm not a bad fan; I just have more fun playing cornhole and goofing around then studying our backups.
In my opinion, the true "ok" time to leave a game is when you stop getting excited over individual plays. When a defensive stop on third down merely yeilds a "meh", then it's probably ok to go.
And this type of thinking is why the atmosphere is getting worse and worse. If everyone else is doing it, its okay to leave. You can play cornhole and drink and do all sorts of tailgate type things the other 359 days of the year. The second teamers work just as hard and put in just as much time and effort into the game as the first teamers. They deserve just as much support as the guys that start the game. Anyone can be a fan and support their team when the game is close and everything is super exciting. Literally anyone. But being a Hokie fan is supposed to be more than that. That type of mentality wasn't what got Lane listed as one of the toughest places to play. Don't believe me? Look at the highlights from the Syracuse game in 99. Final score of 62-0. It's one of the biggest blowouts VT has ever had. Yet the stands were full, and people were still yelling loud even as the fourth quarter expired and the game had long been decided.
I'm all for staying until the end of the game but you might want to choose a different example than the '99 Syracuse game. The year before, Syracuse's Donovan McNabb beat us on a last second TD to win the game in heartbreaking fashion. We owed them payback for that one. In '99 ESPN College Gameday was in town for the matchup. We were ranked #4 and they were #15 ish. That's a little different scenario than playing a team that we have no history with and struggles to win a FCS game.
No, what got us listed as a tough place to play is how intense the crowd was in games that mattered. None of the people making the rankings care how many fans are there when the clock hits zero. They want to see the stadium shaking when the home team takes the field. They want motion penalties on the away team because the crowd noise is deafening.
Just for perspective, I wore long sleeves and jeans to the Miami game in 2009 when it was pouring rain and we smoked them. My knees were shaking so violently, that I could hardly walk the next day because they were so sore. Why did I stay the whole time? Because nothing was sweeter than us proving that no, the U is not in fact back.
The fans aren't getting worse; the games are just getting less compelling.
If we stopped scheduling one off games in FedEx Field or in Atlanta I think we'd have less games in which people leave early. The stands looked pretty full from start to finish at the FSU game last year, even though the team wasn't doing so hot. I know that conference games our out of our control, but we need to stop farming out big OOC games. Could you imagine a home and home with Bama or Boise?
If you schedule it, they will stay.
I partly agree but it seems kind of like a chicken or egg type of scenario.
Students shouldn't leave early or sit down. What is this, UVA?
I agree with leaving early with the exceptions of my post above. Sitting down is good with me, though. Sit while we're on offense. Be quiet. Cheer when we do something positive. I would like to be able to sit and enjoy a game from my ass at some point. Turkey leg for poking at LOLUVA though, and welcome.
The worst part about all of this is there are actually people arguing for leaving early. Maybe I'm biased since I was in the MV's but not staying until the clock hits 00:00 just doesn't sit well with me
This is exactly how I feel, except I'm not in the MV's. There is nothing more irritating to me than people leaving before the clock hits 0. Hell, if the stadium would stay full until the game was over, regardless of opponent, I'd be willing to let students throw as many paper airplanes as they'd like...
Agreed. Show up early enough to get a good buzz before the game, make it to enter sandman, jump, and stay until the clock hits zero.
There sure is a lot down voting in this thread.
I love how a post about police being rude turned into a "Leave early" or "Don't leave early" discussion.
The policy for the stadium actually opposes the "tossing" of people in the air, though it says nothing about "Lifting" or "pushups". It is the police/event staff discretion to impose the policy, and most let it slide.
It reminds me of a situation a few years ago after the night game when we beat Clemson at home 31-7. My friends and I stay until "Superman" and when it plays, we do what the MVs do (or at least used to do) with the "flying around". A cop told us to stop, and to leave the stands (the one time of many years of doing this before and since). We told him that we always stay until Superman plays, and we always do this, and we'll be leaving momentarily. He threatened us with arresting us for "Drunk and Disorderly", to which we replied that we weren't drunk, we weren't doing anything disorderly, and he stood his ground, so we left.
Of course, we wrote the incident up and submitted it to the CT, Weaver, and the VTPD that this was no way for the Police to handle themselves, and that they were killing Traditions with all the rules they started imposing (No more Stick it In, no more Number 6). No clue what happened with it, though. Probably nothing.
I think getting yelled at about tossing has more to do with how high you throw the girls than much else. My group has only been yelled at twice about it and that was at the beginning of the game when we were all so drunk and full of energy we would get them a good 10 feet up there the first couple tosses. We weren't yelled at after the next score since we were a bit more conservative. Which I can understand, since they tend not to go straight up and down and rouge shoes tend to hurt.
Not to mention a 15 foot fall if people miss the catch can be pretty devastating to the person being thrown.