This past Saturdays game was bittersweet. My wife and I drove in from SC to take our oldest daughter, 7, to her first game. What a great game to take her to. She was most excited about hearing Enter Sandman in Lane for the first time, on the tv doesn't do it justice!
She never sat down. She screamed while we were on D and shook my keys as hard as she could on 3rd down plays.
But one thing she asked me stuck out. When we missed tackles or a play didn't go well she heard fans become angry and yell "mean" things at HER Hokies. She didn't understand why.
Being a dad has made me look at everything in life different. Kids can be so honest.
I to have been angry and frustrated with this team this year. Maybe it's time for some of to show more support for this years team?
Comments
I've never had a problem with fans getting frustrated at the way a game is unfolding; even if it's cursing the coaches or players. It shows passion and getting caught up in the moment. Now, the fans who do that and still don't support the team in crucial moments need to be Gibb's Slapped.
I don't give a FvCk. No Fvcks are given. The only thing I want now is a complete and total beat down of UVA. A disgusting display of physical dominance. I want it to be medieval, Neanderthal, prime, base, raw, abuse. Only that will suffice.
Do you need to post this on every thread that mentions uva?
Ha ha ha. This is freakin hysterical. I wish I could upvote. Soon....
Soon.
It is to my everlasting regret that I have no more turkey legs to give.
I agree. It certainly won't help kicking this team at its lowest point. I'm not sure what it was like for those that went to VT in the 90's and early 2000's in the stands of the games, but I've noticed a big disconnect between our fans and this and last year's team. maybe we've been spoiled and maybe not. But the only thing that's going to help this team and others to in the future is support.
I was thinking of taking my children to a VT game, but when I see that it makes me pause in a since, because I want to have the opportunity to take them there, but I don't want them to be around the negativity and language that comes with some of the fans.
Sports can bring out the best and worst in people. Sounds like your daughter is already entrenched on the right side of that equation.
FH you've summed it up best.
"Sports do not build character. They reveal it."
John Wooden (1910-2010)
Applies to fans as well.
Always a hokie win or lose. 7-4 is much better then 2-10 like one school I know.
Yep that is true. Turkey Leg for you on that.
I dont want to turn this into an "Oregon fan situation" but I have to be honest I have been very disappointed in the crowd as well. Booing Logan when he messes it up is at the top of my list though. I can deal with the occasional angry comment. That has happened with every team since the beginning of time. But audible boos coming from the crowd directed at your starting quarterback is unforgivable. If you have ever participated in that you should show yourself out of Lane and never return. I would rather have a wahoo sitting next to me in Lane stadium than you standing next to me booing Logan Thomas.
Rant over.
I agree with you. But I think bad fans are becoming an epidemic. I mean you see them everywhere these days, no matter what team you're pulling for. I hate that this attitude has infected our fanbase, but just like college teams across the nation having a hard time selling out big games, it looks like this too isn't solely a problem of VT.
Had someone two rows in front of me turn around to the two people behind her and basically tell them to shut up. They were being negative nancies and she was like if you aren't sending positive vibes down to the field, just don't say anything.
I did that myself Saturday too. [I want to look back at the "every snap" film for this one] Logan got sacked on a corner blitz that completely blew past an attempted block by Cline, but instead of being upset with someone for not picking up the blitz like I was, this kid goes off his hinges booing Logan and screaming at the top of his lungs "you're such a pussy! you suck so bad!" for a sack he really couldn't do anything to prevent. Football ignorance really gets to me sometimes at the games.
On the subject of football ignorance, scenario: VT Offense lineman jumps during the cadence and no one on the defense moves. An obvious false start, yet fans will Boo the ref, drop f bombs left and right for the ref blowing the call. I don't understand people/fans sometimes?
Yep, I'm in the same boat with you there. Same thing for any "obvious" penalty called for or against us. I usually try to keep my mouth shut instead of wasting my breath to say anything to surrounding fans and go to the face-palm maneuver.
Walking out, arm in arm with my mom, a college kid behind us was complaining about the team and when he said "this team just doesn't have any heart!! UVA has more heart right now than our players!" I immediately turned around and said "whoa, don't go accusing people you don't know of that, you don't know what's in our players' hearts." My mom didn't even stop me from saying anything.
This is my biggest problem with the newest generation of Hokies (VTMidge's daughter and some others excluded!!): after a game doesn't go our way, they immediately resort to attacking on a personal level. That's just not acceptable.
For real. That's not the Hokie fan base I grew up with. The Hokie fan base I grew up with loved the Hokies. Not the winning. Sure it's great when we win, but we don't just stop rooting for the team. We don't just stop believing in our guys.
this times like a Brazilian
It's like getting yer nether regions shaved?
edit: here's the joke:
Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."
"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.
Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"
disclaimer: The views represented in this joke may or may not align with the views of this poster.
That's funny, and I really appreciate it, even though it hits my "side". Although I question why, so many years after the last admin, the butt of the joke isn't Obama or Biden.
But that drags us into politics.
So maybe it would be better if the joke had Coach London talking to his assistant coaches about the state of the bridge mix for their next pep rally.
I don't generally like to bring politics up here...that being said, I did not write this joke and frankly I don't know enough about politics to tweak it to this current administration. I could probably write a version making fun of CML though...I hadn't thought of that option.
I really feel like 90% of the fans in Lane are still loyal and rally this team. I still feel that Lane is an awesome home field advantage. Its just that small percentage of individuals who I probably wouldnt want to talk to in real life either. This thread is making me sound like a dick. Thank you to all of those who stay in Lane til the teams run off the field, even when things go south.
Lane stayed full and load until the end for the most part on Saturday.
One other point to. STOP THROWING THE PAPER AIRPLANES. As a Hokie parent I am going to do my best to raise my kids to love Virginia Tech but if they do something like that at a game when they go there I will be the first to smack them in the back of the head.
At a game that close our team needs to hear the fans backing them 100%. If you aren't there for the right reasons don't go.
Would be nice if a down vote was coupled with a replied explanation.
I up voted you because the paper planes thing drives me crazy. It's such a Georgia Tech thing to do.
The only down vote explanations you'll get are if someone fat-fingered it. Otherwise, people are too afraid to say why they disagreed enough to justify a down vote.
The wave was what killed me
Yea, me and a bunch of my buddies were yelling at the guy trying to get him to stop. I actually saw some guy down the row grab him while he was running to try to stop him. I'm not a fan of the wave but if you are gonna do it, do it at halftime, or during a blowout game. Not during the 4th quarter, during a crucial drive.
STOP THE WAVE!
Yea I was standing right behind the guy that grabbed him in Section E. He was just saying "NOT ON OFFENSE!" The dude was hysterical and just pointing saying "look, look it worked!"
Yes it did work and now the whole stadium is cheering when we are on offense with 2-3 minutes left in a tie game. Good job.
So-wait. You're going to physically strike another person (another Hokie fan for that matter, regardless of the level of his/her fanship) for throwing a paper airplane? Including in front of your daughter?
No. I said I would be the first to knock my daughter (grown college student at that point) in the back of the head if she did it. Not literally. Sorry you misunderstood that part.
What I saw Saturday is still depressing me this Monday morning. :(
Just out of curiosity, where were you sitting? I've only sat on the west side once and it was a much more tame experience. Granted that was App St a couple years ago so there wasn't much to complain about. I've got my first on the way next year, so I've got a few years before she goes to a game but it's definitely something I think about too. I try to stay as respectful as reasonably possible, I had a family sitting behind me with a couple teenage girls Saturday and I apologized beforehand for the profanity they would hear and the fact that I would be standing the entire game (I hate that I have to worry about that, but at 6'6" I'm going to block a big chunk of the game and I do feel bad for whoever is behind me, though if I sit my knees are going to be bothering anyone in front of me so it's lose-lose). I never attack a player or coaches job, but I will occasionally complain about play calling or blown plays. I guess I'm thinking that a move to the west stands will be in order once I take a child, but I don't know if the difference in atmosphere is just in my head.
Maybe I am not making my point correctly. Believe me I can get just as loud at home as fans can at the game when I don't like something. My point is that we need to support our team good times and bad.
Oh, I really support their food times.
I didn't know that was a problem.
We feed the cadets that guard the gates near us too.
Turkey leg for my typo. Sending these from my phone.
Mmmm...all this talk of food and turkey legs. Are you sure TG isn't this weekend?
There was a time when I used profanity at games, but as I've gotten older and had children I don't anymore.
I actually yell more profanities when watching games from the comfort of my recliner and it's usually not directed at the good guys, but at announcers, officials or the other team!
The first time my wife went to a game with me she was actually surprised at how calm I was!
The good thing about being at the game is all the energy. Some of the fans are just great. I like bringing my girls to the games.
The only bad thing about going to the games are some of the fans. I don't care if they curse but, with my girls, there is always a bad sport and the abusive convective language is sometimes amazing I hear in public. And I'm a Navy vet, I can string them together with the best of them.
The good thing about watching from home is the replay, pause, etc. the bad thing is having to deal with the idiot broadcasters. I love the radio IMG guys. They're great. The TV guys, especially the 3rd tier ESPN guys, wow. I prep for a game better than that.
Yeah, the announcers last Saturday were awful. I had to mute the game.
I drove down from Fairfax and took my son to his first game...we had a great time, although we were obviously disappointed with the result. The thing he was most excited about was being there for the Enter Sandman opening...it was great.
During the game, a drunk guy behind me says "Everyone knows Logan Thomas is a Piece of $hit"...This was at the beginning of the game when Logan was 8 for his first 8 passes.
I turned to him and said "Maybe you should stop drinking and pay attention to the game. Logan has not thrown an incomplete pass yet and you are complaining about him."
I felt I had to say something to him...I just couldn't let my son hear an idiot bashing Logan for no good reason...it just didn't make sense.
Go Hokies...things will get better.
Since you live up in Never Never Land let me ask you a question regarding logistics.
How long is the drive from up there on Gameday?
Did you get to tailgate at all before the game?
I left at 6:45am and was parked at the Prices Fork public lot at 10:30am. Of course, I was going about 80 the entire way....
It would have been faster except for an accident on 460, just miles from VT that delayed me.
My son is not of drinking age, so I did not partake of any alcohol unfortunately. I just took the extra time to walk around campus with him and show him where I used to live, where I hung out, my fraternity house, etc.
We were in the stadium and seated just in time for the senior day ceremony.
Great weekend...although a win would have made it epic.
Thanks for that.
I also did a day trip, same route same times works for me.
Check this out during Tyrod's winning TD pass in the '09 Nebraska game - south endzone dude calls him a 'piece of shit' as he's throwing the pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd-7X84jwac
I remember the hate Tyrod was inexplicably getting pre-Nebraska. I have one thing to say to "fans" like that:
eabod.com
For the life of me I could NEVER understand that. Maybe I was being ignorantly unaware in the bliss of his amazing Skillz dat Killz, but I just never understood.
Dear MiniMidge,
Atta girl!
You keep cheering for your Hokies!
One day when you grow up, you will want to curse your dad for bringing you into this fandom, but you'll mostly love him even more for it. It'll make you closer.
When you're older, remember to thank him for making you a Hokie. And thank him for raising you right, too.
Much love,
SpiderHokie,
another girl brought unwillingly into this fandom as a small child and who will always call our boys "her Hokies"
Thanks. I actually let me daughter read this and it made her smile. Turkey leg for that.