SEC cheers make Big Ten look weak

I moved to East Lansing after having earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida. And I must say, I am an avid fan of both the Gators and SEC sports.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to experience the hype of Big Ten football by attending the Notre Dame vs. MSU game Saturday at Spartan Stadium.

I would just like to point out some key differences between SEC fans and Big Ten fans:

l When the opposing team has the ball, regardless of where on the field it is or what down it is, home SEC fans are constantly yelling and cheering.

My seat in Spartan Stadium was at an aisle right next to the student section. I figured it would be loud and lots of cheering at the entire game. It didn’t happen. The students only yelled and cheered loudly on third downs.

Why didn’t the students cheer and yell the entire game? Noise is an asset. If you sit on your hands, the offense can be audible all day long and potentially make big plays that could win the game.

l What’s with shaking cars keys on every third down? In the SEC, we only do that in the fourth quarter, when our team is comfortably ahead. It’s to say to the visiting fans, “You might as well pack up now and go home, because this game is over.”

l Booing? The only time I ever heard an SEC fan boo his or her team was because of some really off-the-wall bad play, not because they were merely loosing the game. By off the wall I mean something like its fourth and one on the opposing teams 20-yard line, and instead of going for it you kick a field goal and the kicker misses. That will bring some boos.

The majority of booing that goes on at a SEC game is because of bad calls by the officials. But booing, just because your team is loosing, or because there are only seconds left in the first half and the quarterback takes a knee, come on. Would you be booing the Spartans if they had decided to take one more snap before the half and star players were injured.

I hope MSU can rebound from the past two weekends, and I am not talking about the football team.

Kevin Gailfoil

second-year Thomas M.Cooley Law School student

Published on Thursday, September 26, 2002