Spartan fan base's actions reflect poorly on MSU
(Last updated: 10/25/09 7:12pm)I am a Spartan, and I am pissed. The MSU fan base is horrible.
This year, the MSU athletics department has launched a new campaign called “SHIELD.” This campaign is designed to be “part of a pro-active and comprehensive approach to enhancing the game-day experience for all spectators.” SHIELD stands for sportsmanship, honor, integrity, enthusiasm, leadership and dignity.
Guess what? MSU students and fans do not uphold any of these values.
Sportsmanship: Saturday, I witnessed MSU fans in the student section throwing free glow sticks at Iowa players while they were praying before the game.
I also witnessed our fans being sore losers after the game, saying, “Go back to harvest your crops,” or, “F—- Iowa.”
I only could think: “You just lost a season-defining game by two points and you can say stuff like that? These Iowa fans aren’t saying anything; that shows way more class.”
Wow.
Honor: Sparty, the “beloved” MSU mascot, decided to try to start the wave while a Hawkeye player was injured. One of the major symbols of our athletics program was not honoring a fallen opponent by being a dick, and then dancing when people were calling us “assholes” for not trying to help start the wave.
Wow.
Integrity: During the game, fans constantly were throwing glow sticks at our own cheerleaders, other fans, band members, the officials, staff members and the MSU Dance Team.
Wow.
This is why we never are given things to wave around during the game. Our athletics department, unlike an SEC athletic department, can’t trust us not to throw or abuse the free items we are given.
Enthusiasm: Our fans very often are not enthusiastic during the course of a game. We only are strongly enthusiastic when the cameras wave by us, when we make a good play or there is a “key” moment.
Our team needs support the entire game. This means when we are doing poorly, well or in between. MSU fans should be proud to be a part of the Big Ten conference. Our conference historically is known as having some of the richest traditions in football, and being a hard-nosed, tough conference. I wish we had even half of the enthusiasm of an SEC or Big 12 school.
Also, fans never seem to be too sad or disappointed about losing because at least they get to go back to their tailgates and drink their “sorrows” away.
Leadership: While the throwing of glow sticks was happening, I didn’t see any other fans — or at least very few others — calling out other people or telling them to cut it out.
Also, Sparty’s antics during the Iowa injury were horrible. An icon to our entire athletics department was not showing the proper leadership. Older students should also be setting better examples for younger students — freshmen especially.
Dignity: I hate that most of our student section comes to the game tanked, blitzed and drunk. It’s one thing to come to the game like that and pay attention, but most of the time these people spend their time harassing other students who are trying to enjoy the game.
Some drunk girls came down to try and sit in the front row by us. They ended up making fun of one of my friends, and saying that she “didn’t belong there.” Also, an upperclassman continued to come down to the front section where no one is to stand, and brought down up to seven other people with him each time. I did not wait seven hours in line to have these people come down and try to steal my seat.
Never have I ever been embarrassed to be a fan of anything, but today, I am embarrassed to be a Spartan.
Nick Thompson
kinesiology junior
Nick Thompson,
kinesiology junior
Originally Published: 10/25/09 7:12pm
Alex
10/25/09 11:10pmI completely agree.
The football student section is a black mark on the university.
The problem is, I don’t see any practical way to stop it. It’s too large to be managed like the Izzone.
Perhaps a one game suspension or a game where thousands are kicked out for inappropriate behavior are the only options.
I’m in support of either.
Alex
10/25/09 11:11pmI completely agree.
The football student section is a black mark on the university.
The problem is, I don’t see any practical way to stop it. It’s too large to be managed like the Izzone.
Perhaps a one game suspension or a game where thousands are kicked out for inappropriate behavior are the only options.
I’m in support of either.
"The (name of sports team here) fan base is horrible!"
10/26/09 12:48amThis is a 3 minute google search:
my link
my link
my link
my link
my link
Oh and a bunch of stuff about a gopher from minnesota mocking a religious penn state player.
Its a problem with sports in general. Theres just something about it gets people all riled up and uncivilized. Hm I wonder what it could possibly be.
whoops one more^^
10/26/09 12:59amlink
J
10/26/09 1:17amAgreed, intercollegiate athletics, especially football and basketball, turns us into uncivilized savages, much to the pleasure of our financial slave holders in New York City and Washington, D.C.
tedman
10/26/09 11:41amNick,
You’re a cry baby. Waaaa glow sticks, Waaa my friend being insulted, waaaaaaaaaa
Sarah Baird
10/26/09 11:51amI agree with everything he says. I’ve sat next to Nick at many of these games and sometimes its just plain mean and disrespectful. Honestly I’ve tried to defend my beloved spartans but its getting to be too much. Those links show it all, what everyone thinks of us, what we have done to make msu a mockery and why we have these labels upon us.
Tedman, You are an idiot. You are the reason this article was written.
Sparty
10/26/09 12:04pmWhile i think much of the fuss is overblown – all major college football programs have similar fan actions – some are over the line. Throwing things at players who are praying, mocking anyone injured, or the whole “they suck balls” thing isn’t energizing to our team at all and just makes us look bad. If it was motivating to our team i could maybe try and justify some of them but since they’re not they really not only reflect very poorly, they take the place of other, more motivating cheers and make the “12th man” less effective.
john
10/26/09 12:09pmPerhaps people wouldn’t boo the injured player if he didn’t milk it to get a bullshit call.
Get over it. Spartan Stadium isn’t a G rated movie. If you don’t like it don’t got.
'67 Alum
10/26/09 1:54pmWhat a shame. This appears to be another example of the general degradation of civility in our society. Perhaps security needs to be increased and to do their job a little better. If this behavior wasn’t tolerated it would change. Often times groups of people will do whatever they can get away with. This behavior seems much like the problems we read about in the paper after a big victory or loss that embarrass Spartan fans everywhere. Spartan Stadium should be G-Rated so games can be enjoyed by all fans.
Ham
10/26/09 2:47pmI’m with John.
I wish Spartan Stadium continued to boo all the way until the Refs left the field after the game.
Jon Hinton - Cedar Falls, IOWA
10/26/09 3:10pmThank you for having a pair……..and calling out your own side!!!!
That display on television was by far some of the worst sportsmanship I have ever seen in my life!!!
You stay classy Sparty fan…..we’ll send ya a post card from Pasadena!
Funny MSU
10/26/09 3:11pmIts MSU, you guys are expected to act like uneducated animals… Was kinda sad not to see any post-game couch burning and riots. MSU’s purpose is to serve as the laughing stock of the Big Ten and when you people don’t fulfill your obligations, why even have a school full of under-achieving delinquents in the Big Ten.
Jeff
10/26/09 3:12pmI agree with a lot of what is said in this letter, actually all of them except the comment about Sparty starting the wave when there was an injured player. If you think back to the central game, when the student section got bored during an injury time out they began chanting F—- Central. I think he was likely told to distract the student section and keep them busy during this time out so that our classless fans wouldn’t come up with a vulgar cheer.
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Phil
10/26/09 3:14pmHe didn’t milk it for the call. He was knocked out and had a small seizure right after as well. watch the replay, it was clear helmet to helmet and he finished the hit up top, which is against the rules. Another reason the flag was thrown was the taunting by the MSU player after the hit.
That was a black eye on the MSU and on your fan base. Comments like john’s and ham’s are an example of that black eye and poor sportsmanship.
MSU is a joke
10/26/09 3:29pmIts MSU, to be expected. What do you expect from the academically least selective and academically lowest ranked school in the Big Ten. A school like MSU is full of idiots. Shouldn’t be much of a surprise how their students/alumni behave.
RE: Sarah
10/26/09 3:40pmSarah,
Those links show this is a widespread problem and are from other student newspapers about their university, NOT MSU. Maybe you should read before you make a comment.
And Nick, sorry no one called the waaaaambulance for you.a
Ham
10/26/09 4:11pmDid phil call me black?
That’s racist.
RE: MSU is a joke
10/26/09 4:11pmAt least we know to use the correct form of “It’s” and to end interrogative sentences (even rhetorical ones) with a question mark.
On the topic of the game, some behavior was out of line. The throwing of glowsticks on field seemed pointless. Never before have I seen the football student section throw things intended to enhance cheering on the field so often.
Outside of that, there was nothing out of line.
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Brutus the Buckeye
10/26/09 4:19pmAnyone who thinks an unconscious kid having a seizure on the field is “milking” the hit to get a flag is seriously stupid.
IaAlum
10/26/09 4:30pmWe had a great time with the MSU fans before and after the game. Unfortunately, during the game was another story. It’s one thing to boo a bad call, it’s another to boo him as he is leaving the field. And it takes it a step further when a MSU father is encouraging his 10 yr old(?) son to cuss out the player/refs/opposing fans. Very classy.
I agree that this is something that happens at all sporting events, no fan base is immune. But all of these negative comments on this letter just prove the author’s point. Grow up everyone!
Brian P
10/26/09 6:02pmAs a Hawk fan I was shocked by MSU fans but it good to see a lot of you do have class and are real Big 10 fans. I hope you can fix it, you have a great team and all fans should be able to go to Spartan Stadium and enjoy the game.
Brian
10/26/09 6:11pmThe player wasnt getting booed by the fans the CALL and the refs were! Im tired of hearing and reading stuff about weird kids that want the football game to be played in a library! Every other stadium does the same thing. College students are college students. Grow a pair and if someone is really bothering you go tell the security instead of running home to your laptop and crying on it.
Billy
10/26/09 6:14pmHey John Hinton-I just called USC and told them IOWA was going to be their opponent for the annual beatdown. Their response: AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously?
patrick
10/26/09 7:09pmI’ve been to every big ten stadium (some several times). In general, I’ve always enjoyed Spartan Stadium. However, booing when a player has just been hammered by head-to-head contact, and now has a concussion, is definitely classless. If you look closely on tape, Sandeman appeared to have a seizure immediately after the incident (look at his arm). So, I can understand the immature, drunken behavior of 19 year olds playing with glow sticks and saying new, exciting naughty words after drinking their first beers.
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