Nothing angers true sports fans more than "fair-weather" and "bandwagon" fans. You know, the guy (or girl) that forgot that Boston even had a basketball team in 2007, but was the team's biggest fan in 2008. How convenient.
This certainly bothers us here at the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, but what bothers us even more is the apathetic fan. Maybe fan isn't the right word here, because it seems like the entire student body couldn't care less about UMass sporting events.
Where's the school pride? We see thousands of freshmen every day decked out in their UMass gear that they bought at the U-Store, but gosh forbid they actually take their hooded UMass sweaters to an actual sporting event.
You know all that money you're spending on tuition? Part of that goes to the athletic department. Your hard-earned money is in-part paying for many of our student-athletes to come to UMass for free. OK, maybe you should resent the athletes then.
Kidding aside, there are many reasons to check out a sporting event near you.
One: The teams are pretty good: No, this isn't Ohio State or Florida. But the teams that play in Amherst are generally successful, hard-working and fun to watch.
Two: The characters: Luke Bonner is classic. Bryan Hogan has the coolest hair. Ever. Coach Jim Rudy yells gibberish in Spanish at referees. Liam Coen is not only the best quarterback in school history, but an all-around nice guy.
Three: The coaches: Go to the Hangar before a game and grab a plate of wings with coach Don Brown. Go talk with Rudy, Sam Koch or Greg Cannella, some of the nicest people at this University.
Four: Something to do in Amherst: Go tailgate on Saturday and then watch a good football game. Go pre-game before a basketball game and then heckle the opposing team at the Mullins Center. Go watch a men's soccer team at Rudd Field that nearly won a national championship last year. They need your support.
It seems like at most of the sporting events (except for football and men's basketball) that the only fans in attendance are the players' parents and other UMass athletes. This is a huge school, where are the students?
Clearly, pro sports are more appealing. We get that. But why do so many students care so much about the powerhouse college sports programs, but so little about the college that they actually attend?
You can't go up to Charlie Weis or Chris "Beanie" Wells from here, but if you want to meet a living legend (Luke Bonner, anyone?) here, it's only a trip to Boyden away.
Leave your dorms, people. Go watch a UMass sporting event for crying out loud. Hey, it's another reason to drink.
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian Editorial Board.
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