Fan Reflection, Inclusive Environment=Filling Stadium

[JoeKidd]

I have taken a few days to post to cool off before venting on another bad stadium experience. As a multi-year season ticket holder though I am shocked that I continue to be harassed by our own fans for:

a-Standing up
b-Being too loud and "obnoxious"
c-Heckling fans from the other team (PS-If you are a season ticket holder and sell your tickets to the "enemy" and they are near me, they are going to get harassed as would happen at every other stadium in the country that cares about their team.)

I think the continued bad experience at the stadium and thus why we can't fill it really comes down to one thing, exclusivity. Gone are the days when SMU used to fill our previous stadiums with people from all walks of life who wanted to support the program. We are now only the Highland/University Park Country Club, filled with snobbish, soft fans.

You know how other small private universities fill their stadiums, e.g. U of M, by being inclusive and making it an environment that people from distinct walks of life besides wealthy alum or parents of students can enjoy. No one wants to go to a college football game and be told by people with up-turned noses that "it appears you have been drinking" and "you should really control your standing up and yelling to a minimum".

We have an exciting enough product to draw in non-alums if SMU becomes more inclusive and this in-turn is good for the program.

[Stallion]

Really? an SMU fan- college graduate that gets off heckling and harassing opponent's fans. You were probably one of the 2 SMU fans in 203 making a total [deleted] of themselves. Yell for your team not against your opponent. Or go watch wrestling. That's not what College sports is about. And by the way how is that inclusive of other Dallas sports fans?

[DiamondM]

I was with you until "c." Harrassing opposing fans does not a good fan make. Stand up. Root loudly for your team, but don't embarrass yourself or your university by engaging opposing fans in smack talk just because they had the temerity to show up and cheer for their team. That's precisely the BS that people complain about with Tech fans, and the opposite behavior of fans with good reputations for being rabid in support of their own team, but welcoming and respectful of visiting fans (e.g. Nebraska).

I remember as a young child going to Yankee stadium with my family for a game against the Orioles (we were from KC, so no rooting interest). There were some nearby Yankee fans heckling visiting Orioles fans, including throwing stuff at them. My mom absolutely lit into the obnoxious Yankee fans for their classless behavior. They either shut up or moved to avoid her wrath. Left a big impression on me. No child of mine will be a classless heckler of other fans minding their own business cheering for an opponent, if I have anything to say about it. (Only possible exception to this is the rare instance of purely good natured and/or creative but harmless razzing of visiting fans a la Cameron Crazies or other similar student bodies).

FYI, the only Tech BS I witnessed was actually cancelled out by no less than 3 other Tech fans who either told the offending idiots to shut up, or personally apologized for their behavior.

[sbsmith]

Best way to create an inclusive environment is to play as many relevant teams as possible and go 11-1/12-0 every season.

[Grant Carter]

I was with you until "c." Harrassing opposing fans does not a good fan make. Stand up. Root loudly for your team, but don't embarrass yourself or your university by engaging opposing fans in smack talk just because they had the temerity to show up and cheer for their team.

Agreed.


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[blackoutpony]

I was with you until "c." Harrassing opposing fans does not a good fan make. Stand up. Root loudly for your team, but don't embarrass yourself or your university by engaging opposing fans in smack talk just because they had the temerity to show up and cheer for their team.

Agreed.


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Agreed as well.

And on a side note, can our own fans please stop making noise when we're on offense and actually instead make noise when we're on defense? That way our offense can hear all the calls the need to make and their offense won't be able to as well. It's something that has frustrated me ever since I started going to games here and while it seems to have gotten a little better, it's still maddening.

Pretty sure if you went to a colts game when Manning was still there and you even sneezed while they were on offense, they would shank you. There's a reason he was so good with all his audibles, because they were f-ing audible. Sort of the point of home field advantage.... This is really more of a student section problem I think, but anyway, rant over.

[JoeKidd]

Sorry guys, just have to disagree. If you are an opposing fan sitting in the season ticket holder section bc some [deleted] season ticket holder sold you their tickets you should get heckled. Even if I can't make a game I would never sell my season tickets to someone who is going to cheer against our guys, that seems traitorous.

[mustangxc]

Why do you feel the need to harass anyone? Save your energy for supporting and cheering for your team and leave the opponent's fans alone.

[blackoutpony]

Kidd, you're acting like a kid. The reason I hate tech is because when I went to Lubbock, aka, The butthole of America, their fans were some of the worst people I've ever met in my life. I would never go back to that hell hole and I have a very low opinion of anyone that goes there because of that. Why would you want SMU to be known as a bunch of asssholes?

[PK]

And on a side note, can our own fans please stop making noise when we're on offense and actually instead make noise when we're on defense? That way our offense can hear all the calls the need to make and their offense won't be able to as well. It's something that has frustrated me ever since I started going to games here and while it seems to have gotten a little better, it's still maddening.

Pretty sure if you went to a colts game when Manning was still there and you even sneezed while they were on offense, they would shank you. There's a reason he was so good with all his audibles, because they were f-ing audible. Sort of the point of home field advantage.... This is really more of a student section problem I think, but anyway, rant over.

Lest anyone misunderstands you, you are talking about making noise before the ball is snapped.

[blackoutpony]

And on a side note, can our own fans please stop making noise when we're on offense and actually instead make noise when we're on defense? That way our offense can hear all the calls the need to make and their offense won't be able to as well. It's something that has frustrated me ever since I started going to games here and while it seems to have gotten a little better, it's still maddening.

Pretty sure if you went to a colts game when Manning was still there and you even sneezed while they were on offense, they would shank you. There's a reason he was so good with all his audibles, because they were f-ing audible. Sort of the point of home field advantage.... This is really more of a student section problem I think, but anyway, rant over.

Lest anyone misunderstands you, you are talking about making noise before the ball is snapped.

Of course

[Charleston Pony]

Sorry guys, just have to disagree. If you are an opposing fan sitting in the season ticket holder section bc some [deleted] season ticket holder sold you their tickets you should get heckled. Even if I can't make a game I would never sell my season tickets to someone who is going to cheer against our guys, that seems traitorous.

has it even occurred to you that some SMU fans might buy "extra" season tickets and perhaps invited a TTech alum/neighbor to the game with them? I hope that wasn't the case because if so, you embarrassed a fellow alum who now has to apologize for our "classless fans". There are plenty of people out there who have good friends that may have attended rival schools

[Pony81]

Always cheer for your team - not against the other team.

SMU should be known for having fans who support their team, know the game, and are good sports who don't [deleted] and moan when they lose.

I tell my sons all the time - use our energy supporting your team not tearing down the other.

I use the Texas A&M fight song as Exhibit A: Written to tear down Texas but now they're in the SEC and no longer play. Oops !

We may get beat but we can be proud, classy, successful fans who's lives don't rise and fall on the outcome of an athletic event.

[78pony]

Kidd to Texas tech for two decent, respectful fans and a choice to be named later. Tech fans are pathetic and deserve Lubbock, tech and all that goes with it. Win with class, lose with even more class.

[Grant Carter]

Sorry guys, just have to disagree. If you are an opposing fan sitting in the season ticket holder section bc some [deleted] season ticket holder sold you their tickets you should get heckled. Even if I can't make a game I would never sell my season tickets to someone who is going to cheer against our guys, that seems traitorous.

has it even occurred to you that some SMU fans might buy "extra" season tickets and perhaps invited a TTech alum/neighbor to the game with them? I hope that wasn't the case because if so, you embarrassed a fellow alum who now has to apologize for our "classless fans". There are plenty of people out there who have good friends that may have attended rival schools

Not to mention that our best bet for getting more people unaffiliated with SMU to attend is probably having people who come to games to support their school have a good time and decide to come back for other games. Seems like making them welcome is much more inclusive.


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