In case you missed it, here's my rant from tonight's Cheesehead Radio (thanks again to them for letting me on air!!)
This week, there were actually many, too too many, things to rant about. McCarthy’s infatuation with the challenge flag, Mason Crosby’s complete infatuation with the sideline, and everyone complete infatuation with penalities…but this week I would like to focus not on the Green Bay Packers Players, despite their many attempts to earn it, no, I’m focusing on us. Here is my two-fold rant on the fans.
1. Being a fan of professional sports has always been an act of believing in the miraculous. I have little respect for the fans that midway through Monday Night’s third quarter were hanging up their towels and calling it a year. Did the Packers look atrocious? YES! A very emphatic yes. But they also demonstrated the ability to perform lights out, at will. I was raised to believe that even with :02 seconds left in a game, you still stood, chanted, prayed, paced, etc willing your team to victory. I have vivid memories, as I’m sure most fans do of the waning moments of the 1997 super bowl. I walked in circles around my kitchen table until the very last moment of Chumra laying on the turf the ball bouncing away from him. Painful yes. But I’m glad I watched. I also remember the Monday Night San Francisco game from 1996, when Robert Brooks got hurt and it felt like our entire year was going to slip away. And then Antonio Freemen gets up after the ref decided Marquez Pope did not down him, and runs and runs and runs. And Chris Jacke made the great 53 yard kick to secure victory. Both of those plays were purely magical and were only witnessed and performed by those who did not give up. Giving up in the third quarter, giving up three games in is not a true fan. So you know what, I’m still saying Super Bowl or Die and its because I still believe it.
2. Fan involved in the altercation with Nick Collins, I’m looking at you now. Back in the fall of 2000, as a bright eyed freshmen at USC I was involved in an altercation in the stands. The Trojans were awful that year, and Notre Dame was playing great football. As the final game of the season came to a close and the Trojans accepted their 7th defeat that year, a couple of very drunk Notre Dame fans entered the student section and began to taunt us. Annoyed, disheartened and angry that they were on our “turf” I threw my pom pom at them. Looking back now I am not completely proud of that moment, but there we were fans jarring with other fans. Fans have every right to talk trash to other fans. Fans have no right to talk to
trash, especially on a personal level, to a player. The player actually was on the field, actually working and making plays, you mister yell slurs as a player is walking to the locker room, you sat on your butt all game. You want to talk trash to a player, then learn to play the game, spend hours/months/years training and maybe then you can say something. Until then, sit down, joke with your friends
about the greatness of Jay Cutler, and no mouth guards will be thrown at
you. And Mr. Collins, I get that you regret your actions, it’s a feeling I am familiar with, but I sir am behind you 110% and I probably would have thrown a lot more than a mouth guard.
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