{"id":9749,"date":"2017-10-05T07:37:03","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T11:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=9749"},"modified":"2017-10-06T07:25:04","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T11:25:04","slug":"guest-post-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=9749","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: As Fans, We Need to Clean Up Our Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Brandon Newbill won our predictions contest last week and earned the right to guest post. This one will touch a nerve with some, but we want to go on the record saying we agree with him. We all should be a little more mindful of how our behavior impacts others and reflects upon JMU.<\/em><\/p>\n

At the ripe old age of 33, I realize I am quickly becoming one of those \u201cget off my lawn\u201d type of guys. If you\u2019ve ever seen the South Park where all music sounds like crap to Stan, that\u2019s pretty much me. \u00a0That being said, and amidst another great football season for the Dukes, I want to use this opportunity to address something that bothers me about our fan base. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our business school has a great reputation. \u00a0I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve met people in the business world and when we discuss where we went to school I\u2019ve heard something along the lines of \u201cJMU, yea I heard they have a great business school there. \u00a0We hire a lot of those folks\u201d. \u00a0They aren\u2019t basing that statement on Business Week rankings or where JMU ranks in Playboy\u2019s list of party schools (RIP Hugh Hefner). They are basing their opinion on real world experiences and interactions with JMU Dukes. \u00a0I\u2019m sure other JMU grads have similar experiences regardless of their major. \u00a0I wish the same could be said about our football fan base. <\/span><\/p>\n

I had the absolute pleasure of traveling to Fargo last year for the national semi-final. \u00a0From enjoying the crowded downtown bar scene the night before, to a crowded B-Dubs right by the stadium first thing in the morning on game day, to tailgating in negative wind chill temps, to attending one of the most riveting games I\u2019ve seen in a while, to celebrating in downtown Fargo afterwards, not a single ill-spoken word was directed my way. \u00a0Not a single line of trash talk, not a single person calling me fat, not a single comment about being a grown man wearing purple, nothing. \u00a0Nada. \u00a0In fact, the exact opposite occurred. \u00a0In the middle of a packed B-Dubs at 11AM on game day, we tried to push our way up to the already three deep bar to get a beer. \u00a0No dice. \u00a0Next thing I know, I get tapped on the shoulder and an older gentleman decked out in NDSU gear said \u201ccome sit with us\u201d. \u00a0Him and his buddy stood up from their table to give us their seats, then proceeded to buy us beers and shots. \u00a0As more JMU folks arrived, more Bison fans gave up their seats and made sure JMU fans were taken care of. \u00a0At the tailgate, we couldn\u2019t walk past a tailgate without someone either pulling us into a heated tent to warm up or onto one of their party buses for a few tasty beverages. \u00a0Even the belligerent students would stop us as we passed by and commented on how awesome it was that we made the trip. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now I know what you\u2019re all doing. \u00a0You\u2019re sitting there saying to yourself \u201cyea, that\u2019s how we are too\u201d. \u00a0The problem is, no, that\u2019s not how (most) JMU fans are. \u00a0I can already hear the \u201cwell anyone is welcome at my P-Lot tailgate anytime bro\u201d crowd. \u00a0\u00a0The problem is our reputation as fans is that we are a bunch of obnoxious, self-righteous a-holes and as most of you know, right or wrong, perception to most is reality. \u00a0Therefore, even if you mean well, you\u2019re probably lumped in with the bad ones. \u00a0Don\u2019t believe me? \u00a0Go online, not to our own message boards, but to the message boards of other schools. \u00a0We have folks that go over there and troll teams that we aren\u2019t even playing and act like a bunch of adolescent bullies. \u00a0Attend a JMU game at Richmond or William and Mary. \u00a0Yea, I hate those guys too, but you can root without being condescending or sophomoric, especially to your elders. \u00a0Heck, I even sat in the \u201cyoung alumni\u201d section at the ECU game and even they behaved better than (some of) our folks do. \u00a0Deny it until \u00a0your death if you want, but a lot of people that are reading this are contributing to our fan base\u2019s poor reputation, whether you want to admit it or not. \u00a0I\u2019m no saint either. \u00a0I\u2019m guilty of doing some of the same stuff I just mentioned. \u00a0But my experience at NDSU really has made me want to be a better fan. \u00a0Let\u2019s all do better JMU. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n