BTI's Rants and Ramblings: A Little Q & A on Being a Good Fan

Being known as the best true "fan" writer on this site, a title given to me by Beisner in a secret letter, so many questions have come about, either in this fanbase or others, about what things you can and can not do as a fan.  So, I thought I would address some of these questions, since you all really give a damn what I think: Q: Can I boo my team? A: Well, certainly Randall Cobb says no.  And I am torn on this issue.  College players don't get paid to play to game, unless you are Cam Newton (BOOM!).  And since they are not professional, some would argue they should not be booed, especially by their own fans.  On the other hand, they are being paid through scholarship, something they would not have received without their athletic ability.  So, when they don't perform on the field, you could argue the taxpayers and alumni who paid for that scholarship should be allowed to show their displeasure.  Personally, I think you be able to boo for one reason and one reason only: College athletics have become big business.  As much as we would like to act like this is the 1950's and everybody plays college sports for the love of the game, and they are amateurs, we all know that is not the case.  Ticket holders pay big money to watch these men play.  They do that in hopes of getting a good performance.  When that doesn't happen, fans should be allowed to boo. But, there is a limit to this.  What you should not be able to do is curse directly at a player.  As much fun as we liked to have with Matt Walsh, the gay chants thrown his way were really classless.  Funny but classless.  And in retrospect, out of line.  So yes, even when it comes to our opponents, there is no justification for many of the things directed at 18-22 year olds.  On the other hand, lets please stop acting like college players are "kids".  These are men.  Grown men.  So, we need to stop acting like they can't handle it emotionally.  Q: Can I leave early from games? A: Absolutely.  Some Louisville fans got burned with this on Saturday, as many left and missed their 18 point comeback.  But, you are not exactly facing bad odds if you leave with 5 minutes left, down double digits.  And in my opinion, it does not make you a bad fan.  In fact, if you don't believe in booing, then leaving early may send a better message to the players about your disapproval of their play.  Once again, you paid your ticket, you have the right to leave when you feel. But, I am always amazed is the people who can not seem to show up on time.  This is ridiculous to me.  You never know how late a game will run.  You ALWAYS know when the game will start.  Find your seat, and put your butt in it at kickoff or tip.  When a fan can't make the beginning of the game, that says to me they don't care enough about the game itself.  When they leave early if their team is getting blown out, it says they almost care too much.  But this is Kentucky, so I have come to realize caring too much is just a part of the fanbase.  As a side note, if you team is WINNING in a blowout, stay at the game.  Do you have something better to do than see the Cats crush somebody? (Exception:  Sometimes people will kids are not the ones making the decisions.  If a child is throwing a fit, sometimes you just have to go.  No harm there)  Q: Can I also cheer for another team? A: If you think that a "true" fan only cheers for the Cats, then I think you are taking the team a little too seriously.  There are 2 major times when you can cheer for another college team: If they are your alma mater OR if they are in your hometown.  For instance, I would not be critical of Beisner if he cheered for South Florida.  That is his home team.  I cheer for Western Kentucky, where I got my illustrious degree.  And if you only cheer for the Cats, I think you would be STUNNED by the people in the city of Louisville who cheer for both teams.  As long as you cheer for the Cats against every opponent, then I have no problem with also supporting another team or two.  There are 350 plus Division-1 teams in basketball.  There is enough room to cheer for a couple. Q: Is it OK to talk to players on Facebook and Twitter? A: Well hell no it isn't.  If you want to throw around a "good game" or "we are proud of you" kind of statement, that is acceptable.  But if you EVER put any type of negative statement on a player's facebook or twitter pages, you are the worst kind of loser.  The kind of loser who thinks these players are their friends.  The kind of loser who thinks they should have a personal relationship with the players.  You pay your ticket to watch these college players perform on the field.  Once they step off the field, they are no longer under your realm to be critical.  And just because you have the opportunity to actually "communicate" with the players does not mean you actually should.  Rant to your friends.  Don't rant to the players. Q: Can I sell my tickets to a fan from the opposing team? A: Uh no.  We are not Louisville.