Credit: Jeff Blake-US PRESSWIRE
“One team, one family!” bellowed Mic Man 2.0 Chase Mizell. The response from the student section, like most things today, was lackluster.
On a day when the Gamecocks needed support the most, too many turned their back and walked away. It was a tough day at Williams-Brice. Far too many experienced it, and far too many left prematurely.
This one is for that one special section that is supposed to be the heart and soul of Willy B’s home field advantage. This one is for the student section. Or should we say the lack thereof?
Let me preface this rant article by thanking those devoted students who showed up on time, cheered until their faces were blue and walked out the gate after the alma mater was sung in victory. You are not part of the problem. The team needs students and fans like you. The problem is, they need a lot more of them.
The rest of you aren’t going to like this. I don’t care. You need to hear it. Garnet and Cocky is calling you out, because this is NOT ok.
Copyright 2012 Garnet and Cocky
When the staff of G&C arrived at Williams-Brice, we initially noticed the student section was running a bit thin. We gave you the benefit of the doubt. “It’s a noon kick, they’ll get here.” we said. Then, the band took the field for pregame. The student section didn’t look much thicker. As Darius Rucker sang The Star Spangled Banner…we were forced to concede the worst. The students simply were not coming.
Only the sickening level of intensity the students brought to the game surpassed the sickening attendance. Pregame cheers, down cheers, critical 3rd downs…you name it; the students choked today. As hard as a few of us worked to rally the crowd, as loud as the Mic Man pleaded…you were dead.
Tennessee’s first trip to our goal line was the worst (yes, absolute worst) atmosphere I’ve ever experienced. Not just at Carolina, not just at Willy-B. It’s the worst I’ve ever experienced in major college football. That’s an accomplishment, I’m fortunate to have traveled much of the country and seen games in dozens of venues.
Then, it happened. Halftime, the weekly mass migration to the parking lot. Amid a tight SEC East battle, you went to the parking lot. You continued to walk away throughout the 3rd quarter as well. Even as it became increasingly clear that the game was likely to come down to the wire.
The two crowd photos you see in this article were taken about mid-way through the 4thquarter. Tennessee was driving with the chance to take a (very) late lead. It was the loudest and rowdiest the stadium was all day. That’s not saying much, it would have been a lot louder with about 2,000-3,000 extra voices there.
Here’s the bottom line from Garnet and Cocky. We don’t care what your reasoning is. We know the team had lost two straight coming in. We know it’s difficult to cheer for a team that simply, isn’t playing that well. We know there are a million distractions (and drinks) waiting in the parking lot. But, we also don’t care.
When you accept your student ticket on any given week, free up your calendar. Make sure you can stay the entire game. Whatever your distractions are, resist them for just a while longer. When you walk into those gates and put your butt in the same seats students proudly occupied when the team was going 0-21…bring your “A” game. Get to the game. Stay at the game. Stay loud. Stay proud. If you can’t do that, keep your butt at home.