“This is U.Va.,” Rashawn Jackson said. “This isn’t Michigan or LSU or Tennessee or Virginia Tech. The fans here aren’t that patient, you know.” (This is a quote in “Wahoos’ Woes Grow with Stunning Loss to Duke,” Nov, 1, www.virginiasports.com). I strongly disagree with Jackson’s claim that U.Va. football fans are less patient. If anything they have been patient. Virginia Football has been on the decline for several years. If a coach at any of the major football programs Jackson listed produced so few wins, the fans would not have tolerated the mediocrity so long. Fortunately U.Va. fans have finally begun to vote by their absences. The athletics director and president need to act!
But what of those fans who do choose to still attend and spend hundreds in the process? According to senior DE Nate Collins, “We don’t care… fans don’t help us win, we help ourselves win.” What an arrogant statement to make! I cannot believe that the defense would rather have total silence on third and 1 instead of a roaring crowd encouraging them to make the stop and force the punt. Collins goes on to say, “We don’t control who buys tickets, who comes, who sits in the stands, who leaves.” I have to disagree again. Of course the players have control since they are the only reason that fans exist. People attend to support and encourage you, to acknowledge your talent, and wish you success. To say fans are insignificant is tremendously disrespectful.
These same supporters are the primary funding source for an excellent stadium and practice facilities. Players should recognize this importance and athletics deptartment officials should do the same if they would like to… well, keep their jobs. The fans are currently discouraged and, whether or not the team acknowledges it, they are vitally important to the football program.
Players should remember that the next time they lift in their state-of-the-art weight room, or play an opponent in the stadium on homecoming in the pouring rain and hear fans praising them with the “Good Old Song” after a pick six for a touchdown.
Catherine Jones
CLAS II
I agree completely. Its a lot of work to be a UVA football fan right now; the season looks shot (though we try to be optimistic), the ticket prices go up every year, and we hear all kinds of crap from people that arn’t UVA fans (especially after the William and Mary game). However, we hold our heads high and show up to support the team each Saturday. Its a damn shame that our team doesn’t care that we’re there. Maybe everyone that calls (or called) his or herself a UVA fan, should skip the next game, just to see if the team would miss everyone who has supported them this season.
Report this comment
Agree/Disagree:
0 
0
This is hilarious if for no other reason than because Mr. Collins was no doubt only admitted to UVA principally (if not solely) because of his ability to play this droll little ball game. Unless he’s truly distinguished himself academically here since he matriculated four years ago, perhaps he and his teammates should stop posturing about whether they need the fans and get back to doing the only thing they’re at this school to do: amuse us actual UVA students by playing football at a higher-than-high school level.
Report this comment
Agree/Disagree:
0 
0
Yup, fans don’t matter.
Nate, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Last time I checked, the “fans” that mattered so little paid for your schollie and room and board and all of your equipment. If it were not for the fans, you would not even be attending school for FREE!!!!! How come I did not get to go to school for free? I was only valedictorian of my high school class and only worked 2 jobs since I was 14 and did everything asked of me by my teachers, parents, and society. Oh, that’s right. It is because I cared about stuff that got me a JOB.
That is why America is going down the tubes, we care about nonsense sports nonstop instead of doing what India and the Chinese are doing and going to school 6 days a week. That is why they will dominate us in the next 30 years while we whine about fans that don’t matter and complain about everything.
If you don’t have anything constructive to say about fans after losing to Duke for the second year in a row and a D1AA school at home, just keep the comments to yourself and go to class and get that free education since I had to pay for mine.
If you could do that, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Report this comment
Agree/Disagree:
0 
0