Like several of you, I went to the Girl Talk concert Saturday night. I was hoping to make it in time to hear Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett and football coach Al Groh speak to the crowd; I did not.\nI was disappointed to miss Bennett. I was happy to miss Groh. And probably not for the reason you think.\nIt's not that I'm glad to miss Groh, per se. It's the reception he received - or so I have been told - by those in attendance at John Paul Jones Arena that I am relieved not to have witnessed. From what I heard, the boos were as loud or louder than the cheers. Frankly, I am appalled.\nI, too, am frustrated by the performance of the football team in recent years. I, too, expect better than 5-7. But to show such disrespect for a man who lives and breathes Virginia, for a guy whose life achievements as a coach are awe-inspiring, for someone who wants the Virginia football team to win as much as or more than anyone, and moreover, for an alumnus of this University, is entirely unwarranted.\nI could make a heck of a case that, in fact, Groh's best year as Virginia's coach during the last three years was 2008, when Virginia went 5-7, not the year before when the Cavs went 9-4 and made the Gator Bowl. But that is irrelevant to the point.\nHow would you like to walk into an arena filled with the students whom you spend your life representing, and they simply dismiss you like the scum of the Earth? I don't care how many millions of dollars Groh makes. I don't care how bad his teams have been. Just because he has been to the NFL and back doesn't mean he's invincible and can't get his feelings hurt.\nLet me be clear: I am in no way saying that we should never be critical of a coach. Heck, I have on several occasions disagreed in this newspaper with his decision-making. For example, I don't think Peter Lalich should have started against Richmond last year. And let me add to that: I think Groh should redshirt his freshmen more. Yesterday on a media teleconference, he said he has no reservations about quarterback Vic Hall also returning punts; I have many.\nBut there are ways to voice your criticism, and there are ways not to. Booing Groh when he is going out of his way to address you, the student body, is immature and unbecoming of a University student. You want to make your voice heard? Post on one of numerous free message boards. Write an e-mail.\nIt's the same reason that on Virginia's weekly radio show with Al Groh, the University has elected to no longer take callers. It's because rather than asking respectful questions, fans were calling in and simply berating Groh. They decided to drop the callers, and I don't blame them.\nAnd you know what is the most laughable part about it? That this blatant disrespect is coming from Cavalier fans.\nThe majority of Wahoo students, in my estimation, don't go to the football games because they have a thirst for football. They go because it is a social event. They go so they can tailgate and wear sundresses and shirts and ties. There are University students who really do know the team, but I would venture to say that they are in the minority.\nSo, of the people that jeered Groh, I would guess that many of you don't know that Vic Hall may start at quarterback this year, or even who Vic Hall is. I would bet you can't pull the name of Virginia's new offensive coordinator or special teams coach - Gregg Brandon and Ron Prince, respectively - and no, I did not just look up those names. Fans are booing Groh for what they see as a flawed past, and yet many don't know how he has already addressed many issues with his team.\nI have never been too enthusiastic about the Virginia fan base. I wish more people around here would treat athletic events as opportunities to follow their teams as opposed to opportunities to socialize. I prefer chest paint to formal wear. That's the culture of this University, and I have come to terms with that. But to then turn around and be disrespectful and degrading toward the football coach is nothing short of two-faced. You don't care most of the time, but when the head coach comes to speak to you, you care enough to degrade him.\nI'm not Al Groh's personal cheerleader. I have my own opinions that differ from his, too. But when I am critical, I try to have a certain amount of respect for a guy who has been coaching football for longer than I've been alive - never mind the kind of respect that one University alum might show another.
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