Elon University, hold the excuses. I don’t want to hear them. Your poor showing at last week’s football game against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has angered me.
“Oh, it was raining and cold, that wouldn’t be comfortable in my sorority sundress,” says the general female population of Elon University.
“Dude, that bro Johnny Manziel was on TV, so were the Red Sahx, and besides, dude, we're bad,” says the general Elon fraternity brother.
“I don’t even like football, I prefer musical theater,” says another general population of Elon.
I said, hold the excuses. Throw them out the door. They’re garbage.
Elon, be ashamed. Your sorry school spirit (or lack thereof) paints the current student body in a terrible light for alumni and the general public. Believe it or not, alumni and the general public attend these games with dedication.
Rain or shine, Elon alumni and Triad/Triangle-area residents tailgate and cheer like it is a second religion. I should know, I make a point of visiting with some of them before each game, and they are always excited to bring their young families to the game and hope for victory each time out.
Why are they different from you? If anything, they work harder, getting up to go to a full-time job all week where they do not have the opportunity to take a nap. They spend their hard-earned income on season tickets. Your tickets are free. Their seats are not in the lower level on the 50-yard line. Yours are.
I understand that football is a social event, and very few people attend the game to analyze Elon’s spread offense and special teams. But is the on-field action really that minimal that students decide to stay home on a day where there is even a chance of rain? There was a very short time in which precipitation actually fell during the game.
Now, let’s get back to the “team is terrible” excuse. Believe it or not, Elon is not terrible. That egg-laying in the second half against Coastal Carolina University? It was a result of Coastal Carolina being the No. 6 team in the country. The next week, Elon WON against Furman University. The week after that, Elon led No. 12 Wofford College 24-7 at halftime before coming a few yards shy of an upset. In the Chattanooga matchup, Elon went to the “tight red zone” inside of the Mocs’ five-yard line twice, and both times came away with only a field goal. Would crowd encouragement be enough to push the team over the hump? We don’t know. Because you weren’t there.
Let that sink in. Your presence could actually help push the team to victory. YOU could help Elon earn a win. But you sat in your bed watching Pitch Perfect on a rainy afternoon.
One of the most loyal groups of supporters among students is fellow athletes. These people are infinitely busier than you, yet they come and support the rest of the Phoenix. You could learn a thing or two from them, Greek organizations. You could create some morale by coming to these games.
Elon’s next home game is Nov. 9 against The Citadel. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. Plan accordingly. It will be homecoming, so plenty of alumni will be there. Let’s get out and show support for our team. Odds are favorable that Elon will be coming in off of a victory, so you should not have that excuse.
If you were at Saturday’s game, come find me and I’ll give you a hug. Or a high five. As for everyone else, I’ll see you Nov. 9. Our team needs the support.