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Kansas has experienced a log of negativity lately, and for good reason. Three straight very regrettable losses have the Jayhawk faithful thinking basketball season early, as is the norm in Lawrence.
I think therein lies part of KU's football problems. Kansas is not a football school because Jayhawk fans do not deem it as such.
No, I am not blaming the good people of great Jayhawk faith for the recent disappointments on the gridiron. I do, however, believe every one of us is responsible for the negative atmosphere currently surrounding Memorial Stadium.
Tough love and giving up are two very different things. Mark Mangino and company should certainly not be congratulated for their recent performances, but they do not deserve to be forgotten.
Of course, Kansas football fans have never been among the greatest: this one-sport school breeds students to thrive in winter.
Everything from an emptying student section at halftime in all games, close or not, to the noticeable lack of deeper interest for football, and even to the unsportsmanlike manner in which our student section often carries itself is all evidence pointing to the fact KU students are bandwagon football fans. They hop on while the riding is good, then ditch for something bigger and better as soon as the word 'basketball' is whispered.
No, KU students aren't always the most appreciative of their football players, and I am ashamed to even be mentioned among such a group.
It's not basketball's fault. It's just that the university has poured on their fair share of dough, the alumni are doing all they can, and the players are still putting in their time—but where is the third party of support here? When even the student newspaper starts publishing columns expressing complete lack of hope for poor Mangino, I think it's time to call start calling people out.
The worst part is that KU has four games remaining (Kansas State, Nebraska, Texas, and Missouri), and three of those games are very winnable ones against the Jayhawks' biggest rivals. Nebraska is even playing at Lawrence. Heck, Kansas will even be an underdog for the remainder of the year, so all pressure is off now, right?
I'm not predicting any wins here, and sure this season hasn't quite panned out as well as planned, but the best fans will make the most of it. I know Mangino and his players will do the same, and I expect to see at least three more very exciting, competitive contests out of the Hawks before this season is over.
It's too bad the general passerby is currently more concerned with Kansas' Division II exhibition opponents right now than with the Sunflower Showdown this Saturday.
Instead, Kansas could still win another game or two this season, and all of the fraudulent football fans probably will not even notice. To them, this season is already a lost cause.
The biggest obstacle the Jayhawks currently face is the support they don't receive. Here's to hoping the poor guys even bother trying over the next few weeks for those of us who won't turn to the hardwood until our work on the gridiron is done.
This season may not turn out perfectly, but it would be a shame to forget all the talent, experience, great memories, and effort this team has given us this season, all because of a little slump.
What good is a great college football team without great college football fans? I guess KU will never be a great football school, because Jayhawk fans will never be in it for the long haul.
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