Oregon Fans Should Cheer, Not Jeer

While attending the game last Saturday, I was disgusted at a few things I saw before, during, and after the game. I now understand why people around the conference and country have the view that Oregon fans are stuck-up and ignorant. 

In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I get frustrated with the team at times, but I have never booed them—and never plan to, either. It is counterproductive and accomplishes nothing.  To hear a small number of Oregon fans booing the offense in the first half of the first home game is unbelievable.  Yes, the offense was struggling, but it’s the second game of the season and they are college students, not professionals. 

People will argue that if they pay the ticket price, they should be allowed to do whatever they want. But stop and think about how it makes us, the fans and the university, look to the rest of the country. We have already taken a huge hit—no pun intended—in the national view and the last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves because we act in an immature manner. 

Secondly, the guest captains that came out before the game were two young boys probably around the age of eight, one walking and one in a wheelchair. Now the timing did not help, but Purdue players ran out of the tunnel during the introduction of the two boys, drawing a chorus of boos from the stadium. 

I don’t get why people have to boo the opposing team. Not to mention when they are introducing a handicapped kid who is having his name announced over the loudspeaker at the same time. This kid was probably massively excited for this moment, but will probably remember it as something of a disappointment because Oregon fans absolutely had to boo the opponent.

Thirdly, and by far the most disturbing, as I was walking out of the stadium there was a female Purdue fan walking out of the stadium by herself, and she was getting harassed by two groups of male Duck fans. 

She was saying nothing, and had been saying nothing for a couple minutes as she was walking right next to me as everyone was trying to get out of the stadium.  After some fans told the guys to stop, they begrudgingly did, even cussing at their own fans.

This shows absolutely no class and only furthers the negative view of Oregon fans around the country. These guys were not students, or at least not students young enough to have the actions excused.

I have no doubt that this happens at other places around the country, but I would hope that as Oregon fans we would hold ourselves to a higher standard then the other fanbases.

The majority of you do not fit this profile, but if you were a part of any of these, think about how people might interpret what you are doing. I am asking all responsible Oregon fans to step up and not allow this to happen. 

If you hear an Oregon fan harassing an opposing fan or booing the team at a very poor choice of time, stand up and tell them to cut it out. It only takes a few bad apples to ruin what is a very special environment. You don’t have to tell the police or text in to the number they have to report rowdy fans, but do something about it.

I love Autzen and the passion of the fans, but it seems that there have been more incidents recently that make me believe, things have gotten somewhat out of control. Root for your team, acknowledge the other team on a hard-fought game, and keep the negativity towards others out of Autzen.