Cheering at Games - The Fan's Responsibility

[durhamgsoaggie]

There are a lot of topics we discuss at Blue Death Valley that we can't directly control, but there are a few that we can.

One of them is how we cheer for our teams at games... or more accurately, the lack of appropriate cheering for our games. I had a minor boiling-over moment on Thursday night

I finally got to my reserved seat with a few minutes left to go in the 1st half with us down 14-7 and Hampton driving. I was hoping we be doing a better job of cheering, and that PJ was there with the cowbells like he was at the Elon game... but neither was the case. The motivation on the A&T sideline was OK, but nothing to write home about. But knowing that Hampton might score before halftime and putting our season in jeopardy was something that I wasn't sit by and watch this time.... I was going to do something...

So without thinking about it, I stood and starting yelling at a couple of hundred fans behind me to start cheering for our team BEFORE the plays happen. It wasn't the most politically correct thing to do, but after a couple of times, I got the desired effect. Soon after that, we got the sack and the INT on 4th down to close out the half. We definitely did a better job of cheering in the 2nd half.

Just in case you're wondering, I am not taking credit for the Hampton win by any stretch of the imagination. Our kids have to make plays and our coaches have to prepare them and put them in the best position to win. But I feel strongly that fans have a responsibility as well to give proper level of encouragement to our kids, win or lose.... that's if we expect to have a winning culture that better players would want to be part of in the future. And there's plenty of scientific evidence out there to show that positive stimulation of the brain has a direct link to increased motivation to perform.

We talked about this in our local AAF meeting on Monday. It starts with us changing our mindset from being at the game to be entertained to a mindset of being an active participant in affecting the result. That takes a little more energy and a bit more passion to be able to go hard for 30 minutes out of a 60 minute game. It's one of many motivating factors that inspired me to lose 30 lbs this summer. I saw quite a few of my AAF folks being more active, so I appreciate that.

But it's not just football. I went to the volleyball match against NCCU the Friday before the Howard game. We had a big crowd, but not a lot of noise unless we scored. I was on the floor for the 1st set, which we lost. I moved into the seats for the next 3 sets, encouraging cheering before and during the points, which you can get away with in volleyball as long as you start up well before the serve. I got the parents going, and eventually some students going. The Livewires were on one side of the bleachers, but you need buzz from across the crowd to get the desired atmosphere. We ended up winning those last 3 sets and the match.

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Can the Athletic Department help? Sure. A lot of what I was doing should be the function of the cheerleading squad. Our squad is good for entertainment purposes, but not really that effective in engaging the crowd to actively cheer in a way that affects the result of the event. I don't know if that can be changed this season, but it should be a point of review going forward... not to completely take out the entertainment, but add more game-time focus.

Can the Band help? Sure. The applause for the BGMM's performance was louder than any cheering during the game. That's says a lot about the skill level of the BGMM as entertainers. It also says something about us as fans. I love the BGMM... I just hope that there can be more coordination between the BGMM and the athletic department to energize the fans in a focused way that affects the outcome on the field.

I ran across an article about Kadeem Edwards, the Tennessee St OG who was drafted by Tampa Bay in the 6th round, which touched on this a bit. We're not as bad as Tennessee St on this one... but we can be better.

If we want championship teams from our kids.... let's hold up our end and improve at being championship-caliber fans in the stands!!

[marchingband1969]

Let me start off by saying that I shout, whistle and make noise at any game I attend but I do those things when "I" want to. Don't get me wrong, I think you should make as much noise when you want to but I get upset when someone in the stand turns to me and tells me I need to make some noise. I paid for my seats to watch the game and I wasn't paid to entertain the team. I know I'm a commugine but that's just me.

That said, I have a suggestion...we need noise makers! Cow bells, clapping hands, 2x4's, cymbals, tambourines, horns...something that fans can use to make noise. You come up with the ideas and let spread the word for folks to bring them to Homecoming. Oh and check with the AD to see if he objects.

[durhamgsoaggie]

Oct 11, 2014 12:03:05 GMT -5 marchingband1969 said:

Let me start off by saying that I shout, whistle and make noise at any game I attend but I do those things when "I" want to. Don't get me wrong, I think you should make as much noise when you want to but I get upset when someone in the stand turns to me and tells me I need to make some noise. I paid for my seats to watch the game and I wasn't paid to entertain the team. I know I'm a commugine but that's just me.

That said, I have a suggestion...we need noise makers! Cow bells, clapping hands, 2x4's, cymbals, tambourines, horns...something that fans can use to make noise. You come up with the ideas and let spread the word for folks to bring them to Homecoming. Oh and check with the AD to see if he objects.

MB, I hear you and I respect your opinion. The problem comes in when the majority of the people in the reserved section from the 30-yard line to the 30-yard line have a similar line of thinking.... and they're sitting right behind the football team, not really cheering unless something good happens.... or when they "want" to and not when they "need" to. You have every right to cheer when you choose to. But when a majority of people choose not to cheer in optimum moments.... don't be surprised and disappointed when you don't get the desired result.

And..... you're not "entertaining" the football team or any other team when you're making noise. If you've ever played a sport in front of a crowd, you'll know what I'm talking about. That's the changing of mindset that I was speaking of earlier. We'll get to see a different mindset on September 12 of next year when we go to Chapel Hill.

I'm with the noise-making piece. The cowbells are great... I spoke with someone recently about thunder sticks as well... but that's a conversation with the Athletic Dept. to see what's allowed in games. I'll let you know what I find out.

But that said.... noise makers probably aren't the same from a psychological stand-point as hearing another human voice or hands clapping for you... but anything is better than what we usually do....

[Jesse Jackson's Side eye]

As a former President of the Livewires, I understand exactly how you feel about cheering at the games. The atmosphere can be so dead at times. Our attendance numbers are among the higher tier of the conference in revenue sports and we should be able to have a somewhat more lively atmosphere...It can be done but its gonna take a major shift in the culture of "Im just going to be seen" to get this done....Honestly, I would kill for an Auburn, LSU, or Texas A&M type atmosphere at our games

I hate to be "THAT GUY" but like westcoastaggie has said before, it may be time to get some students into some of that Reserved Section real estate...

[durhamgsoaggie]

This was the article I referenced earlier:


NFL Draft Prospect: HBCU Football "Slowly Dying"

From HBCU Gameday

Much has been made over the past couple of years about whether or not Black College Football is progressing, regressing or remaining the same. Well at least one NFL prospect apparently thinks it's in real trouble. Tennessee State guard Kadeem Edwards told Aljazeera America that HBCU football is "slowly dying," during his interview at the Senior Bowl.

Edwards said he loved TSU and the atmosphere, but was put off by how much it overshadowed the actual game.

www.hbcugameday.com/2014/01/nfl-draft-prospect-hbcu-football-slowly.html

[durhamgsoaggie]

Oct 11, 2014 12:48:56 GMT -5 Jesse Jackson's Side eye said:

As a former President of the Livewires, I understand exactly how you feel about cheering at the games. The atmosphere can be so dead at times. Our attendance numbers are among the higher tier of the conference in revenue sports and we should be able to have a somewhat more lively atmosphere...It can be done but its gonna take a major shift in the culture of "Im just going to be seen" to get this done....Honestly, I would kill for an Auburn, LSU, or Texas A&M type atmosphere at our games

I hate to be "THAT GUY" but like westcoastaggie has said before, it may be time to get some students into some of that Reserved Section real estate...

That's a touchy subject, but there may be some creative ways to do that. It's not as simple because the access to the stands is at ground level, unlike a lot of stadiums that have the students closer to the field with access to the stands midway up the bleachers. I think all parties involved would have to be very clear on the reason, expectations and goal of making a shift like that.

[Deleted]

When I was watching the game with my wife during the third qtr, she said we were very quiet in the stands tonight. I immediately said, " well we are a wine and cheese crowd."

We could get that stadium pretty loud too if the students were coordinated better and felt it was cool to cheer wildly at games like it is at other colleges. But then when I think about that, I think about my time in grad school where the only ones cheering at sporting events weren't the "minorities."

Honestly, that Marketing guy we had a few years back, who was a jerk, had some good ideas to get more students involved and cheering. I also think our new marketing team will develop some good ideas to get more students involved in the game. With that being said, I'm learning that this is kind of a cultural thing to be too cool to cheer.

Also, we still need students in the reserved section. LOL

[marchingband1969]

Even the wine and cheese crowd will participate under the right situation. Let's face it, us old guys have purchased the reserved seats in the center of the field and we are not the type to stand up all game and yell. I would have at age 20 but at age 65, it ain't happening. But I would ring a cow bell or bang a drum stick on the bleacher seat or beat those "cheer sticks." So get the Athletic Department to pick one noise maker and sell it at the games. I will encourage all my old friends to buy it and to participate.

As for the students, the "spirit section" last Thursday night was great. Now if we can entice a few hundred students to show up and show out then that would be fantastic. Giving away free tee shirts to the first 1000 students that showed up was a great idea.

[aggiepride73]

Me and the fam will be attending homecoming and possibly the Central game. If ya'll need any help I'll be there front and center. Don't mind pulling for the best HBCU in the land and talking a lil junk. We might be sitting by FAMU's band so I can get it in. I'll be the one barking every now and then! I don't like coming to games and just sitting being quiet. I can stay home if that's the case. Try to get my lil one involve and follow the lead of her daddy! lol

See ya'll Oct. 25! Let's put a bite in that rattler!............AGGIE PRIDE---WOOF, WOOF!!!

[durhamgsoaggie]

I wanted to post up clips of another FCS venue.... a team at a level we should be aspiring to get to in the next 5 years if we're committed to staying in FCS....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nhu_tMyh7E

www.postandcourier.com/article/20131212/PC20/131219821

The venue isn't as big as Aggie Stadium (about 20,000), but it is a dome. That said, the ridiculous decibel level in there only happens because everyone is engaged.

A couple of things I noticed about the video:

1. No noisemakers
2. Not a lot of "spring chickens" in the main section between the 30s... but they are doing work...

This is championship-level fanhood at the FCS level, folks.... we all have work to do....

[TOPPDOGG]

Oct 12, 2014 9:13:17 GMT -5 durhamgsoaggie said:

I wanted to post up clips of another FCS venue.... a team at a level we should be aspiring to get to in the next 5 years if we're committed to staying in FCS....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nhu_tMyh7E

www.postandcourier.com/article/20131212/PC20/131219821

The venue isn't as big as Aggie Stadium (about 20,000), but it is a dome. That said, the ridiculous decibel level in there only happens because everyone is engaged.

A couple of things I noticed about the video:

1. No noisemakers
2. Not a lot of "spring chickens" in the main section between the 30s... but they are doing work...

This is championship-level fanhood at the FCS level, folks.... we all have work to do....

The Seattle Sounders (soccer I know right) have Standing sections in their stadium. The expectation is that fans will stand up and cheer for the entire game. As for us it would be good if our PA announcer would ask Aggies to stand up and make noise for your Blue death defense on 3rd downs. You'd be surprised how compliant people are with instructions from a PA announcer. We could also use an audio cue (lots of teams use a ringing bell sound) to trigger a pavlovian response from our fans.

[scaggie09]

Glad you made this thread as that has been a MAJOR pet peeve of mine for a while now. WE all could use a crash course on how to make our stadium intimidating, give it a TRUE home field advantage, and have fun all at the same time.

Aggie Stadium has so much potential but let's face many are just stuck in their ways and quite frankly it's pretty much a domino affect. If everyone is being quiet and giving golf claps at best then one or two folks getting up cheering will have NO impact on the total game day experience. It's going to take a total effort by ALL to truly get the desired results.

It's not so much about having "older" people stand the entire game or someone telling you what to do it's just about having everybody actively involved in one way or another pushing our team and providing that extra support from the stands.

I've seen it done at other HBCU(S) mostly the ones in the Deep South. FAMU I think it was 2011 in a game @ SC State had different chants going on as the team was driving down the field. They would wave their hand in the motion of a Rattler as if about to strike and had all involved. The band was playing a drum cadence that led the chant and band members and fans participated. It's SIMPLE things like this that can make a major difference.

SCSU has that Let's GO Bulldogs piece they play takes all 15-30 seconds they play generally when team is driving and makes a first down and once completed all the fans yell Let's Go Bulldogs.....

JSU, Southern, and a few others in the SWAC have the pom poms waving and just creates a nice game day atmosphere.

IMPROVING the atmosphere inside the stadium is probably one of the more simple FREE things we could do that would peak the interest of others and make them want to come out and be a part of the action.

[popdad]

Moving the student section will help get the reserve section on their feet and with noise... I believe that mixing cultures in this manner will compliment each other greatly and bring the stadium alive. I looked at some photos, and the reserve sections are not a sell out like it has been. Take a look at the stadium map for App St. www.appstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205534313&DB_OEM_ID=21500&DB_OEM_ID=21500

[numberonebrave]

Just because there is no one in the seat does not mean the seat is not sold

[Aggie Monster]

It wont change. HBCU football is what it is. My only solution (at A&T specifically) would be to move the band around to different locations depending on the game. If the opponent is not bringing their band, then students and our band should sit on the visitor side. The band directly beside the visitor reserves and the students actually inside the visitor side reserves.

If the opponents ARE bringing their band or its homecoming then we go back to the normal setup.

If you let students in to the home side reserves they will still leave after half time and we'll have the same problem.