GoldStandardGriz
Well-known member
First off, let me apologize to those I have offended on here, Mr.Titlest in particular. Anyone "waisting" their precious time on this board is obviously a true fan & no bandwagoner, so I may be preaching to the choir. Unfortunately I've only been inspired to post when I'm pissed, & I'm usually not the most pleasant when in that state of mind. I'm 42 yrs old, & moved here in 1992. As a sports junkie, with football being king, I came here at the perfect time to witness & be a part of something special. Coming from a big city, I was skeptical & standoffish at 1st when it came to 1AA football, now FCS. After my 1st game it was obvious to me that this was good football being played here, by both the Griz & the opposition. What truly sucked me in was the passion of the crowd & the way they seemed to genuinely care about the team & the outcome of the game. I spent many a Saturday sauced in my NEZ seats ruining my voice for the week. When my voice went midway through the 3rd quarter I used my feet & hands by stomping on the benches & clapping. I've witnessed many games the past few decades where the crowd played an integral part in the outcome of the game, especially when the two teams were fairly even talent-wise. In my opinion we used to have at least a touchdown edge, maybe double digits, due to our homefield advantage-especially since few players on the opposition ever had the opportunity to play in that atmosphere. How many times have we seen the opponents backed up against the NEZ, deafened by the crowd, commit false start after false start, punt from their endzone, we score with a short field, game over? When we're fortunate enough to host playoff games & the elements are in play, the fervor of the crowd & the weather are often enough to squash the opposing team almost immediately-I've witnessed it, participated in it, felt it. You know it just like I do. Does it need to be the playoffs to capture that fervor that used to be prevalent week in & week out? The stadium is a lot nicer now with a lot more seats in it, but someone let the air out. It is full of newbie fans riding our coattails who really don't get it. They're their for the party. But it's not a fun party when we're losing, is it? Anyone telling someone to sit or be quiet while the other team has the ball simply doesn't get it & doesn't understand the dynamics of football, & quite frankly should be at home watching from their recliner. No offense, though I'm sure none of them are reading this. Football, more than any other sport, is affected by what goes on in the stands. Every fan in every great venue around the nation understands this. Yes the players need to execute, & yes the coaches need to put the players in a position to succeed, but the crowd matters.....big time. The end of the 1st half & beginning of the 2nd are often key moments of the game, take last week for example-the fans need to be in their seats, not rushing for their socializing. Another factor is any potential recruit that sees that crazy crowd & environment wants to be a part of it, it helps keep the machine rolling. Blah Blah Blah! That's my rant, though I could go on. I'm out!
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