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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ryan Frank
EDITORIAL EDITOR
Kameron Cole
The importance of football fans
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College
football
Saturdays
shouldn’t
cause
frustration
among
non-fans
Opinion
Goldhammer
For any of you who have ever
been involved in any way
with a sports fan, the frus
tration of not being more
important than the game on televi
sion has probably come up.
Countless times, curled up next
to boy, 1 was really trying to be into
the football game on the tube, but 1
quickly lost interest. Don’t get me
wrong, I respect the Monday Night
Football, Saturday college game
day and Sunday NFL games, but I
never did perceive why these
games held so much control over
him.
However, recently I have come to
truly understand the importance of
the football fan.
Two weekends ago, the UCLA
game, my well-maintained they
cut-the-grass-daily apartment com
plex was a good ole’ party of college
football fans hooting, hollering and
screaming outside as the game pro
gressed and a field-goal try was
missed.
My neighbors, regular fixtures on
my couch, were even up and
bouncing in the male-bonding foot
ball manner.
As we stood on the porch, I real
ized, watching the enthusiastic
masses re-enacting plays, that with
out all this ruckus the football game
would just be a bunch of grown
men in tight, shiny pants running
around after a weird shaped ball.
The football fan makes the game.
At these games, all people come
together. The just-back-from-tour
dread-head and the well-tucked-in
fraternity member yell, scream and
dance together. And this is what
adds to the spirit of game day.
Maybe it is just an excuse to start
partying before noon and a reason
to fire up the barbecue. But, what
ever it is, it holds a grasp on the fan.
If you’re rooting for the same team,
you’re instant buddies.
Putting off the three-page paper,
staring in awe at the screen, the
football fan becomes one with the
team. At one point someone com
mented he could feel a player’s
pain. I smiled and someone handed
him a drink.
I admit, I get butterflies in my
stomach when it’s not in our favor
and we are very close to another
victory.
The football fan grins and bears it
through everything with the team,
including the duck-connotated slo
gans.
We’ve been through “Gang
Green” to “U-O It To Yourself,”
which needed help from the begin
ning. Thank heavens “The Peaking
Ducks” hasn’t been pegged on us
yet.
But, maybe it is a matter of belief.
And almost every Saturday there
will be a football game where hol
lering and yammering can be done
at all times.
Even if it’s a public access pro
gram of someone’s home video
recording of 5-year olds playing
their first football game, the foot
Giovanni Salimena/Emerald
ball fan will cheer and do the
touchdown jig in spirit.
It has taken a bit of time to com
prehend the importance of the foot
ball fan and why they sit mesmer
ized by a large field with poles
sticking out the end of it. But, if it
wasn’t for people like boy and my
neighbors, if nobody ever cheered
or nobody ever cared, college foot
ball games would be as exciting as
watching fish breathe.
Parents wouldn’t come visit and
be nostalgic of college days and
homecoming parades. And we
would all get weird looks for wear
ing bright green and yellow togeth
er on a regular basis.
Luckily, this is not the case. The
fan is the one who makes the noise.
The football fan stands proud,
perhaps a little stumbly, and
screams for our incredi-team.
Hey, We Believe.
Amy Goldhammer is a columnistfor
the Emerald. Her views do not neces
...wow do you expect me to
have time to read a 4000
page bill 7/?
BUDGET
BILL OF THE
united states
government
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THE PRESIDENT and the CONGRESS make
SPENDING REQUESTS...
HOW
THE
budget
process
WORKS ...
WE NEED 100,000
NEW LEFT-HANDED
JHOP TEACHERS'
WE NEED A
nuclear (u0
PASE IN KANSAS..
a
THE TWO SIDES MEET TO
DISCUSS THE MERITS Of
THE PROPOSAL...
TOUBE AN ARROGANT ,
RJOT15TICAI MANIAC'
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FINALLY, BOTH SIDES HAMMER OUT A
FINAL VEBS'ON of THE BUDGET BILL™
YOURS AN
UNTWUfTVOTTWy
WQHAAN/2IN6
FWEVAf?» CATOR /
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I AM PlfA«P T> ANNOUNCE THE NEW
KANSAS NUttlW SUP RASE WHKH
*"11 EAWicry 100,000 LEFT- hanpeo
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