NEWSROOM: (541)346-5511 E-MAIL: ode@oregon. uoregon.edu ON-LINE EDITION: www.uoregon.edu/- ode EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Frank EDITORIAL EDITOR Kameron Cole The importance of football fans PtD YOU SEE. THAT fake ^AaJ>-OFF [Au> -the c»u-y Wf/Ur Ruaw/a/OAi'r ^TH£t Just \je (T, to THAT GurZ* 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 rci rarnnff i -®99e> 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' tfT" FINALLY, BOTH SIDES HAMMER OUT A FINAL VEBS'ON of THE BUDGET BILL™ YOURS AN UNTWUfTVOTTWy WQHAAN/2IN6 FWEVAf?» CATOR / \ J I AM PlfA«P T> ANNOUNCE THE NEW KANSAS NUttlW SUP RASE WHKH *"11 EAWicry 100,000 LEFT- hanpeo jMOPTFAtHeFS/// k. ;