So, I'm perusing my Google Alerts update for "Syracuse Orange" when I'm whisked away to what seems like the Arizona State student newspaper site so that I can read a completely arbitrary attack on Syracuse Orange fans and how we're worse than Hitler.
I hoped that the sea of student body didn’t deplete like the rivers in the West. I mean, that’s what Syracuse Orange fans do: Leave no matter the score, evaporate and fast. Their "big" dilemma is: "Should I leave five minutes to halftime or two?"
"I feel like there are schools that are more dedicated. We’re critical. So, if we do badly the fans don’t stay," says incoming freshman Madeline Brown, a Spanish, special education and childhood major at Syracuse University. "When I went to England to watch soccer it was like everyone was friends. It’s not like that here."
At no point before or after those two paragraphs are Syracuse fans mentioned again and the rest of the article is just some rambling thoughts on why ASU freshman should be good fans.
Alright, let's analyze.
1. From what I can, the entire basis for author Brendan Capria's thesis is that single quote from Madeline Brown, who is, by the way, an incoming freshman??? WITH A TRIPLE MAJOR???
2. WHY IS AN INCOMING FRESHMAN A CREDIBLE SOURCE FOR WHAT SYRACUSE FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL GAMES ARE LIKE?
3. Are we actually using English soccer fans as our baseline? For reals? Cause let me tell you something...I've watched Arizona State games. I've watched Syracuse games. I've watched Duke basketball games and Texas football games and New York Yankees baseball games and Boston Celtics basketball games and NO FANBASE IN AMERICA is one-third as exciting or passionate or insane as English soccer fans. So that's a really dumb comparison, Madeline.
4. The whole "this fanbase leaves early but other fanbases don't" theorem is crock of s**t. Every fanbase is exactly the same. Except for Los Angeles Dodgers fans, who really don't show up til the 3rd inning and really do leave following the 7th.
5. Let's assume Madeline knows what she's talking about. Was she referencing Syracuse football games (I assume we're talking football) between 2005 and 2008? Cause there's a BIG f**king difference between SU football games in 2007 and SU football games in 2010. And if Greg Robinson wasn't your head coach, then there's nothing I can do to properly explain that to you. Those games were wars of attrition for Syracuse fans. I'd like to see you throw down $150 for your family to come watch your favorite team give up 40 points to a MAC squad and tell me you're sticking it out til the end.
I don't have to look but I'm pretty sure if someone showed me tape of the ASU stands in the 4th quarter of one of those blowout losses to USC in the 2000's, it looks like a silver convention.
Oh, Brendan's email is in that article if you have any other thoughts you'd like to share with him.
Hold on, one more thing...
NOW I feel better...