Letter: Fan behavior dishonored LSU

I love LSU football. I love everything about it: the sights, the sounds and the smell of the air on Saturday nights thick with bourbon and Creole spices. I love to yell as loud as I can every time our defense steps onto the field, and I even like the soreness in my throat on Sunday mornings.

Being an LSU fan runs deep in my family, and going to Tiger Stadium is a privileged connection, not only to our university, but to our ancestors who helped to build it, one game, one scream at a time, into the most-intimidating place to play college football. My grandfather didn’t miss a game in more than 40 seasons. My parents have been season ticket holders for more than 30 years, and I hope my three daughters will one day carry on the tradition with their children.

With those who have gone before us in mind, I must take issue with the students and other fans that first booed the Alabama band, and then later participated in an obscene cheer directed at Alabama Coach Nick Saban.

Such displays are not welcome and are what my old high school coach would call “bush-league.” They are not worthy of a great university or our top-ranked ball club and they dishonor those who have gone before us to build one of our state’s great traditions. Being vulgar for vulgarity’s sake is not collegiate, and these negative outbursts do nothing to serve our players and coaches and they conversely rally the other team.

Sure, I “love to hate” the Tide as much as anyone who bleeds purple and gold, and I’m by no stretch a prude, but the University of Alabama is our conference peer, and their players, band and fans were our guests and should have been respected as worthy competitors. As a young man, I was taught that sportsmanship was an important part of being a player, and that it was important to both win and lose with dignity.

Sadly, some of our fans decided to sacrifice our community’s character with these low-class displays.

Pete Martinez

lobbyist

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by Gritsngumbo - 11/05/2013

Well said. Thanks.

2) Comment by Bouncer - 04/01/2013

Well, "REB," I don't intend to go anywhere. Sounds like YOU'RE a part of that kind of behavior, and thus, part of the problem. So, why don't YOU get the f*** out of the state? Louisiana is the way it is because of the sorry, trashy people who live here. People like you. Go f*** yourself, d-bag.

3) Comment by Reb - 03/01/2013

"LSU football seems to be a magnet for vulgar, loudmouthed, drunken human trash." - Bouncer "the first thing I noticed is how the majority of the population here cannot have a good time unless they are drunk." - Speakthetruth Sounds like you guys are truly superior to LSU fans and indeed to Louisiana citizens in general.... Why punish yourselves any longer... just leave the state.... We will try to get along without you...

4) Comment by gumbo33 - 02/01/2013

There has always been an ugly element to the LSU fan base that rears it's head more than other fan bases. In addition to the pointless vulgarity we tend to abandon our own team when things don't go our way or we grow bored. I've actually talked to fan's of other SEC teams who are shocked at how vicious we are towards our own team (this goes back to the 90's)...I recall watching a game where the Georgia Bulldogs were playing at home and losing by like 30 pts. It look like not one fan had left their seats. Wisconsin fans are the same way. Those schools tend to have more true die-hard fans than the light weights and bums we have at LSU.

5) Comment by speakthetruth - 09/11/2012

Pete, I couldn't agree with you more. Graduating from another college and moving here, the first thing I noticed is how the majority of the population here cannot have a good time unless they are drunk. LSU authorities, by condoning public drunkenness at football games, have allowed this problem to flourish to the point that good people stay away. But what do you expect in a state that is last is all that is good and first in all that is bad. Those stats don't just appear out of thin air. We are "last" and "first" because of the people that live here. There is a low regard for law enforcement and teachers in this state that carries over to the attitudes of both professions, and the people of this state. Ignorance is bliss, the Louisiana motto; "Who Dat" and "I bleed purple and gold", as long as they have winning teams and we can get drunk and stupid.

6) Comment by DMJ - 08/11/2012

A few colleges have actually started allowing alcohol sales inside the stadium during football games. They've found that people will be less likely to binge drink during the pre-party if they know they can get a beer once inside the stadium. Also, you can't sneak in a 6 pack, but you can sneak in a flask, and liquor tends to make people drunker, faster. These colleges have actually experienced fewer instances of fighting and obscentiy. Food for thought...

7) Comment by spqr - 08/11/2012

I agree, Bouncer.

8) Comment by Bouncer - 08/11/2012

It's a given that you cannot expect to find throngs of devotees to Emily Post or Miss Manners at an LSU football game. That's generally true of any large college football crowd, but for some odd reason, LSU football seems to be a magnet for vulgar, loudmouthed, drunken human trash. I don't go to any of the games anymore because it has gotten so bad.

9) Comment by DMJ - 08/11/2012

When you out-low-class Alabama fans, you've got a serious problem.