All across the US, in all colleges, many college sports fans make great efforts to host opposing teams and their supports to join them, to provide them with the best in hospitality. At the same time, the home team college expends much money marketing games, to encourage other teams and their supports to visit, which increases attendance, which boosts revenues for the teams, and also generates support for all of the college's programs.
All the while, local elected and civic bodies invest their energy, time, and funds to enhance the local institution, partly to attracts tourists- particularly opposing teams and their fans- into the local economy.
Moreover, alumni and fans of each college donate their own money to the alma mater, to serve as a vehicle for community and school pride, for the fans and the students, and so that other schools will begin to see them as leaders in various areas.
And after everyone has put forth so much effort, when the opponents arrive, some fans and students will offend these people. Hurl obscenities at them. Even make vulgar gestures at them.
And they "Boo" them. After everyone has gone through so much effort to showcase the college and the community, to demonstrate what a college stands for, and what an enlightened and friendly community the college and community are, when visiting fans come through the tailgating areas, and when visiting teams enter the field, they are booed.
These are what college education is all about? These are your students, your alumni? These are the smartest and best of your community? These is your source of leadership? This is the quality of your college degree?
This will not do. "Big time" has nothing to do with "lowlife".
But happens everywhere, all across the country. It's not a secret, everyone recognizes it. But they do nothing anything about it.
This simply cannot be tolerated. It is time for the student governments, the college administrations, the alumni associations, and the athletics departments to do what a University is supposed to do:
Insist that alumni and students act like college material.
