There’s got to be a reason. It’s time that somebody takes a closer look at this. Attendance at Washington University home sports games is a joke. It’s a pitiful pittance.
The number of fans on hand for a given athletic event rarely even cracks four digits. And I should know-I’ve been on hand for the recording of our “official” attendance at several home football games. There’s no scientific method involved here. There are often no tickets to take and no stubs to count-just a quick “ballpark” estimate, if you will.
As you may already have noticed, WU students have an almost preternatural ability to come up with excuses at the drop of a hat. Distractions on campus are as commonplace as Psych majors, and we all know it takes a lot of homework to maintain a number 12 national ranking. There are many “reasons” why students don’t make it out to more games, but I’m here to dispel these myths once and for all.
Listed below are the top five excuses that you will give me for not going to WU sporting events, and accompanying these excuses are five reasons why you, my friend, are full of bologna.
Excuse #1: I don’t have enough time to make it to every single game.
Puh-lease. First of all, it’s not about going to every single game. It’s about knowing that we even have teams in the first place and then respecting them enough to show a little support.
I don’t envision a campus where sports dominate the social milieu like they do at large state schools, I’m just asking for sports to be stuck somewhere into your social rotation.
For example, right now you’re probably stuck on: drink, party, chill, drink, party, chill, etc. Well, what’s the harm in shaking things up a bit? Drink, party, number-one-ranked-volleyball-team-in-the-nation, drink, party, undefeated-women’s-basketball-team.
Sure it takes away from your ‘chilling with the homies’ time, but who says you can’t do that at the game? Much like investing, it’s all about making choices and diversifying your social portfolio. There are plenty of hours in the week; it’s all in how you spend them.
Excuse #2: Division III sports are boring!
Ha ha! This is the easiest one of them all to disprove.
Sports, in their very essence, are simple and pure creations. No amount of layering dollars or scholarships or advertisements or endorsements over sports can change the game itself. In many senses, a game free from the aforementioned ills (as it is here) is even more fun to watch.
The athletes themselves are competent enough to compete in their chosen sports. You will see the long bombs, the home runs and the slam-dunks. The rest of it-the action and the entertainment-comes straight out of the game itself. It doesn’t matter if it’s professional sports, Division I or II; any group of players, left to compete in their sport, are capable of producing all the excitement your little heart can handle.
I’ve seen two football games in this season alone go down to the very last play before victory was decided. It didn’t matter to me that there were no Heisman Trophy candidates on the field.
Do you have any idea how much tension there was in every women’s basketball game during their 82-game winning streak? The slightest miscue could have, and eventually did, bring an end to years of perfection.
In other words, the excitement is there-just add athletes.
Excuse #3: Our teams are no good.
This one is so obviously untrue that it’s almost not even worth defending.
We are in a golden age of sports at WU. Every team on campus achieved a national ranking at some point last year. We have more coaches with Division I experience than ever before in the school’s history. The volleyball team, as well as both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will compete for national championships this year.
Bottom line: If you go to a game, WU will likely come out on top-quite a bonus for the casual sports fan.
Excuse #4: I don’t have enough money.
Guess what? With a student ID, I have never, ever had to pay for a single WU sporting event that I have attended. In fact, I’ve even come away with a lot of free stuff like T-shirts, “Beardanas,” pom-poms and fun little bouncy balls. What a deal!
Excuse #5: It’s not my bag, baby!
Let me get this straight. You don’t like spending time with friends, being in the great outdoors, eating junk food and showing a little school spirit, while at the same time experimenting with mind-expanding drugs in a consequence-free environment?
Okay, that last part was from Austin Powers, but you get the point. I’ve been a part of 70,000+ crowds at college football games, and it’s taught me one thing: even if everyone at the game doesn’t understand (or particularly enjoy) everything that’s going on, there’s no denying that collegiate sports can bring people from all walks of campus-life together under one roof or sky, as the case may be.
Where else is the entire student body going to congregate for a single cause? The Subway line? Nah, it’s already way too long. The Assembly Series? Nah, talk about too boring. Graduation?
Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long.