Against
As a sports fan in general, and a fan of collegiate athletics, I greatly enjoy the spirit shown by the student section. Their presence is what makes NCAA athletics different from pro sports.
However, their actions also reflect strongly on their school. I found myself extremely disappointed this Saturday when our students rushed the field following the Terps’ 14-13 win over Miami. Although I admire the love and pride we have in our team and its accomplishments, I am disappointed that fans of a program with the great history and recent success that Maryland has had were unable to stay off the field following a win over an unranked team with a losing conference record and several off-the-field tragedies.
If we have to think twice about storming the field following a win, it is probably more appropriate that we do not. Saturday was a big win, but it was just another step toward our bowl game in Miami. We still have another big home game, and maybe after that we can celebrate with our team after clinching the ACC Atlantic Division title. Go Terps!
Jim AndrewsSophomoreCivil and environmental engineering
As a sophomore, I have witnessed four ACC home football victories since coming to the campus, and the students have rushed the field after three of them. Something is definitely wrong with that. Last Saturday, we were ranked, favored and at home. Our opponents held a losing conference record of 2-3, were unranked and mourning the death of a teammate who had yet to be buried.
Clearly, this was a game we were expected to win. By comparison, Arizona’s fans rushed the field after upsetting No. 8 California, a national title contender, after overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit.
Rushing the field, or the court for that matter, is something special and should be reserved for special circumstances. Maryland has the best student fans in the country and an excellent football program. We need to act as though we’ve won before.
Maryland has a national title, nine ACC titles and a perfect football season. Ralph Friedgen has a record of 49-22 at Maryland after taking over a struggling program. The students need to show the football team respect by not treating every conference win as a huge upset. This is a very good team playing with a legitimate shot for an ACC title. We need to leave rushing the field for the truly deserving games. Go Terps!
Chris SherlockSophomoreBusiness
For
Daniel Chiat’s poorly researched column, “Terps know what a win feels like, but students don’t,” in Monday’s Diamondback requires a response from someone with a clue. Chiat claims the students “embarrassed our own team” by rushing the field after defeating Miami in a close game. He also opines that the game was meaningless, but why was it played with such passion by the Terps? Two huge turnovers sparked the crowd late in the fourth quarter and the emotion spilled onto the field when Hollenbach kneed the ball to end the game. What’s wrong with that? Suggesting that the team simply “find the quickest path” off the field is downright laughable – does Chiat know our tradition?
The comparison to fan behavior in the past is among the most absurd claims in his column. Screaming profanities at opposing players is as different from celebrating a victory with the team as Chiat’s article is from correct. Chiat said it was acceptable for our team to celebrate at the Tiger claw in Death Valley; does Chiat know that as soon as we left the field, Clemson students joined their team, as they always do, win or lose, at midfield?
Chiat obviously is not aware of what the Terps accomplished on Saturday with their victory over the ‘Canes. It was a celebration of the entire season to this point, not just the game played that afternoon. Beyond that, for the first time since 1985, both Miami and Florida State have been knocked off by the same team in one season. With this victory, the Terrapins not only cemented their place in a big-time postseason bowl, but have guaranteed themselves a bowl on the East Coast, which means that more fans will be able to see their Terps in person. Officials from the Chick-Fil-A bowl were in attendance and were very impressed with the Terps – enough so that, if given the opportunity, they would invite the Terps to play in Atlanta. We have a realistic shot of competing in Jacksonville for the ACC championship game with just one more victory after defeating Miami, so why the harsh feelings toward students that celebrate this?
When Chiat and others suggest that rushing the field after close games embarrasses our university, or makes it “less special,” they are the ones who ruin the celebration. Lots of fans ask for the students to cheer louder, to all wear red to games (some students still haven’t grasped this concept, unfortunately. Even Rutgers could pull this off!) and to stick around for the entire game. Why, when the students and other fans show their support, are they censured? The real fans know this team is capable of competing with the big boys, and have been saying so all season long. Real fans didn’t slander Fridge or the program after a loss to West Virginia, and real fans aren’t badmouthing the students for celebrating with the team; instead we’re happy to celebrate our eighth victory of the year with the players and congratulate them personally.
Alex JacobsSophomorePhysiology and neurobiology
