According to The Princeton Review, the university ranks number one in the popularity of intercollegiate sports. We have been praised for filling the seats at many Terrapin events, especially basketball games. But it’s a good thing The Princeton Review bases its decision on filling the stadium and not on support. I’ve come to notice our fan base is fair-weather. We are quick to hop on the bandwagon but even quicker to jump off. We submerse ourselves in sports but don’t seem to boost our “basketball IQ.” The majority of our fans are overrated.
It seems everyone in the stands wants to be the future Gary Williams or starting point guard for Maryland, constantly blurting out what they think should happen. I too discuss situations with my friends at games, but I’m not saying I should be on the coaching staff. But it’s just blasphemy to question what Williams or any of the players do. They are there for a reason: They are better at making these decisions than anyone in the stands.
Not only does our awareness need to increase, but our respect for our team needs to increase as well. I believe in giving our Terps “home-court advantage,” and there is no need to verbally assault them. We should build their confidence, not shatter it. Leave the boobirds for the opposing team, not our own. You should expect the person sitting next to you to say something insightful about the game instead of yelling “You can’t shoot!” as the opposing team’s point guard nails a jumper from the top of the key. Expect to cheer for the Terrapins, because they are expecting it from us.
Wednesday night, I sat in the student section at the Maryland-Western Carolina game. Our beloved Terps were off to their typically slow start, and the crowd’s desperate cheer to fuel them with energy proved to be unsuccessful as the Catamounts were up 24-20 at one point during the first half. At last, the Terps went on a run to pull away to a 39-35 lead at the end of the first half. My friends and I were fired up and impressed with the way our team battled back from a Catamount shooting barrage. But the students in front of us begged to differ. They gave an onslaught of “boos” shot from their mouths and the response they gave when we asked, “Why are you booing?” was, “Because we are from Maryland.” Wow.
First of all, we were winning. Yes, it was against Western Carolina, but they are a Division I team and they played a solid offensive first half, eating up the clock. Do you expect to be up by 20 at every half? And if we are up by 20, why not boo because we aren’t up by 25? Because it’s very important the Terp players know you are disappointed in their 5-for-10 shooting from the free-throw line.
I could care less if you boo and disrespect yourself. Just don’t boo and disrespect our players. Williams has been screaming at them as they sit on the bench all first half and probably has a few choice words for them when they reach the locker room. The last thing a player wants to hear is their fan base turning on them.
I understand we have high expectations for our teams. It just seems we raise them every year only to set ourselves up for frustration and disappointment. Now, they are at an all-time high.
My plea is to raise the expectations for the fans. Do not get down on your team, especially at home, when you are truly getting down on yourself. Shouting out ignorant comments and talking or acting like you know how to run such a complex team does not help anything. Williams, the assistant coaches and especially the players want fans in the stands to be positive about the team, not negative.
Matthew Myers is a freshman journalism major. He can be reached at mmyers5@umd.edu.
