I have to admit, I almost couldn’t bring myself to write about last Saturday’s game. It was devastating. Our beloved Hokies lost to JMU, a game that was supposed to an easy win after our tough fight against Boise State last week. Seeing the heartbreak in thousands of people’s faces was almost as bad as watching Darren Evans fumble on JMU’s ten yard line. It was a game full of costly mistakes and an apparent lack of excitement from most of the team. Let’s face it: this is the kind of game other teams have just been waiting for us to lose.
What made it worse was the reaction from the other team’s fans. JMU has every right to be excited. However, the rudeness and lack of sportsmanship exhibited from many of JMU’s fans simply added insult to injury. I am generally very proud of VT’s sportsmanship and class both on and off the field. However that standard can be hard to maintain after being flicked off and cursed at by multiple JMU fans. Before the game, I told my Dad that I had never heard of a fight breaking out during or after the game. Unfortunately that changed on Saturday when some of the JMU fans couldn’t resist harassing an already heartbroken group of students and alumni. This is not to say VT students weren’t to blame in some cases. To my knowledge though, JMU fans were the instigators far more than the Hokies.
For those of you not in Blacksburg for the game, the level of depression and devastation afterwards was unbelievable. I’ve never seen my fellow Hokies so deeply disheartened. Trust me, the current state of our football team is a very sensitive subject around here. It’s hard to believe that less than two weeks ago we were secretly hoping for a national championship. A few people are even starting to question the ability of our beloved Coach Beamer, and many people are calling for a new offensive coach. I don’t think the mood in Blacksburg had ever been so unhappy during football season. However, I think it’s important to remind everyone (including some of our students) of one thing: We still love our team. We love them when they win, and we love them when they lose. The Hokies are NOT fair-weather fans.
I sincerely hope that all of our students and alumni will be cheering just as loud this weekend against ECU as they did when we played Boise State in FedEx field. And if you see a football player, give them a high five. Let them know you still support them. I guarantee you they’re probably even more upset than we are. Yes, we’re upset. Yes, we can’t bring ourselves to turn on ESPN and listen to all of their comments. But we still love our team. And we will still support them in every game they play this season. Remember: We are Virginia Tech. We will prevail.
