After attending Saturday’s game at Williams-Brice Stadium, I can’t help but wonder, “What happened to sportsmanship?”
To say that my husband and I are avid Alabama fans would be an understatement. We live in North Carolina so attending games at Bryant-Denny Stadium proves difficult. We were thrilled when the 2010 schedule was posted and we learned the Tide would be playing South Carolina at home.
Friends and family warned us not to attend a game at South Carolina if we weren’t rooting for the home team. I must admit, I thought the rumors were ridiculous. After all, South Carolina is a state that prides itself on Southern hospitality and charm. Surely Gamecock fans would adhere to the code of sportsmanship that the University of South Carolina claims its players adhere to both on and off the field.
I was convinced we had nothing to worry about. So we purchased our tickets and prepared for the game. We put on our Alabama best and arrived Saturday morning, excited to tailgate and cheer for our boys.
If only things had gone as smoothly as we hoped.
Within minutes of kickoff, it was apparent that the South Carolina fans in our section were not going to allow the Alabama fans a moment’s peace. Despite the fact that South Carolina led Alabama almost the entire game, the South Carolina fans took every opportunity to bash and belittle every Alabama fan in sight.
I can truly say I have never heard such foul language or observed such crude behavior at a public sporting event in my life. A man in our section screamed, “Kill him!” every time McElroy stepped onto the field. By the second quarter his son, who could not have been older than seven, was screaming “Kill him!” in unison with his father every time Alabama’s offense took the ball.
I was too afraid to cheer for Alabama throughout the second half for fear that I would only anger the mob further. As the clock counted down to zero, my husband took my hand and said in complete earnest, “Stay close to me until we leave the stadium and don’t make eye contact. Let’s just go home.”
We sprinted silently towards our car, enduring more vulgar language and taunts as we made our way out of the stadium. I was truly scared for our safety. Tears streamed down my face as a South Carolina fan screamed at me to take off my “piece of sh-t jersey.”
As we drove home that evening, I couldn’t help but reflect on what I had just experienced. At no point during the game did we say or do anything to disrespect or antagonize any South Carolina fan near us. South Carolina led Alabama for most of the game – so why were the South Carolina fans so insistent on making our experience at Williams-Brice Stadium complete and total misery? What happened to sportsmanship? What happened to the code of camaraderie and decency the SEC was built upon?
Having experienced what it means to be a Gamecock firsthand, I can say I now understand why The University of South Carolina receives so little respect in the SEC – because the university’s fans show so little respect for the game, for the conference and for themselves.
Despite a crushing loss, I can truly say I have never been more proud to be an Alabama fan than I was as we drove out of Columbia on Saturday evening. There are some qualities of a great team that simply cannot be measured on the scoreboard or in the polls. Integrity, common courtesy and sportsmanship are marks of a truly great program – attributes of national champions. I pray that our program never loses our character, class or pride no matter who we play – win or lose. May Bryant-Denny Stadium be a welcoming place for our visitors each and every game and may the actions of our fans never cause anyone to question Alabama’s dedication to greatness on and off the field.
Amber G. Rozina is a native of Alabama and a resident of North Carolina.
