Two years ago, I watched as LSU fans in the east upper deck discarded water bottles, cups and Mardi Gras beads down on our student section in frustration and disappointment at their loss. Their actions were the most classless display of sportsmanship I have witnessed until Saturday evening as another Alabama-LSU battle came to a close.
Surely I was dreaming, surely it didn’t just happen. It did – the cups and shakers proved it. At the end of a hard-fought game, our field and team were having drinks and shakers hurled at them from the student section. The “Game of the Century” proved one thing Saturday night: Alabama students can no longer use “class” to define themselves.
Perhaps in the hype of the pregame, the size of the sideline crowd went unnoticed. That crowd consisted not just of media, but also recruits – the future of our football program. They witnessed a tough game, a few dirty moves by LSU players and the character of Alabama football. But what will they remember most? What was the last thing they saw happen before leaving Bryant-Denny Stadium?
They saw the intense disrespect shown by our students. What player would want items launched at them after competing for over sixty minutes on a football field? Who would want to play for fans like that?
Most importantly, our players are human beings that deserve to be treated with respect, and not only when they win. As heartbroken as we were over the loss, the players were even more upset. They work incredibly hard at what they do, and too often students feel that we have been let down somehow whenever the Tide loses – that players play to please us.
This couldn’t be more wrong. The players play for Alabama, and we attend games to support them.
The Tradition video reminds us each game of our legacy. However, with the nation watching, a group of irrational students selfishly released their frustration by trashing our own field. These actions damage our team and university and are completely unacceptable.
To the players of the Alabama football team, I apologize. From personal fouls committed against you to the sheer grit and length of the game, you fought hard and never ceased to show class and character. I am sorry that members of your student body – those who sit with you in class and eat with you in the dining halls – were unable to follow the example you set. Thank you for committing to a personal standard of integrity and refusing to sink to the level of your opponents or, for that matter, some members of your student body.
Mandy Anderson is a senior majoring in nursing.
